Dementia caregivers get free support through new Medicare program

Medicare program gives dementia caregivers free support

A new no-cost Medicare program, GUIDE, is now available nationwide to provide comprehensive support and resources for family caregivers of dementia patients, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce caregiver burden

LEWISVILLE, Texas - Over a million family members and friends serve as unpaid caregivers for dementia patients in Texas, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

A pilot program is designed to offer hope and relief to those caring for people with dementia in North Texas.

It’s a program that offers much-needed resources at no cost to those who qualify. The new program, through Medicare, offers no-cost support for those providing care. 

It’s called the GUIDE Program.

What they're saying:

Doctor Michelle Rankine, owner of Right at Home Health in Lewisville, says the program is for those with traditional Medicare. Medicare advantage programs don't qualify.

Program offers no-cost dementia caregiver support | FULL

FOX 4's Shaun Rabb talks to Michelle Rankine with Right at Home Healthcare in Lewisville regarding no-cost support for caregivers of dementia patients. It's part of a new Medicare dementia care program in North Texas.

"It's an acronym for ‘Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience’ and so the GUIDE program is to help not only the patient who has dementia but also the caregiver," said Rankine.

The GUIDE model offers respite hours for the caregiver, 24/7 access to nurses, case managers and training for caregivers, for those with a diagnosis of dementia.

"As well as those that have a diagnosis of dementia or if you have a loved one that has the symptoms of dementia who doesn't have the diagnosis, that process we can assist with," said Rankine.

Local perspective:

Medicare just rolled out the GUIDE program nationwide this month, but Rankine has been enrolling people in a pilot program for the last year.

Rankine says they have seen a reduction in hospitalizations by 30% in patients she has been working with. 

"As well as we've seen, just, you know, the humanization of that. Now, people had an extra benefit, where they didn't have to drive from Flower Mound to Plano to visit their loved one every day, or in fear that something was happening because they had a caregiver there. And you know there's just so much that we can do, and I think the biggest thing to be proactive is seeing if you are eligible, so you can get this before burnout," she said.

What you can do:

If you qualify, these added benefits will be yours free for the next seven years.

"Right at Home, we service the whole metroplex. I'm one of ten owners, and so I own the territory that covers Collin County, Denton County, a little bit of Tarrant County and Dallas County, but all of our owners can cover the entire metroplex," said Rankine.

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