In the news

Dementia care solutions leader Ceresti Health today announced a strategic partnership with Neura Health, a nationwide virtual neurology services provider. This collaboration will expand the service areas for  Ceresti’s remotely delivered dementia care program under the CMS Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model and will provide faster, more efficient services to people with dementia and their family caregivers. 

‍

In its unflinching report “America’s Unseen Workforce: The State of Family Caregiving,” Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health sheds a stark light on the state of caregiving for people with dementia. Physicians are in a unique position to chart a new course for their patients -- and the loved ones who care for them.

‍

Ceresti can help. To help your dementia patients and  their family caregivers access the benefits of the GUIDE model, refer them to Ceresti Health: guide.ceresti.com

‍

In value-based care, we ask primary care providers to be quarterbacks—responsible for clinical outcomes, cost containment and patient experience. But when it comes to dementia, an important condition that by its nature can be a challenge to diagnose and difficult to manage, we’ve handed them the ball without a playbook.

‍

This article explores the challenges primary care organizations face in managing dementia patients—and some of the solutions available for improving outcomes, lowering costs and reducing risk.

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.

‍

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.

‍

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. 

‍

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.

‍

‍