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Innovative Treatment Models for Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care


This article was originally published by the Journal of Health Care Finance, and later shared on LinkedIn Pulse with a brief audio interview.

Overview:

Over five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia (AD).  As the “Baby Boomer” generation continues to age, the number of individuals suffering from AD will likely grow exponentially over the next three decades.   While the traditional model of AD care relies primarily on long term facility care and focuses almost exclusively on the relationship between the AD patient and primary care provider, continued focus on this model is placing increased financial strain on state and federal payment programs as well as caregivers.  Further, the senior population is showing an increased desire to “age in place,” which consists of utilizing care and support services of various acuity levels to stay in the home as long as possible.  The likely rise in the prevalence of AD, coupled with the consumer shift towards care options that promote “aging in place,” require public and private stakeholders in AD care delivery to innovate treatment models.  Through the use of telehealth, behavioral health, and home health services, AD patients can remain in the home as long as possible, experience favorable clinical outcomes, and avoid placing financial and emotional strains on informal caregivers.  Failure to innovate care delivery models for AD patients will soon give rise to unsustainable pressures on reimbursement programs, caregivers, and individual patients.

What you’ll find in this article:

Associate Jared L. Shwartz examines the historical treatment model for AD, the impact of such treatment on key stakeholders, and the key components of an “aging in place” model of care that likely will significantly reduce the cost-burden and emotional strain of AD treatment, including (i) telehealth services, (ii) home health care, and (iii) behavioral health therapies, and examine current obstacles to implementing these care mechanisms.

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