Integrated Memory Care in Community

People living with dementia will be able to receive quality, specialized nurse-led care where they live

Problem

It is often difficult for people living with dementia to find a primary care provider who is knowledgeable about the unique challenges of their illness. To address this, Emory established the nurse practitioner-led Integrated Memory Care Clinic (IMCC) to serve seniors with dementia in Atlanta. However, as dementia patients’ care needs increase, many are best served by at-home care. This is a challenge as the current reimbursement mechanism for IMCC services does not work for in-home services. This challenge is exacerbated for patients whose decline also requires them to move to senior living communities. The health care offered by these communities varies widely; and many communities have no relationship with a health care practice, especially those providing specialized, dementia-sensitive care.

What we are doing

This pilot will build on Emory’s successful IMCC model, bringing it out of the clinic and into the home to meet older people where they live. Integrated Memory Care in Community (IMCiC) will focus on senior living communities, providing opportunities for Emory to deliver care to multiple patients at the same site and leverage economies of scale. IMCiC will adapt IMCC’s unique revenue structure that secures direct reimbursement for nurse-led care and coordination. It will also expand this payment model to a new scope of services—including in-home visits, occupational therapy, and a new Dementia Care Assistant—generating reimbursement opportunities for nurses operating in various capacities.