A recent study revealed the Aging Brain Care Medical Home — a novel population health management program implemented in the homes of older adults — achieves significant health improvement for individuals with depression or diagnosed dementia.
As part of the study, investigators from Indianapolis-based Eskenazi Health and the Indiana University's Regenstrief Institute and Center for Aging Research had care coordinator assistants go to patients' homes, develop relationships with them, evaluate the safety of the home environment, focus on the needs of both patients and caregivers, and offer support to deal with the many consequences of a depression or dementia diagnosis.
Over the course of the study, the ABC Medical Home participants received an average of 13 home visits over the 18-month period.
"We send our teams out to patients' homes with the tools they will need to work with older adults," said Regenstrief Institute investigator and IU Center for Aging Research scientist Michael LaMantia, MD, who led the study. "Our team members are our front line who alert us to problems the medical team wouldn't otherwise know about."
In addition to providing support, the ABC Medical Home team members were automatically and immediately informed through the Indiana Network for Patient Care if one of their patients visited an emergency department or was admitted to a hospital anywhere in the state, which allowed the team to coordinate services the patient will require following discharge.
As a result of the ABC Medical Home, researchers report at least a 50 percent reduction in symptoms in two-thirds of patients with moderately severe depressive symptoms such as feeling hopeless, feeling bad about oneself or having trouble concentrating. They also found a 50 percent reduction in stress symptoms in half of caregivers of patients with dementia.
"Depression and dementia, which typically impact other medical conditions, are difficult for primary care doctors to treat during their limited time with patients," said Dr. LaMantia. "The Aging Brain Care Medical Home program may be an attractive option in response to some of the challenges posed by our nation's rapidly aging population and the anticipated lack of geriatricians and primary doctors to care for them."
More articles on depression and dementia:
Diabetes, depression increase risk for dementia, study finds
Facebook usage linked to depression
App could help screen for depression