The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience, or GUIDE Model is a new voluntary, nationwide model for Medicare Part B providers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. It was designed to support people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers. The GUIDE Model focuses on improving quality of life for people living with dementia, ease strain on their care partners and allow people living with dementia to remain in their homes and communities, through a series of services targeting care coordination and care management, caregiver education and support and respite care.
Deeper dive
Dementia currently affects about 6.7 million people in the U.S., according to CMS, and is projected to more than double to 14 million cases by 2060. People with dementia often have multiple chronic conditions and receive fragmented care, leading to high rates of hospitalization and emergency department visits. They often need 24/7 care which can pose significant mental, physical, emotional and financial burdens for caregivers. These challenges disproportionately impact Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations.
The GUIDE Model will offer 24/7 access to a support line, caregiver training, education and support services. The model will help caregivers better manage a person’s behavioral health and functional needs, coordinate care and improve transitions between community, hospital, and post-acute settings, according to CMS. It will allow people living with dementia to remain safely in their homes for longer by preventing or delaying nursing home placement and improving quality of life for both people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers.