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Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model Aims to Increase Care Coordination, Support for Caregivers

STUART, FL - The Council on Aging Martin’s Day Primary Care, a medical practice on its Kane Center campus, has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new Medicare alternative payment model designed to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. 

Under CMS’ Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, Day Primary Care will be one of almost 400 participants building Dementia Care Programs (DCPs) across the country, working to increase care coordination and improve access to services and supports, including respite care, for people living with dementia and their caregivers. 

Launched on July 1, 2024, the GUIDE Model will test a new payment approach for key supportive services furnished to people living with dementia, including comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans; care coordination; 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team member or help line; and certain respite services to support caregivers. People with dementia and their caregivers will have the assistance and support of a Care Navigator to help them access clinical and non-clinical services such as meals and transportation through community-based organizations. 

“CMS is excited to partner with Day Primary Care under the GUIDE Model,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “The GUIDE participants are envisioning new ways to support not only people living with dementia, but also to reduce strain on the people who care for them, so that more Americans can remain in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions.” 

“We know how difficult it can be for individuals with dementia and their families to find the resources they need and to feel confident in the choices they’re making,” said Council on Aging Martin President and CEO Karen Ripper. “Our participation in the GUIDE model will enable us to bring our community even more ways of caring for loved ones with dementia and supporting their caregivers.”

 Day Primary Care participation in the GUIDE Model will help people living with dementia and their caregivers have access to education and support, such as training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementia. The GUIDE Model also provides respite services for certain people, enabling caregivers to take temporary breaks from their caregiving responsibilities. Respite is being tested under the GUIDE Model to assess its effect on helping caregivers continue to care for their loved ones at home, preventing or delaying the need for facility care. 

GUIDE Participants represent a wide range of health care providers, including large academic medical centers, small group practices, community-based organizations, health systems, hospice agencies, and other practices. 

This model delivers on a promise in the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers and aligns with the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. For more information on CMS’ GUIDE Model, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide.

About the Council on Aging of Martin County

The Council on Aging of Martin County is the community’s hub for senior resources and the county’s Lead Agency on Aging. Founded in 1974, the organization offers expertise, programming and support for older adults and their families to help seniors maintain lives of quality and purpose. Services include: Day Primary Care Center, Memory Enhancement Center, Adult Day Club, Meals on Wheels, care management, caregiver support, and a robust offering of educational, cultural, fitness and wellness programs. 

The Kane Center located at 900 SE Salerno Road in Stuart is the Council on Aging of Martin County’s headquarters and is also an event venue available to the public. It serves as a special needs hurricane shelter when necessary. The Council on Aging of Martin County also operates senior outreach facilities in Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, East Stuart and Indiantown. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Council on Aging receives funding from state and federal agencies and relies on philanthropic support from the community, including other agencies, private foundations and individual donors.

For more information, contact: Karen Ripper, 772.223.7851 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

STUART, FL - Caregivers of dementia patients face physical, mental, emotional and often financial challenges to keep their loved ones safe and comfortable. The Council on Aging Martin County now offers a program, called GUIDE, that helps the caregiver as well as the patient and even provides funding for respite care.

“We know how difficult it can be for individuals with dementia and their families to find the resources they need and to feel confident in the choices they’re making,” said Council on Aging Martin President and CEO Karen Ripper. “Our GUIDE program enables us to bring our community even more ways of caring for loved ones with dementia and supporting their caregivers.”

The goal of the program is to enable people to stay safely at home and out of the hospital or a nursing home. That requires education, coordination with the patient’s primary care provider and specialists, a rich array of community resources to draw on like Meals on Wheels and the Circle of Safety Bracelet, and a strong layer of support for the caregiver.

Through the GUIDE program, patients on Medicare can receive up to $2500 a year for respite care. This extra bit of financial help enables caregivers to take temporary breaks and renew their health and spirit. They can use the funds for in-home help or for more frequent assistance like the Day Club on the Council on Aging’s Kane Center campus. These funds, and the GUIDE program, are available to Medicare patients throughout Martin, St. Lucie

Those enrolled in the program also have access to a 24/7 hot line. “Having someone always available to listen can be very meaningful to a caregiver,” said Kelley Pekarsky, Nurse Practitioner at the Council on Aging Martin County’s Day Primary Care Center and the program’s Clinical Navigator. “Thanks to the GUIDE program, there is always somewhere to turn, and someone who can give support and knowledgeable advice.”

For more information about the program, call 561-320-7451, call the Council on Aging Martin County at 772-223-7800, or visit the website www.coamartin.org.

About the Council on Aging Martin County

The Council on Aging Martin County is the community’s hub for senior resources and the county’s Lead Agency on Aging. Founded in 1974, the organization offers expertise, programming and support for older adults and their families to help seniors maintain lives of quality and purpose. Services include Day Primary Care Center, Memory Enhancement Center, Adult Day Club, Meals on Wheels, care management, caregiver support, and a robust offering of educational, cultural, fitness and wellness programs. 

The Kane Center located at 900 SE Salerno Road in Stuart is the Council on Aging Martin County’s headquarters and is also an event venue available to the public. It serves as a special needs hurricane shelter when necessary. The Council on Aging Martin County also operates senior outreach facilities in Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, East Stuart and Indiantown. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Council on Aging receives funding from state and federal agencies and relies on philanthropic support from the community, including other agencies, private foundations and individual donors.

For more information, contact: Karen Ripper, 772.223.7851 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.