FAQs - Copy - Dementia Care Aware

About

Dementia Care Aware, developed with the University of California, San Francisco, and originally funded by the California Department of Health Care Services through Senate Bill SB 638, is dedicated to improving dementia care in statewide primary care settings. It provides the education, tools and support necessary to offer high-quality dementia screenings, assessments and care, especially for underserved and low-income Californians.

“Achieving a timely diagnosis is absolutely essential to ensure that everyone living with dementia can access the right care and support at the right time. Dementia Care Aware makes that possible by bringing together dementia experts across CA to support primary care doctors and community clinics with tools designed specifically for them and their patients. Together we can bring dementia out of the shadows and into the light so no one faces dementia alone."

"[The Dementia Care Aware Warmline] is exactly what I needed and the wording on how I can discuss this delicate issue with patients that don't know me. I feel much better equipped. Thank you so much!”

The Dementia care aware training was a phenomenal experience which allowed a collaborative approach towards sharing knowledge and expertise between physicians and dementia specialists from various organizations. This unique approach helped improve the complex practices and struggles involved in caring for patients dealing with dementia in various settings, including outpatient inpatient and in various facilities including nursing homes.

Dr. Anna Chodos - Executive Director

Dr. Anna Chodos is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General and the Division of Geriatrics, both within the Department of Medicine at UCSF.

Dr. Josette Rivera - Co-Director and Education Lead

Dr. Josette Rivera is a Professor of Medicine and a clinician educator in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics.

Clara Park - Director of Strategy

Clara Park is the Director of Strategy for Dementia Care Aware. In this role, she is responsible for DCA’s data collection and program evaluation efforts as well as the strategic goals and direction of the program.

Danielle Taylor - Director of Operations

Danielle, a Bay Area native, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Neuroscience and a Minor in Public Health at Boston University.

FAQ

Dementia will soon affect 1 in 5 older Californians. Dementia impacts a person’s ability to self-manage their day-to-day activities and other medical conditions.

Detecting dementia early:

Allows you to connect the person and their caregivers to resources early
Improves quality of life for affected persons and their caregivers
Reduces unnecessary costs of care
Allows you to start a brain health plan earlier, which can slow progression.

Check out our General Information Flyer to learn more.

Dementia Care Aware provides an at most, 90-minute core training for the cognitive health assessment (CHA) that can be done over time and offers CME/CE credits.

Providers who take the training are eligible to bill for this assessment for patients 65 and older with Medi-Cal only using code 1494F.
For more information, download our Cognitive Health Assessment Training Flyer

The cognitive health assessment is a quick tool that can be completed by different members of a healthcare team. Additionally, it is completely free to the patient, easy to score, uses tools that are validated in primary care and can be done in multiple languages.

The cognitive health assessment process consists of:

Taking a brief patient history, for example, through a question such as “Have you noticed any changes in your memory or thinking abilities this last year?”
Using screening tools. Use validated tools to assess cognition and function, which can be given to the patient or a care partner.
Documenting care partner information. Do a brief assessment of the patient’s support system.

The table below outlines the recommended tools that can be used with the patient or an informant to satisfy the requirements of the CHA:

Visit Providers and PCPs Resources page for more information

These videos illustrate the cognitive health assessment in action.

All members of the care team can conduct the CHA, but a billing provider must do the final review and documentation.

An example of a potential team model might be:

At check-in, the patient receives a survey that includes a question about memory symptoms.
The Medical Assistant assesses function by assessing activities of daily living (ADL) and/or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) by asking the patient the questions on the functional abilities’ checklist.
The Nurse conducts a Mini-Cog with the patient.
The Social Worker assesses the patient’s support system and documents it.
The primary care provider, a Physician or Advanced Practice Provider, reviews and interprets the results, discusses the results and next steps with the patient, and documents the CHA components.

The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit includes a requirement for a cognitive impairment initial screening and allows flexibility on the tools providers can use for this screening. The Dementia Care Aware cognitive health assessment may be used as a resource for this screening. If the patient screens positive on the CHA, then a more in-depth evaluation should be done, including the 60-minute face-to-face Cognitive Assessment and Care Planning (see CPT-4 code 99483).

We help providers, health care teams and practices implement the CHA in practice with program offerings that fit your bandwidth:

Implementation toolkit: A guide to support primary care teams in implementing routine cognitive screening for adults 65+. It includes practical examples and insights to support quality improvement and change management.
Centralized warmline support: 1-800-933-1789 for clinical management or consult questions Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dementia Care Resources: The Dementia Care Aware resource library contains resources and information to support dementia screening, assessment, care planning, and brain health.
Webinars and podcasts: Presentations on a variety of topics to assist with dementia care from screening to care planning and implementing dementia care processes. Each offer FREE CE/CMEs.
eCourses: Reinforce your learnings with additional self-paced trainings! Receive FREE .5 CE/CME for each eCourse.

Download our Program Offerings flyer to learn more.

Complete an evaluation survey at the end of the modules to receive a continuing education certificate. Please email us at dca@ucsf.edu if you have any questions or concerns.