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P2‐386: Connecting the Dots: Meeting the Diagnostic and Treatment Needs of Underserved Urban African American Elders with Memory Loss
Author(s) -
Green-Harris Gina,
Houston Stephanie,
Skora Teresa,
Farrar-Edwards Dorothy
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.1597
Subject(s) - medicine , gerontology , dementia , african american , cohort , family medicine , public health , health care , memory clinic , multidisciplinary approach , disease , cognition , psychiatry , cognitive impairment , nursing , ethnology , pathology , history , social science , sociology , economics , economic growth
Germany is financed by a health as well as a care Insurance. This structure made the development of a complete service network (CSN) possible. It will be available for all people with dementia and with other psychiatric diseases. Aim: To describe the elements, processes, organizational and financial preconditions of the CSN. Methods:A cooperation of all persons and institutions involved in care of elderly patients with psychiatric disorders was started. This cooperation was started by the Alexian Research Center. All providers of support structures for people with dementia were brought together in a psycho-social working group. The medical system was integrated with contracts with the GPs of the area. The contracts included GP driven visits of social workers in his rooms whenever a dementia suspect was raised. GP and social worker formed a so-called medico-social team (MST). From this point in time the social worker served as an independent continuous case manager (ICC) over the duration of the whole disease process. For every patient, an individual mixture of a help structure was compiled. Regular visits were performed. Results: An organizational structure with several levels was built. The system starts with the patients. Their needs steer the CSN. No additional funding was necessary to run the CSN. A first descriptive evaluation over a period of 2 years showed that participating in the CSN made prevention of retirement home admission in 87 percent the participants. Measured user satisfaction is high. The numbers of patients with support of the CSN lays about 500 per year the number of GPs in contract above 50. The CSN is still increasing and will be rolled-out to neighboring cities and rural areas. Conclusions:The CSN covers all needs and functions of patients with dementia. The system was investigated on a European level in the Innovate Dementia project of the EU. Actually, in cooperation with politics the roll-out process is negotiated.