You don’t have to navigate dementia alone
The Medicare GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) Model helps qualifying people with dementia remain safely in their homes longer, delaying facility or long-term nursing home care.
- Age in place
- Reduce hospitalizations
- Access caregiver support
- Improve quality of life
Are you a GUIDE provider?
Complete this form to request updates to your organization’s profile information.
What is the GUIDE model?
GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) advances coordinated dementia care to support both people with dementia and their caregivers. It does so by providing evidence-based services so that people with dementia can remain safely in their homes and communities longer by preventing or delaying nursing home placement, improving quality of life for both patients and caregivers, and reducing Medicare and Medicaid expenditures.
Out-of-Pocket
$0
GUIDE model services are covered by Medicare
Respite care
~$2,500
Eligible families receive this much in covered respite care each year
GUIDE model purpose & overview
Improve quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers through a comprehensive package of care coordination and management, caregiver support, education, and respite services.
Care Coordination & Management
Care Navigator Support & Education
Respite Services
Who is GUIDE for?
GUIDE supports two people at once: the person living with dementia, and the family caregiver at their side.
The person living with dementia
A person may be eligible for GUIDE if they:
- Meets this requirementAre enrolled in Traditional (Original) Medicare, Part A and Part B
- Meets this requirementHave a diagnosis of dementia (such as Alzheimer’s or a related dementia)
- Meets this requirementLive at home or in the community, not in a long-term nursing facility
- Does not meet this requirementAre not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan
- Does not meet this requirementAre not enrolled in Medicare hospice
- Does not meet this requirementAre not enrolled in a PACE program
People who have both Medicare and Medicaid may still be eligible.
A participating GUIDE provider will confirm eligibility with you.
The caregiver
In the spirit of GUIDE, a caregiver is:
- Meets this requirementAn unpaid family member – a spouse, adult child, sibling, or other relative
- Meets this requirementOr an unpaid friend or neighbor who helps with everyday activities
- Meets this requirementSomeone who helps with daily life – meals, medications, appointments, safety, companionship
You don’t have to live in the same home to be a caregiver. Respite support is available for eligible caregivers of people with more advanced dementia.
Is GUIDE for you?
Not sure if GUIDE is right for your family?
What’s included
GUIDE wraps practical support around the person you love. And around you.
Dedicated Care Navigator
A trusted individual who knows your family and helps you navigate the healthcare system, access support and community-based resources.
Support any hour
24/7 access to a support line, so there’s a real person to reach when an urgent question or concern arises – especially outside normal business hours.
Care Navigator respite
Up to $2,500 per year of covered respite care for eligible caregivers – time to rest, run errands, or simply breathe.
Education & training
Increase the caregiver’s ability to care for the person with dementia at home, while reducing caregiver burden and stress.
A person-centered care plan
An individualized actionable roadmap that coordinates care and services to address specific needs and goals.
Connection to local help
Help getting connected to community services like meals and transportation, arranged through your Care Navigator.
How to begin
Find a provider
Enter your ZIP code to see GUIDE providers that serve your area.
Reach out
Contact the GUIDE provider. They’ll talk with you and confirm whether your family is eligible
Get matched & begin
You’ll be paired with your Care Navigator and start receiving support – covered by Medicare
Testimonials
Shared by families enrolled in GUIDE.
I don’t know how I would get through this without you! Seriously, you are my life vest, my anchor, my safety net.
This is so much help – much more than I was expecting!! You guys are the only ones supporting and advocating for us. You don’t know how much I appreciate it! THANK YOU!!!
I look forward to your call on Wednesday morning and you have been a wealth of information for me and some directions that I should be doing. So, I appreciate that very much.
I’m really excited because I’ve been really hurting, needing extra support and this is giving me everything that I’ve been craving.
Thank you for listening to me. Sometimes I just reach out because there isn’t anybody else. I know you worry about me, and I appreciate that.
Testimonials are submitted by participating GUIDE providers and the families they serve.
GUIDE Resources
Learn more about the GUIDE Model with resources from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
GUIDE model fact sheet
Download GUIDE model fact sheet (opens in a new tab)Dementia care pathways
Download Dementia care pathways (opens in a new tab)
Common questions about GUIDE
A person may be eligible if they are enrolled in Traditional Medicare (Parts A and B), have a dementia diagnosis, live at home or in the community, and are not in hospice or a PACE program. People with both Medicare and Medicaid may still qualify. A participating GUIDE provider will confirm eligibility with you.
Nothing out of pocket for GUIDE services – Medicare covers them. That includes care coordination, caregiver education and the 24/7 support line, and eligible families also receive up to $2,500 a year of covered respite care.
Respite care is short-term help so a caregiver can rest, run errands or take time away, while the person they care for stays supported at home. Eligible families receive up to $2,500 a year of covered respite care.
An unpaid family member, friend or neighbor who helps with daily life – meals, medications, appointments, safety and companionship. You do not have to live in the same home to be a caregiver.
Language support varies by provider. Ask the provider you contact which languages its Care Navigators and materials are available in.
Enter your ZIP code to see the GUIDE providers serving your area, then contact one. They will talk with you, confirm your family is eligible, and pair you with a Care Navigator.