Hospice of the Chesapeake selected by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to Test Medicare Dementia Care Model
Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model Aims to Increase Care Coordination, Support for Caregivers
Today, Hospice of the Chesapeake announced they have 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’s Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, Hospice of the Chesapeake 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.
“CMS is excited to partner with Hospice of the Chesapeake under the GUIDE Model,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “GUIDE is a new approach to how Medicare will pay for the care of people living with dementia. 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.”
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.
Maryland Department of Health estimates that by next year, 130,000 of the state’s residents ages 65 and older will be living with dementia. “That represents an 18 percent increase since 2022,” Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Chief Operating Officer Brian Berger said. “As Maryland’s largest independent not-for-profit hospice organization, we are a leader in hospice and supportive care. It’s imperative to participate with the GUIDE Model so that we are better able to care for these patients and their caregivers.”
Hospice of the Chesapeake’s participation in the GUIDE Model, set to launch July 2025 for residents of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, 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’s GUIDE Model, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide.
About Hospice of the Chesapeake
At Hospice of the Chesapeake, we create meaningful experiences for those in the communities we serve who are experiencing serious advanced illness and loss. We believe truly meaningful experiences come from a partnership between highly skilled and compassionate professionals, our healthcare partners and the patient and family with a primary focus on fully living each day. We develop care plans to minimize symptoms, articulate what matters most, and remember that each moment matters for patients and families in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and Prince George’s counties.
Caring for life throughout the journey with illness and loss is the mission of Hospice of the Chesapeake. For more information, please visit www.hospicechesapeake.org.
