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People living with dementia are frequently under-recognized and under-diagnosed by healthcare providers. Consequently, they do not receive the medical care they need, nor are they connected to essential home- and community-based supports. The federal duals demonstration offers opportunities to better blend funding and oversight for Medicare-funded medical care with Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports, so that people with dementia and their families can get better integrated care. This webinar offers tools and strategies to improve dementia healthcare based on approaches that have been developed within this demonstration model but that also have relevance to other healthcare systems.
California’s presentation focuses on how the state and regional Alzheimer’s organizations partnered with participating health plans serving dual eligible participants to improve detection, care planning and community supports for individuals and family caregivers dealing with diagnosed and-or undiagnosed dementia. The presentation also shares resources developed and lessons learned in implementing this initiative. Texas’ presentation focuses on the Texas Takes on Dementia initiative, and how it builds on the California initiative’s principles and adapts these for the State of Texas. Also included is a discussion of key adaptations, challenges and lessons learned.
About the Presenters
- Debra Cherry, PhD, is executive vice president of Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles. She has served as co-director of the Dementia Cal MediConnect Project, and has over two decades of experience leading healthcare quality improvement projects focused on dementia care.
- Lora Connolly is director of the California Department of Aging, which administers the Older Americans Act services through the state’s 33 Area Agencies on Aging, as well as the Medicaid HCBS Waiver (which annually serves approximately 11,000 older adults), and certifies more than 240 Adult Day Health Care Centers for Medicaid participation. For the past 16 years, Connolly has also co-managed a series of Administration on Aging Dementia Grants, in partnership with the state’s regional Alzheimer’s organizations.
- Katie Scott is senior director of Dementia and Caregiver Support Services of BakerRipley, managing a dementia-specific adult day center, caregiver support services, dementia-specific case management and regional and state initiatives to improve dementia care in Texas. Scott also serves as project director for Texas Takes on Dementia, a statewide initiative to improve care systems for people with dementia and their families who are enrolled in the Texas Dual Eligibles Integrated Care Demonstration project.
Registration is required to receive the webinar information. Visit the webinar information webpage to sign up and learn more.
