Medicare’s GUIDE Program Improves Dementia Care for Families

For families caring for someone with dementia, a groundbreaking program from Medicare has been introduced that could dramatically improve the medical and support services you receive – at no cost to you.  

Called Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE), this program recognizes the needs of families dealing with dementia and provides Medicare-covered medical and support services to provide individualized assistance.

Assistance includes access to medical specialists, personalized care plans, round-the-clock helplines and care navigation specialists who assist with finding and arranging needed services, all of which is designed to improve the quality of care for people living with dementia and enable them to remain in their homes longer.  

When enrolled in GUIDE, patients maintain their own primary care physician and their current health system. Additional services are layered on top of existing care. Some of the services provided through GUIDE include:

• A 24-hour phone line to give you access to experts who will answer your questions, as well as round-the-clock emergency medical information should you need it
• As much as $2500 annually in respite care, to allow family and friend caregivers time to manage other responsibilities, as well as to recharge
• Experienced Care Navigators to help you coordinate both healthcare and service needs, guiding you to the resources and programs right for you
• Education about the disease, how to manage challenging behaviors and assure that you’re prepared to provide the best possible care for your loved one

Another important element of GUIDE is its focus on relieving stress and strain from the family caregiver. Self-care activities are offered for family care partners, including stress-reducing, relaxation and fitness programs to help them maintain their own health and emotional well-being.

Families are free to pursue GUIDE services delivered by any health system. To take advantage of GUIDE enrollment, you can check to see if your current health system is a registered provider. If now, you can enroll with a telehealth services provider, where the services are provided remotely from the convenience of your own home.

Isaac Health is a national telehealth provider of dementia care services and an authorized GUIDE provider. Isaac has partnered with Benjamin Rose to complement its specialized medical and clinical services with the support services offered by WeCare…Because You Do, a proven care support program that has guided thousands of families through the emotional, physical and behavioral challenges of dementia care for 20 years.

To be eligible to participate in GUIDE, patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B (not Medicare Advantage or Pace) and not reside in a nursing home. Please contact WeCare at [email protected] or 216-373-1797 to get more information about eligibility or how to get started.

“Isaac Health and WeCare are telehealth providers, which enables us to provide these valuable services to families throughout the country through convenient at-home appointments, as well as by telephone and email,” says Lisa Weitzman, Benjamin Rose Director of Strategic Partnerships.  “Families dealing with dementia should check their eligibility to participate in this important program; they have nothing to lose and so much to gain.”