UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program
What is the UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care (ADC) Program?
The ADC program provides individualized support for the dementia patients and their family caregivers who receive care from the UCLA health system. The ADC program is designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. The ADC Program Team offers comprehensive support services to organizations interested in implementing this program in their hospital(s)/ health system.
Through this program, organizations will empower their health system to:
- Maximize geriatric patient function, independence, and dignity
- Minimize caregiver strain and burnout
- Reduce unnecessary costs through improved care
The ADC Program’s consulting service offering:
The ADC Program Team offers comprehensive support services to organizations interested in implementing this program in their hospital(s)/ health system. Through this consulting service, the ADC Program Team can help your health system set up a sustainable, co-management model that encourages close partnership with the patient’s primary care and/or referring physician to ensure that care is comprehensive and coordinated. The co-management model consists of the following elements:
- A 90-minute in-person visit with a Dementia Care Specialist
- A personalized care plan developed with the referring physician
- Follow-up phone calls or in-person visits to make sure the plan is implemented or modified as needed
- 24/7, 365-day-a-year access to caregivers for assistance and advice in order to avoid Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations
- Ongoing patient monitoring with at least one annual in-person visit to ensure that ongoing and emerging needs are met.
The ADC Program Consulting service package includes:
- A dedicated mentor
- Pre-adoption planning
- Training for clinical staff
- Technical assistance during implementation
- Program materials
- A site visit, as determined by client
- Evaluation assistance
Proven Outcomes
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Program Adoption Eligibility Requirements
To be a candidate for adopting the UCLA ADC Program, organizations must meet the following criteria:
- Employ Advanced Practice Providers (APPs – Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Clinical Nurse Specialists with prescribing authority)
- Employ a Physician Medical Director knowledgeable in dementia to supervise and support the APPs
- Offer 24/7 coverage to manage calls after-hours, weekends, and holidays
- Employ the following clinical staff (can be the same person)
- “Dementia Care Assistants” to assist with care coordination and check-ins with stable patients
- Office staff to handle calls and scheduling
- Program Manager to support operations
- Have existing relationships with community-based organizations
- Have a communication process with referring/primary care providers for care coordination
- Offer referrals for psychiatry, neurology, psychology, and social work
Contact Us
For additional information about the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program, please e-mail us at [email protected] or visit uclahealth.org/international-services.