Abstract

Anna Beeber's goals for the training program are: 1) to gain experience in conducting multidisciplinary research, 2) to examine family management of dementia care, and 3) to determine how care practices address specific older adult and caregiver risk factors for nursing home placement and the current state of dementia care in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). As part of the training, she will conduct an independent project to examine dementia care practices, including the incorporation of caregiver assessment, in PACE, a comprehensive community-based program that coordinates multidisciplinary assessments and services for nursing home eligible older adults, dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Approximately 4.5 million people in the US have dementia, and this figure will more than double to 10.2 million by 2050. This public health crisis is forcing the health services community to consider new, more efficient ways to provide CS to these patients and their caregivers. New models of care such as PACE can address the needs of this growing population by contributing to our understanding of older adult and caregiver needs and thereby identifying areas for intervention.