Focus On The Dementia Iq Of The Healthcare Industry As We Prepare For The Impact Of Dementia On The Future Of Healthcare

INTRODUCTION

As healthcare providers, we often feel under-equipped and overwhelmed with the demands we face from policymakers, payer sources, corporate America, and our internal compass that cries out for compassion and quality service above everything else.

It is very hard to find a balance between fulfilling payor guidelines and industry protocols as well as meeting the basic needs of the persons depending on us for their well-being.

When we add the complications of a diagnosis of dementia, we often fail to achieve the outcomes we expected. As a result, we are faced with the consequences of elevated healthcare costs between 40% -80% higher for our persons living with dementia, as compared to their peers as it relates to common healthcare complications such as cancer, COPD, CHF, diabetes, and pneumonia.

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE DECLINE ON HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES

It is an unfortunate fact that healthcare providers do not receive adequate training in the assessment of cognition or in a holistic approach to brain health support and maintenance.

As caregivers (health care or others), we need to consider that cognitive ability and healthy brain function are the basis of overall well-being.

In the absence of working short-term memory, attention span, visio[1]spatial ability, orientation to task, self, place, and situation, to name a few executive functions, our person living with dementia is being left behind during important health care interventions.

Elevated Dementia IQ is the ability of caregivers and health care providers to understand the basic neuroanatomy and pathophysiology of the brain during neuro-cognitive decline, as it relates to that person’s ability to engage meaningfully.

Meaningful engagement is connecting with people, the environment, and objects around us, enabling us to meet our human needs. When our needs are adequately met, it allows us to age in place at the highest level of quality of life.

Suppose the person living with dementia is not meaningfully engaged with the processes, information systems, or health care methods we are presenting (for example, following protocols for diet/exercise/medications/ nutrition and hydration). In that case, we will not experience quality outcomes, and our persons will not be able to age in place, thus escalating healthcare costs.

CONCLUSION

Targeted dementia assessment tools and educational methods, such as the Botes Memory Method, which improves Dementia IQ and allows caregivers and health care providers alike to engage in a meaningful way with our person living with dementia at their level of neuro-cognitive function, will impact health care costs and health care outcomes positively.