AHRQ Innovations Exchange

AHRQ Innovations Exchange

AHRQ’s Innovations Exchange Focuses on Supporting Caregivers

The February 29 issue of AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange features profiles of three programs that provide individual and group education, coaching, and support sessions for patients with dementia and their caregivers. One program known as REACH VA used trained staff at 24 Veterans Affairs medical centers to provide customized support over a six-month period to caregivers of military veterans with dementia. The program improved caregivers’ skills and abilities and reduced their burden, frustrations, and level of depression, as well as the impact of depression on their daily lives. The program also freed up nearly two hours each day and reduced the number of problem behaviors exhibited by dementia patients. Select to read more profiles of innovations related to caregiver support on the Innovations Exchange Web site, which contains more than 675 innovations and 1,575 QualityTools.

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 AHRQ Innovations Exchange

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 AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Innovations & QualityTools

Innovations

Individual and Group Support Sessions Enhance Skills and Knowledge, Reduce Burden and Depression for Caregivers of Dementia Patients 2/29/2012

Individual and group support enhances the skills and knowledge of caregivers of dementia patients, leading to less caregiver burden and depression and fewer problem behaviors among patients.

Care Coordinators Remotely Monitor Chronically Ill Veterans via Messaging Device, Leading to Lower Inpatient Utilization and Costs 2/8/2012

Care coordinators remotely monitor veterans with chronic medical conditions via home telehealth devices, leading to reductions in hospital admissions, bed days, and care costs and to high levels of patient satisfaction.

Case Managers Remotely Monitor Chronically Ill Medicare Beneficiaries Each Day, Reducing Mortality and Costs 2/1/2012

Case managers remotely monitor Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions via a messaging device that asks and records answers to disease-specific and general health questions each day, leading to lower mortality and costs.

Onsite Nurses Manage Care Across Settings to Increase Satisfaction and Reduce Cost for Chronically Ill Seniors 1/11/2012

Specially trained nurses work with primary care physicians in their offices to improve the quality and efficiency of care for seniors with multiple chronic illnesses by coordinating care, facilitating transitions in care, and acting as the patient's advocate across health care and social settings.

Trauma Therapy and Caregiver Support Improves Coping Skills and Academic Performance of West African Refugee Children 1/11/2012

School-based, culturally appropriate therapy focused on dealing with trauma helps West African refugee children improve coping skills and academic performance.