Updated Hand in Hand Tool Kit for Dementia Care is Available

by Timothy Gieseke, MD, CMD

On the California State Dementia Partnership call in October 2018, I learned that CMS announced the release of the Updated Hand in Hand Tool Kit for Dementia Care.  The tool kit is available free to your facility, it is available for individual study or group teaching, on the following site: Click here to access tool kit.

In addition, the Music and Memory study, sponsored by CAHF in collaboration with UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing (faculty Debra Bakerjian, Past CALTCM President),  shared preliminary results which document significant benefits, some of which were unexpected. Publication in medical journals is expected in early 2019. At our Northern California meeting taking place on Saturday, November 3rd, Dr. Bakerjian will present in greater detail, emphasizing the lessons learned in the Music and Memory project.

There has been great success with national reduction of antipsychotics in long stay residents which is now down to 14.2%.  California has the 4th best state statistics.

CMS has hired contract surveyors to do targeted antipsychotic surveys on facilities who are outliers (high ongoing use of antipsychotics).   Early finding in these surveys suggest abuse of the diagnosis of schizophrenia with multiple patients acquiring this diagnosis on the same day.  If you are an outlier facility, part of the problem may be the competencies of your physicians, NPs, and Medical Directors. At CALTCM and AMDA, resources have been developed and meetings have been designed that improve these competencies.  Another resource can be found at the CMS Medical Learning Network web site through which Dr. Steinberg recently presented on the use of opioids in dementia (presentation attached below).

The Partnership is sponsoring another free webinar December 4, 2018 by Dr. Maureen Nash, on “Helping those living in LTC who have Serious Mental Illness” (high risk for problem behaviors), click here for more information and to register.

Our state partnership is working with CMS, CDPH and providers to make sure that your dementia care plans are person-centered and support the best possible geriatric care.

I hope to see you at the CALTCM Fall Conference taking place on the UC Davis, Sacramento Medical Center campus on November 3, 2018.

Additional link for Hand in Hand Training Series for Nursing Homes

Referenced Presentation: CMS Medical Learning Network

 

 

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