Maine Dementia Care Partnership invites you to reduce A/P utilization

• By: Nadine Grosso
• On: 04/07/2022 12:26:38
• In: Quality/Regulatory

The Maine Dementia Care Partnership has been awarded a grant to provide up to 40 Maine nursing homes on a first come, first served basis, with the tools and support necessary to reduce the use of off-label anti-psychotic (A/P) medications. As providers, we know the risks associated with these medications and have long advocated for person-centered, non-pharmacological approaches to resident care.
 
MHCA members achieved great success in anti-psychotic medication reduction when the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) launched the initiative in 2011. Over time, Maine's A/P rates plateaued and COVID-19 further hindered progress, as providers rose to the unprecedented challenge of caring for residents during a worldwide pandemic.
 
With the latest toolkit, Is it for me, or for you? Dementia Care Change Package, the Partnership is reinvigorating its efforts to support providers in decreasing Maine's A/P prevalence. In addition to members' interest in the topic, CMS recently issued a new directive to State Survey Agencies to target this quality area during surveys. For these reasons and most importantly, quality of resident life, we invite you to engage in this important work.
 
For more information about the scope of work and benefits to your residents and staff, please see Maine Dementia Care Partnership Change Package FAQs
 
To participate, please complete the electronic Participation Agreement by April 18, 2022.
 
We hope you will consider engaging in this effort with the Partnership. Together, we can affect positive changes while empowering staff to provide quality, person-centered dementia care.
 
Staff contact: ngrosso@mehca.org