Health System Initiatives: Catalysts for Change

Abstract

AbstractHealth systems hold the key to change for dementia care, representing the primary organizational structures through which meaningful change will occur. The Alzheimer’s Association, the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, is committed to leading this change. Starting in July 2019, the Alzheimer’s Association launched a Health Systems Initiative to facilitate and enhance dementia care in the clinical setting.In the three years since its launch, this initiative has made hundreds of connections to health systems across the United States, offering proven solutions for improving health outcomes to more effectively provide care for people living with dementia. Twenty‐two regional health systems directors help increase awareness of resources for clinical training, with a focus on soliciting feedback from providers to better support their work.The goals of the initiative are to improve health measures, as well as quality of life measures, and promote ways to make it easier for clinicians to provide high quality care. The Alzheimer’s Association Health Systems Initiative provides technical assistance for quality improvement, solutions to advance system and practice changes, and an organizational structure to help disseminate best practices.Toolkits such as the KAER Model designed by the Gerontological Society of America, quality improvement models such as the Cognition in Primary Program at the University of Washington, and primary care models specialized in dementia care such as the Integrated Memory Care Program at Emory University are helping meet the complex care needs of individuals and families living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.