Vesper Medical Care Selected for New Medicare Dementia Care Program

Vesper Medical Care has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new initiative aimed at improving care for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

The program, called the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, launched July 1 and will test a new payment approach for key supportive services. Vesper Medical Care is among nearly 400 participants nationwide tasked with building Dementia Care Programs to enhance care coordination and access to support services, including respite care.

Under the GUIDE Model, patients and their caregivers will have access to services such as comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans, care coordination, and 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team or help line. A Care Navigator will also assist families in connecting with community-based services such as meal delivery and transportation.

Vesper Medical Care, a multi-specialty group serving McLennan County and surrounding counties like Limestone, provides primary care, psychiatric services, and wound care for older adults in homes, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. The group’s mission is to deliver "excellent and engaged" care to the patients it serves.

Participation in the GUIDE Model will also allow Vesper to offer educational resources and training programs for caregivers, teaching best practices for supporting loved ones with dementia. Additionally, caregivers may qualify for respite services, giving them temporary relief from caregiving duties. CMS will study the impact of these respite services on helping families maintain home-based care and potentially delay facility placement.

GUIDE participants range from small practices to large academic medical centers, community organizations, health systems, and hospice agencies. The program aligns with the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease.

For more information about Vesper Medical Care’s participation in the GUIDE program, visit www.vespermedicalcare.com, call 254-307-3997, or email GUIDE@vespermedicalcare.com.