Making the Business Case for Value-Based Dementia Care

SummaryAlzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are growing exponentially, making it critical to expand dementia/memory assessment and care. Insufficient funding, poor access to care, and low ROIs are some of the barriers that limit the ability of health care organizations to build comprehensive dementia care programs. This article aims to make a business case for developing and maintaining programs for patients with dementia and their caregivers. Concrete guidance on tactics and steps that can help transform dementia care in a health care institution is provided. The authors argue that transitioning from a traditional fee-for-service payment model to a value-based care model is key to expanding and improving dementia care across the board. Dementia care models, financial metrics, and sources of financial value are discussed, and financial data from the Ochsner Center for Brain Health are presented.