To encourage and implement more coordinated care models across the country for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association formed the Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable.
The Roundtable consists of health systems, payers and dementia experts who aim to establish consistent processes and protocols for dementia care navigation. This ensures that all persons with dementia and their caregivers have the opportunity to receive equitable, quality dementia care navigation services.
About the Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable
The Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable is made up of experts from across the healthcare industry, including systems, clinicians, payers, researchers and other stakeholders who are committed to advancing the delivery of high-quality, person-centered dementia care navigation.
The Roundtable includes three workgroups:
- Dementia Care Navigation
- Training Standards, Credentialing and Fidelity for Dementia Care Navigation
- Business Case for Navigation
Convening experts to improve care
The Roundtable supports broad implementation of dementia care navigation by convening experts, sharing best practices and disseminating resources.
To encourage and improve coordinated care, several dementia care navigation programs have been developed and assessed. Most programs have demonstrated important benefits for people living with dementia, including:
- Improved outcomes
- Reduced emergency room visits
- Lower hospital readmissions
- Shorter delays in long-term care placement
- Decreased illness, strain and behavioral symptoms, including for their caregivers (decreased depression, burden and unmet needs)
Guiding principles of dementia care navigation
A paper published in the
Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions provides an important cornerstone for the Roundtable’s work. In the paper, dementia care experts, convened by the Alzheimer’s Association, put forth core
guiding principles aimed at creating a national framework for dementia care navigation within or in collaboration with U.S. health systems.
Roundtable chairs and workgroups
Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable Chairs
David B. Reuben, M.D.
UCLA
David Bass, Ph.D.
Partners in Dementia Care; Benjamin Rose Care Consultation
Workgroups
Dementia Care Navigation
Facilitator: Leslie Evertson, UCLA Health
Using a health equity lens, members will determine what components of dementia care navigation must be included for quality dementia care navigation and how these components may be met by licensed and non-licensed staff.
Training Standards, Credentialing, and Fidelity for Dementia Care Navigation
Facilitator: Joan Weiss, HRSA
Using a health equity lens, members will define the knowledge and skills required for dementia care navigators, standards of training for navigation, and what a framework for credentialing may encompass. Members will identify or create measures that indicate high quality dementia care navigation has been implemented. Members will define recommendations for all elements of credentialing to include licensing requirements, levels of education and professional disciplines.
Business Case for Navigation
Facilitator: John Sawyer, Ochsner Health
Members will develop a template business case for both GUIDE and non-GUIDE practices. Members will consider strategies for health systems and community-based organizations. Workgroup outcomes will aim to ensure all persons with dementia and their caregivers have the opportunity to receive equitable, quality dementia care navigation services.
For more information
To learn about participating in the Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable or in a workgroup, as well as for more information about the
Dementia Care Navigation Guidelines, please email
dementiacarenavigation@alz.org.