Study Shows Dementia Care Program Delays Nursing Community Move-Ins, Cuts Medicare Costs

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that a comprehensive, coordinated care program for people with dementia and their caregivers significantly reduced the chances that the individuals would enter a nursing community, reports Medical Xpress . The study also shows that the program saved Medicare money and was cost-neutral after accounting for program costs. The research focused on the UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program. In the program, people with dementia and their caregivers meet with a nurse practitioner specializing in dementia care for a 90-minute, in-person assessment and then receive a personalized dementia care plan that addresses the medical, mental health, and social needs of both people. The nurse practitioners work collaboratively with the individual's primary care provider and specialist physicians to implement the care plan, including adjustments as needs change over time. A total of 1,083 Medicare beneficiaries with dementia were enrolled in the program and were followed for three years. The authors found that people enrolled in the program lowered their risk of entering a nursing community by roughly 40 percent. Participants in the program saved Medicare $601 per person per quarter, for a total of $2,404 per year. However, after program costs were factored in, the program was cost-neutral and might result in savings in other settings, such as at other healthcare systems, the authors found.