Hospice of the Chesapeake Expanding Dementia Caregiver Program

Maryland-based nonprofit Hospice of the Chesapeake is expanding its dementia caregiver education program into Charles County, Maryland, with caregiver support as the primary focus of the first phase.

Families in the expanded area will gain access to the organization's Caregiver Academy, which combines support groups, virtual education, and hands-on immersive training in simulation labs, now available across the entire Hospice of the Chesapeake service area.

The Charles County Charitable Trust is supporting the expansion with a $46,270 grant that will fund advanced training for professional caregivers who support family caregivers, resources for simulation labs, and planning time to keep touch points based on evidence-based practices, according to Hospice News.

Hospice of the Chesapeake participates in the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) payment model demonstration by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, an eight-year, capitated value-based care demonstration. Its dementia services are available to both GUIDE-enrolled and non-enrolled patients.

Joshua Magariel, director of service excellence and community health at Hospice of the Chesapeake, said the counties the organization serves are among the highest concentrations of dementia patients in Maryland and framed the expansion as part of a larger push to support healthy aging in place.