Publications by authors named "Rachel Kiekhofer"
Introduction: Collaborative dementia care models with care navigation, including the Care Ecosystem, improve outcomes for persons living with dementia (PLWDs) and their caregivers. The effects of continuous care over long periods have not been studied.
Methods: In this randomized clinical trial with 456 PLWD-caregiver dyads with high caregiver burden, we evaluated the cumulative 5-year treatment effect on PLWD quality of life, health care utilization, caregiver depression, self-efficacy, and burden.
Article Synopsis
- Collaborative dementia care programs are beneficial for patients and their caregivers but lack sufficient analysis on their impact on healthcare costs.
- The study aimed to assess how these programs affect total Medicare reimbursement compared to traditional care methods.
- Results indicated that participating in collaborative dementia care led to significant cost reductions, with an average monthly savings of $526 over 12 months, highlighting the potential for cost-effective dementia care solutions.
Background: Dementia can impede the relationship and connection between the person with dementia (PWD) and their caregiver. Yet, caregiving in dementia also offers opportunities for connection, which has implications for caregiver and PWD well-being. In this qualitative study, we describe and characterize ways caregivers felt connected to the person with dementia they care for.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) cause adverse events and death. We evaluate the Care Ecosystem (CE) collaborative dementia care program on medication use among community-dwelling persons living with dementia (PLWD).
Methods: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing CE to usual care (UC) on changes in PIMs, over 12 months between March 2015 and May 2020.
Background: Advance care planning has been shown to improve end of life decision-making for people with dementia. However, the impact of goals of care conversations between people with dementia and their caregivers has not been characterized.
Objective: In this study, we evaluate the association between goals of care conversations and advance care planning outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The US aging population is becoming more diverse, making early dementia diagnosis a key health care focus.
- A study analyzed California Medicare data from 2013-2015 to investigate how race and ethnicity affect the timing and thoroughness of dementia diagnoses among 10,472 beneficiaries.
- Results indicate that Asian, Black, and Hispanic individuals face delays and less comprehensive evaluations in dementia diagnosis compared to White counterparts, highlighting disparities in healthcare access.