A Medicare-supported GUIDE Model of Dementia Care.
The GUIDE Program, which stands for Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience, is a new Medicare program designed to support people living with dementia and their families.
The Goals of GUIDE
- Improve the quality of life for those affected by dementia
- Ease the stress and burden of unpaid caregivers (family members)
- Prevent those living with dementia from further decline
St. John’s United is partnering with At Home Harmony, one of the few medical practices approved to offer the GUIDE program in its inaugural year. We are honored to lead the way toward a better experience for families affected by dementia with this foundational program.
9 Ways GUIDE Helps You and Your Loved One
- Care Navigation: You and your family need emotional support, knowledge, and practical advice to more confidently progress through the complex journey of dementia. Our experts make sure you have it.
- Care Coordination: Dementia doesn’t just affect the brain; it impacts every part of your loved one’s life. We coordinate personalized care to improve dignity, independence, and their ability to find joy in every day.
- Personalized Patient & Caregiver Care Plans: Your loved one needs a care plan as unique as they are. Our personalized care plans are tailored to your loved one’s specific needs, preferences, and stage of dementia for complete care that’s relevant and effective.
- Home Safety Check: Dementia can increase accident risks. It’s important to identify and address home hazards to ensure your loved one stays safe, giving you — and your loved one — more confidence in their independence.
- Improved Outcomes: Quality of life is important — for you, your loved one, and your entire family. We make it a priority. Our focus on physical, emotional, and social health significantly improves everyone’s level of well-being.
- 24/7 Hotline: When you need help, you don’t want to have to wait for office hours. We’re available 24/7 to give you the help and peace of mind you need, especially in emergencies or moments of high stress.
- Caregiver Education: Knowing more about dementia empowers you to provide better care. We help you learn about dementia, its symptoms, and how it changes over time, to help you foster empathy and understanding, reduce frustration, and enhance every interaction.
- Caregiver Support Groups: Caregiving can be emotionally taxing. Our support groups are safe spaces to share feelings, frustrations, and experiences. The goal is developing coping strategies to better manage the demands of caregiving, and alleviate feelings of stress and isolation.
- Respite Voucher: If your loved one qualifies, the GUIDE program covers hours of personal care to be used in a way that supports you and your loved one.
What to Expect Once You Join
We’ll get to know you and collect important medical and lifestyle information about your loved one. We’ll also schedule our first visit with your loved one. Depending on your location, this will be an in-person or telehealth appointment.
Our care navigator will meet with you and your loved one for a complete needs assessment and home safety review. Our goal is to build a plan to help your loved one thrive in a safe, comfortable environment.
Our care team will meet with you to review your loved one’s medical history and the information gathered by our care team. We will determine whether additional cognitive/memory testing is necessary before submitting to Medicare.
Our care team will submit information to Medicare for approval and we’ll inform you of the status once it’s received. This process typically takes about 2 weeks.
Our dementia care navigator will create a personalized care plan and review it with you and your family. We’ll go through our safety review and make recommendations for improvements to help ensure your loved one stays safe in their home. And, finally, we’ll share details about GUIDE benefits, trainings, and support groups.
Based on the complexity of dementia, you may qualify for a voucher of personal care respite hours. We’ll help you determine how to use the voucher to best support you and your loved one.
At St. John’s United Respite Suites, we provide a nurturing environment where adults over 65 can check-in to a private suite and receive personal care if needed. Our mission is to offer a safe, comfortable, and engaging space for seniors while caregivers can take respite to rejuvenate, attend to appointments or run errands. Learn More.
First, we’ll check in on the patient and the caregiver’s stress level. We encourage, problem solve, and listen. Second, we’ll be a trusted resource for recommendations to help you and your family keep your loved one safe, healthy, and comfortable in their home.
For Patients and Caregivers at Home
For people with memory and cognitive issues, there is truly no place like home. St. John’s United is an approved provider of Medicare-covered dementia care. You’ll experience superior communication and improved quality of care. Take the next step for peace of mind as we help you navigate this journey.
Phone: (406) 655-5624
Email: GuideInfo@stjohnsunited.org
If at any point a patient enrolls into a Managed Care Plan, (s)he is no longer eligible for the GUIDE program. All GUIDE participants must be on Original Fee-for-Service Medicare.
