MedStar Health Chosen by CMS to Implement New “GUIDE Model” for Supporting Dementia Patients and Caregivers

The innovative eight-year model aims to improve outcomes by offering a comprehensive package of care management services and caregiver education.

COLUMBIA, Md. — MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland region, is pleased to announce its participation in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s (CMS) new “Guiding and Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model”, which aims to improve care for those living with dementia by empowering unpaid caregivers. On July 8, CMS announced that MedStar Health and just under 400 other health care providers nationwide had accepted the opportunity to treat patients under the new cutting-edge care strategy.

“We are grateful to CMS for choosing MedStar Health to help introduce the groundbreaking GUIDE Model to dementia patients and their caregivers,” said Ryan Anderson, MD, vice president of Clinical Care Transformation for MedStar Health. “We look forward to working within this model to advance comprehensive dementia care and to shape the future treatment of this condition, which too often places a major burden on patients, caregivers, and their families.”

Under the GUIDE Model, MedStar Health and participating providers will implement several advanced and innovative strategies over an eight-year period to treat Medicare beneficiaries suffering from the complex neurological condition that affects more than 6.7 million Americans. According to CMS, the GUIDE Model will introduce the following care strategies:

• Addressing the burden experienced by unpaid caregivers by requiring model participants to provide caregiver training and support services, including 24/7 access to a support line, as well as connections to community-based providers.
• Defining a standardized approach to dementia care delivery, including staffing considerations, services for beneficiaries and their unpaid caregivers, and quality standards.
• Working closely with caregivers to understand their needs and develop strategies and resources to care for their loved one at home safely. Screening for Health-Related Social Needs, and linkage to resources
• Providing a monthly per-beneficiary payment to support a team-based collaborative care approach.

Caregivers of dementia patients often report high levels of stress and depression, and even face increased risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and mortality themselves. Studies show that offering caregivers training, time off, and additional resources can help dementia patients maintain care assistance at home for longer periods of time and delay entering a long-term care or skilled nursing facility.

“We know that dementia patients often stay healthier for longer if they’re being cared for at home,” Dr. Anderson said. “While we’re incredibly proud of the expert home care services we provide, equipping caregivers with tools to better manage their loved one’s dementia 24/7 is an innovative way to ensure our patients receive the highest quality care where they are healthiest, and to care for the caregiver as well.”

Under the model, MedStar Health and other GUIDE Model participants will connect caregivers to evidence-based training programs educating them on best practices for dementia care. Patients and caregivers will be assigned a care navigator to help them access an extended offering of clinical and non-clinical services, such as social support, meals, and transportation offered through community-based organizations. Also included in the model are opportunities for caregivers to benefit from coordinated care by utilizing adult day centers or in-home care providers, so that they can take a break and recharge.

MedStar Health and participating providers were also chosen for their ability to provide care for underserved populations, which is a priority of CMS as the burden of caring for dementia patients is exacerbated for certain historically disadvantaged groups.

Following a ramp up period built into the eight-year model, MedStar Health aims to begin accepting GUIDE Model patients in July 2025.