The Medicare payment model, Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE), requires participants to train all Navigators and follow a standard approach to care management. The resources found in this learning pathway fulfill many of the requirements to help support GUIDE training and standardization. These resources are useful for the entire care team as well.

Background on Dementia

Discussing a Diagnosis of Dementia With Your Patient

Learn how to discuss a dementia diagnosis with patients and caregivers in a way that is sensitive, clear, and supportive.

Communicating What to Expect Throughout the Trajectory of Dementia

Learn techniques for supportive communication with people living with dementia, and their caregivers, to help them prepare for the challenges they may face as dementia progresses.

Stages of Dementia: Helping Patients and Caregivers Understand What to Expect
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A framework for helping patients and caregivers understand the stages of dementia based on symptoms and behaviors. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2024.

Overview of Assessments

Cognitive Assessment Tools

Recommended validated cognitive assessment tools.

Assessing Needs of People Living with Dementia

Recommended validated assessment tools for common comorbid conditions.

Caring for the Caregiver

Validated tools for assessing caregiver health and well-being.

AD8 Dementia Screening

Screens for early dementia, which is often missed by common assessment tools such as the Mini-Mental Status Examination.

Person-Centered Planning

Clarifying Patient Goals of Care

Learn best practices for building trust, eliciting patient values, and having patient-centered conversations about goals of care.

Planning for the Future After a Dementia Diagnosis

Learn how to facilitate future planning discussions with people living with dementia, and their caregivers.

Challenging Behaviors

Behaviors as a Form of Communication in People Living With Dementia

Learn about the sources of behavioral symptoms for people living with dementia and how to respond to them.

Managing Mood and Sleep Disturbances in People Living With Dementia

Learn how to relieve suffering from common mood and sleep disturbances in order to improve quality of life for people living with dementia, and caregivers.

Functional Needs

Karnofsky Performance Status Scale Definitions Rating (%) Criteria
New
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Stratifies patients by level of functional ability. Like the PPS, the Karnofsky score can be used to predict survival.

Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) span everyday tasks that many people with serious illness have difficulty with. This assessment tool will help teams identify needs that can be addressed with community supports

Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PainAD)

Tool to assess pain in cognitively impaired patients.

Advanced Care Planning

Managing Complications in Advanced Dementia

Learn about common health complications for people living with advanced dementia and how to support patients and caregivers.

Care Planning

Learn techniques to help patients and their caregivers plan for the future, both during the early stages of a serious illness and as a disease progresses.

Clarifying Patient Goals of Care

Learn best practices for building trust, eliciting patient values, and having patient-centered conversations about goals of care.

Advance Care Planning in the African American Community

In this on-demand webinar, the presenter shares cultural and religious beliefs among African Americans, which may discourage completion of or participation in ACP, and more.

Communication

Successfully Collaborating to Support People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers

This on-demand webinar discusses successfully collaborating to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Bringing Comfort to People with Advanced Dementia

This on-demand webinar, Bringing Comfort to People with Advanced Dementia, discusses how we can eliminate distress in patients with advanced Dementia.

Coordination of Medical Care and Community Services

Care Coordination

Guidance for all clinicians on improving communication and ensuring smooth transitions of care for patients living with serious illness.

CMS Accountable Health Communities Screening for Health-Related Social Needs

Identifies unmet need in housing, food, transportation, utilities, and safety. Developed by CMS for the Accountable Health Communities model, and recommended for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Referral to Community Resources

Community-based resource locators and support services.

Supporting the Caregiver

Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-12)

Self-reported caregiver assessment.

Caring for Caregivers of People Living With Dementia

Learn how to assess caregiver burden and connect caregivers with needed support systems.

Dementia Care Resources for Caregivers

Print or email this handout of caregiver resources for education and support.

Diversity in Dementia

Cultural Humility in Caring for People with Serious Illness

Defines cultural humility and how it influences patient care and offers ways to provide culturally humble care.

Kagawa-Singer & Blackhall’s ABCD Cultural Assessment Model

Cultural assessment document with a mnemonic approach to improve communication with patients and families.

Download a PDF of this Learning Pathway

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