In the news

By John Mach, MD.

Many value-based practices emphasize the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) to their patients. The AWV is a great opportunity to improve screening for dementia but it needs to include a specific, standardized screen. This article discusses why screening is so important and how leveraging technology can improve screening during the AWV.

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Traditional metrics in dementia care have focused primarily on patient outcomes and clinical efficiencies. But many dementia patients are unable to self-manage their care, rendering traditional outcome measurements inaccurate. As the role of the unpaid/informal family caregiver, typically a spouse or adult child,  becomes increasingly recognized as essential, it’s time to redefine our measurement systems. This article explores the importance of developing caregiver-centric metrics that accurately reflect the full spectrum of care.

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ACOs and at-risk providers that embrace GUIDE today will emerge as leaders tomorrow, as CMS accelerates its focus on dementia care. Beyond improving patient outcomes, the right GUIDE partner ensures that ACOs can effectively manage attribution, control medical expenses, and reduce preventable hospitalizations—protecting both their financial performance and their ability to deliver high-quality care. 

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ACOs should be thinking strategically about how they leverage the benefits of GUIDE on behalf of their dementia patients. While the program promises shared savings through fewer hospitalizations and ED visits, there are risks that a well-prepared partner can help you avoid.

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If you lead an accountable care organization (ACO), you’ve likely heard of CMS’s GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) model. It’s an eight-year initiative designed to improve dementia care by integrating family caregivers into the care team. It is also a battle cry for better care. Ignore it at your own peril.

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Ceresti CEO Dirk Soenksen offers his insights into how the GUIDE model will affect dementia care in the U.S. for the Society of Actuaries publication, Long Term Care News.

Ceresti Health and research-backed dementia care television service Zinnia TV announced they will team up to boost support for caregivers through the combination of their evidence-based interventions in 2025. Beginning in January, Ceresti’s tablets will include Zinnia’s calming, gently-paced, plot-free videos that are designed for people who are living with dementia.

“Zinnia and Ceresti share a common mission: to empower caregivers and improve the quality of life for people living with dementia,” said Bill Uniowski, CEO of Zinnia. “By combining Zinnia’s research-backed video content with Ceresti’s proven, personalized caregiver enablement  program, we’re delivering innovative tools that bring comfort, connection and better outcomes to families, healthcare systems and physicians alike.”