This article is sponsored by The Joint Commission. In this Voices interview, Skilled Nursing News sits down with Doug Pace of Alzheimer’s Association to learn how SNF operators can best support their memory care patients. Pace also discusses the new memory care certification from The Joint Commission and shares his view of the future of memory care in skilled nursing.
Skilled Nursing News: Doug, what led you into this field, and what life and career experiences do you most draw from in your role with Alzheimer’s Association?
Pace: I grew up in a very small town and my grandparents were my daycare providers after my mom went back to teaching school when I was a toddler. After college, I had a successful career in business in an industry that was undergoing massive changes and consolidation. As I started to explore other possibilities, I thought back to my many wonderful memories with my grandparents. That made me think that long-term health care might be a good fit for me and I actually found my passion — and the path to becoming a licensed nursing home administrator.
As far as experiences, I’ve been very honored and fortunate to be a licensed nursing home administrator for a community that had skilled nursing, memory care and assisted living.
I’ve worked for LeadingAge at the state and national level on issues across the continuum of long-term care. I’ve led three national quality improvement organizations and initiatives: the National Commission on Quality Long-Term Care at The New School, the Long-Term Quality Alliance, and the Advancing Excellence in Nursing Home Campaign.
Those experiences across programs, policy and research, along with my business background, has prepared me for the work I do today with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Why should skilled nursing providers boost memory care on their radar?
Pace: According to the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Today, there are an estimated 6.5 million Americans aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s dementia. That number is projected to increase to 12.7 million by 2050. We know that the vast majority of them will need long-term and community-based care as the disease progresses.
Today, 48% of nursing home residents, 34% of assisted living residents and 32% of individuals using home health services have Alzheimer’s. According to the 2022 Facts and Figures Report from Alzheimer’s Association, 75% of people living with Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed at age 70 will reside in a nursing home by age 80. That’s compared to only 4% of the general population that survive at age 80. In order for persons living with dementia to truly live well throughout the course of the disease long-term and community-based care settings must embrace person-centered care.
What are Alzheimer’s Association’s top initiatives related to dementia care?
Pace: In 2018, the Association released our updated dementia care practice recommendations in a special supplement of The Gerontologist. My colleague Dr. Sam Fazio and I worked with 27 researchers to develop 56 recommendations over 10 topic areas. They’re grounded in person-centered care and these recommendations are for all professionals working across the continuum of long-term and community-based care.
It starts with knowing the person and always putting the person before the task and then using every interaction or task as an opportunity for engagement. All settings must include dedicated quality improvement practices as a normal part of their business with measurable reportable outcomes.
The association has launched several initiatives based on recommendations like our essentiALZ training and certification program, which is a self-paced online training program, which includes an exam and a certificate upon completion. We’ve been utilizing Project ECHO, which is an all-teach, all-learn format, and we’ve interacted with thousands of long-term and community-based care settings that have participated in sessions on how to put those recommendations into practice.
We have our community resource finder, which is a searchable database where consumers can find services in their local community and will soon have a designation of those who have received Joint Commission accreditation and certification as part of our community resources.
You mentioned The Joint Commission. Why did you partner with them?
Doug: Let me start off by saying, it was very important for the Alzheimer’s Association not only to develop and publish our dementia care practice recommendations in a peer-review journal but to also disseminate them widely. We were really excited that The Joint Commission recognizes the value and the importance of our recommendations and wanted to incorporate them into their accreditation requirements. Thus began our partnership, and in July of this year, we announced the launch of the memory care certification for nursing homes.
We are now excited to announce that in July of 2023, in a partnership with The Joint Commission, we’ll be launching the assisted living memory care certification program.
What do you hope to achieve through this collaboration with The Joint Commission?
Pace: Our goal is that certification will not only enhance dementia care, but it will also be an important consideration for families who are seeking nursing home and assisted living services because it is vitally important to help families make informed decisions.
Nursing homes that have gone through Joint Commission accreditation and memory care certification have taken that voluntary step to showcase their commitment to quality person-centered dementia care. We believe that this collaboration is going to help these nursing homes improve the quality of care and the quality of life for people that they care for. It’s also another way that consumers can really have confidence when choosing a setting.
What does the future hold for memory care, specifically in skilled nursing?
Pace: The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction, early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. There is some good news. We’re living in historic times for Alzheimer’s disease treatment. The most exciting report of positive results in Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials was recently reported, giving those facing Alzheimer’s incredible hope for more effective treatments. For people in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s, it’s encouraging that we may soon have another FDA-approved drug that may change the course of Alzheimer’s disease.
Until then, the need for care in nursing homes and assisted living is going to continue to grow and consumers will be looking for those communities who strive for excellence and are committed to the principles of evidence-based person-centered care.
Finish this sentence: “The top strategy skilled nursing providers should employ for the remainder of this year to best prepare for their memory care needs next year is…”?
Pace: To ensure that they have a process in place to know the person, that they have a well-trained workforce that uses every interaction as an opportunity for engagement and they have a process of continuous quality improvement that values the input of residents, families and staff with measurable, reportable outcomes.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Used by residents, caregivers and your health care partners as a quality indicator, our programs at The Joint Commission can ease burdensome practices, increase occupancy and encourage growth, all while providing SNFs with the framework to develop and employ sustainable, quality care processes. To learn more, visit www.jointcommission.org/ncc.
The Voices Series is a sponsored content program featuring leading executives discussing trends, topics and more shaping their industry in a question-and-answer format. For more information on Voices, please contact [email protected].