Implementation of MIND at Home Program for People Living with Dementia in Primary Care

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundAs the U.S. population ages, the numbers of people living with dementia (PLWD) continues to grow. One way to improve care for PLWD is to work with their primary care practices to provide patient‐ and care partner‐centered, better quality of care at lower costs for their patients.MethodWe collaboratively implemented the MIND at Home Dementia Care Coordination Program into two large primary care clinics in two states, Iowa and California. The program pilot expanded the skills of existing primary care staff members to the level of Memory Care Coordinators (MCCs), who worked with larger primary care teams on combining the benefits of clinic‐based with home‐based services that support PLWD, their families, and care partners. The program targeted 150 PLWD for a 3‐month program implementation period. Program delivery included one home visit per month, a comprehensive needs assessment, and the subsequent development and implementation of an individualized care plan.ResultWe demonstrated the feasibility of implementing the MIND at Home program into primary care in a racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse population of PLWD to prepare for a larger study and provide qualitative and quantitative data on patient and provider acceptability of the program and early learnings about the program’s impact and barriers to implementation from the primary care practice perspective.ConclusionThis pilot study provides important information by determining the specific needs of patients in community‐based primary care and how creating tailored dementia‐focused care plans might improve communication and collaboration with primary care providers and their teams thereby reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and ER visits, reducing polypharmacy while increasing appropriate medication use, and improving care partners’ ability to provide needed support to PLWD.