Cost-effective care coordination for people with dementia at home

Authors: Amber Willink, Karen Davis, Deirdre M Johnston, Betty Black, Melissa Reuland, Ian Stockwell, Halima Amjad, Constantine G Lyketsos, and Quincy M Samus

The Maximizing Independence (MIND) at Home program was developed to enable persons with dementia to receive comprehensive, home-based care. This program relies on a team of community health workers in collaboration geriatric psychiatrists and registered nurses specialized in dementia care. In response to pilot studies demonstrating success of this program in improving quality of life and outcomes among persons with dementia, Amber Willink and colleagues conducted a cost analysis to assess the cost-effectiveness of the program. The average annual cost of the program was $1,320 per enrollee, yielding an annual 1.12-fold return on investment.