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Federal Agency Unveils Efforts to Reduce Unnecessary Hospitalizations, Use of Antipsychotic Drugs
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced two new initiatives aimed at reducing avoidable hospital stays and usage of antipsychotic drugs among nursing home residents receiving Medicare or Medicaid services.
To decrease unnecessary hospitalizations, CMS will fund organizations, such as physician practices and care management organizations, to provide enhanced on-site services and supports to residents. According to CMS, in 2005, 45 percent, or 314,000, of hospital admissions among Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries could have been avoided, saving $2.6 billion in Medicare expenditures.
As part of the second initiative, CMS is unveiling a national action plan to improve behavioral health and reduce the use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing home residents. The plan calls for a multidimensional approach that includes public reporting, raising public awareness, regulatory oversight, technical assistance/training and research. The agency will host a Webinar on March 29 to introduce the plan. Both initiatives are targeted at enhancing person-centered care for nursing home residents, and particularly those with dementia-related behaviors.
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Alzheimer's Foundation Medical Advisory Board Member Wins Top Government Service Award
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 | | Dr. Powers |
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently presented the Dr. Nathan David Award for Outstanding Government Service to Richard Powers, M.D., former medical director with the Alabama Department of Mental Health and former chairman of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's (AFA) Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. The award, given to six honorees this year, recognizes elected and career officials in federal, state or municipal service whose outstanding contributions have promoted the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health. Powers recently retired from the Alabama Department of Mental Health, where he served as chief of the Bureau of Geriatric Psychiatry and as the first medical director when the position was created in 2005. He also spent 23 years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as a professor of pathology. Currently he is the associate chief of staff for geriatrics and extended care at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, and is an adjunct professor at the UAB School of Medicine. A top dementia care expert, Powers was a member of AFA's board of trustees and chair of AFA's medical advisory board since the organization's inception 10 years ago. While recently retiring from these posts, he continues to serve as a member of the advisory board. "We congratulate Dr. Powers for this well-deserved achievement. We are especially pleased that the medical community has recognized all that he has done for the dementia population," said Eric J. Hall, AFA's president and CEO. "The Alzheimer's Foundation considers itself fortunate that Dr. Powers has been an integral contributor to AFA's growth over the years, spearheading the creation of our dementia care training program and serving as a vital force behind our groundbreaking early detection initiative." |
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News to Use:
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- AFA and Senior Helpers will host a free Webinar featuring dementia education specialist Teepa Snow on March 25 at 5 p.m. (ET). Snow will discuss "Caring for a Loved One with Dementia" to enable caregivers to improve their ability to provide care in positive ways.
- The American Academy of Neurology offers free subscriptions to its patient education magazine, Neurology Now. The magazine covers a wide range of neurologic disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.
- Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer's Disease (LEAD) this week introduced its first Web site, which contains news items, fact sheets and other resources. LEAD is a coalition convened by AFA and USAgainstAlzheimer's, another leading advocacy organization, in 2008, and brings together key stakeholders from the government, business and civic sectors to increase attention to and awareness of Alzheimer's disease, its care, treatment, prevention, research and eventual cure.
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News Update
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- Drug slows tau protein in mice... Aged mice with brains engineered to resemble the tau protein found in brains of people with Alzheimer's disease had improved memory and learning function, less toxic substances that kill nerve cells and no additional formation of tau clumps when scientists treated them with the compound epothiloneD (EpoD), compared to non-altered mice, according to a new study. Read More...
- New marker may forecast rate of cognitive decline... Researchers discovered that a new marker, vinisin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1), in a person's spinal fluid could determine brain cell damage and effectively predict how quickly Alzheimer's disease will progress. Study participants with higher levels of the protein experienced faster decline in memory and other mental abilities. Read More...
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If you have a question or concern that you would like to discuss with a social worker, please write info@alzfdn.org or call (toll-free) 866-AFA-8484.
© 2012 Alzheimer's Foundation of America
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Offer Free Memory Screenings in Your Community
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Offer free, confidential memory screenings in your community year-round through AFA's Community Memory Screening initiative. This is a great service to individuals in the community with memory concerns or who want to check their memory now and for future comparison, and is an ideal way to educate clients and community members about Alzheimer's disease and your organization. Visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org to learn more and to register as a site.
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AFA recently announced the formation of a Legacy Society, which offers special recognition to individuals who have included AFA in their wills or estate plans. Information about AFA's new Legacy Society is available at
www.alzfdn.org or by contacting AFA at 866.232.8484
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| Want to support AFA on a regular basis? Donors can now make recurring monthly donations to AFA. A recurring monthly donation is a charge that is automatically deducted from your credit card each month. You may cancel at any time. To make convenient, automatic monthly donations, or a one-time donation, click here. |
| Our Mission |
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Our mission is "to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families--through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life."
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| Contact Us |
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To obtain more information about AFA, visit us at www.alzfdn.org or call us toll-free at 866-AFA-8484. |
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