Improving Care Through Public Policy

• Published in: The Gerontologist Vol. 58; no. suppl_1; pp. S141 - S147
• Main Authors: Thornhill, Laura, Conant, Rachel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 18-01-2018
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer's disease; Biomedicine; Dementia; Dementia - diagnosis; Dementia - psychology; Dementia - therapy; Geriatric Assessment; Health care policy; Health Policy; Humans; Medical treatment; Models, Organizational; Patient-Centered Care - methods; Patient-Centered Care - organization & administration; Policy Making; Public Policy; Quality Improvement; Quality of care; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0016-9013; 1758-5341
• DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx181

Thornhill and Conant cite that without the development of a disease-modifying biomedical therapy, the number of people aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer's dementia may nearly triple, from 5.5 million to a projected 13.8 million, by 2050. It is imperative that society be able to care for them. The practices featured throughout this supplement are just a few of the effective, individualized care models that can meet the needs and preferences of persons living with dementia, but more are required. We must be able to test, improve, and expand existing models and develop new ones. Policy can be a powerful driver of this expansion and innovation. Promotion of standards and practices by the federal and state governments can extend the reach of high-quality care to more people in need.