ERIE, PA – On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the Alzheimer's Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter joined Congressman Mike Kelly and Senator Dave McCormick's office for an informative conversation on the GUIDE Model, a nationwide initiative improving dementia care and supporting unpaid caregivers.toured the LECOM Center for Health and Aging to learn more about the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, a nationwide initiative designed to improve dementia care and support unpaid caregivers. The event was co-hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter and LECOM Health.

The GUIDE Model, which launched on July 1, 2024, is an eight-year voluntary pilot program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It focuses on providing comprehensive, coordinated dementia care with the goal of improving quality of life for people living with dementia, reducing caregiver strain, and helping individuals remain in their homes and communities longer.

“Community conversations like this are critical to show how new care models directly impact families living with dementia,” said Linsey Smith, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter. “The GUIDE Model represents a major step forward in ensuring that caregivers are supported and health systems are equipped to deliver coordinated, person-centered care. We are grateful to Congressman Kelly and Senator McCormick's office for their commitment to improving dementia care in our communities.”

"As the dementia tsunami looms on the horizon, the accessibility of high-quality dementia care is more imperative than ever before,” said Dr. James Lin, Geriatric Medicine Specialist and President of LECOM Institute for Successful Living. “LECOM Institute for Successful Living is proud to lead the way in the Erie region, offering secure memory care units and a wide range of other community-based resources designed to support both patients and their caregivers."

The GUIDE Model builds on more than a decade of progress under the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, established through the bipartisan National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA). By funding care coordination, caregiver education, and respite services, the model seeks to address gaps in the current health care system for people with dementia and their caregivers.