Assessing the Efficacy of Delivering Hybrid Dementia Care in a Resource-Scarce Rural Community

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

Older adult cognitive health services, especially dementia care, are scarce in rural communities. In northern Maine, the Aroostook Memory Care Center (AMCC) tests a hybrid model that combines on-site and remote dementia care delivered from an Area Agency on Aging. A 3-year ACL grant supported referrals and intake, care coordination, interdisciplinary case review, remote specialist assessments, and links to community services. Over 15 months, 282 referrals and 206 people with dementia plus 149 caregivers received services; pre/post measures show significant gains. Strategies for sustainability focus on operational efficiency, reimbursement, and philanthropy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Hybrid dementia care model

Service delivery structure

Referrals, training, and outcomes

Sustainability strategies

1216 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 east of the Mississippi River (6,700 sq. mi.) with all 24 census tracts designated rural, and the closest dementia specialty practice 150+ miles away. A 3-year ACL grant has enabled delivery of services for persons with dementia (PWD), support for caregivers, and community education. A process protocol for referralsand intake, care coordination and planning, interdisciplinary case reviews, remote specialty geriatrician neuropsychology assessments, and connections to AAA and other community services has now been established and successfully implemented. A Memory Center flow pathway protocol has been constructed and has been adhered to over the life of the program. Over a 15-month period, 282 referrals, 51 on-line referrals to specialty dementia care were made and 206 PWDs and 149 caregivers received services. Pre-and post-measures of the result of on-site and remote training and clinical interventions (changes in levels of understanding Alzheimer’s and dementia; levels of patient and caregiver preparedness because of expert consultation; and increases in caregiver quality of life) confirm significant participant gains. Strategies for sustaining a hybrid dementia care initiative in rural communities are offered focused on creating operational efficiencies, developing a reimbursement model, and tapping sources of philanthropy. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4069 ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF DELIVERING HYBRID DEMENTIA CARE IN A RESOURCE SCARCE RURAL COMMUNITY Vi Belanger1, Chris Beaulieu2, Lenard Kaye3, and Rachel Coleman4, 1. Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, Presque Isle, Maine, United States, 2. Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, Presque Isle, Me 04769, Maine, United States, 3. University of Maine, orono, Maine, United States, 4. University of Maine Center on Aging, Orono, Maine, United States Older adult cognitive health services, especially dementia care, has been an especially scarce resource in rural communities. The Aroostook Memory Care Center (AMCC), in northern Maine, is testing the efficacy of delivering a hybrid combination of on-site and remote dementia care based at an Area Agency of Aging. AMCC is located in Aroostook County, the largest county

FAQs

What problem does the study address in rural communities?

It addresses the scarcity of cognitive health services, particularly dementia care, in rural areas.

How does AMCC deliver hybrid dementia care?

AMCC delivers care by combining on-site services with remote dementia care based at an Area Agency on Aging.

What outcomes did the program measure and what were the results?

It used pre- and post-measures of training and clinical interventions, including understanding of Alzheimer’s/dementia, preparedness of patients and caregivers, and caregiver quality of life, showing significant participant gains.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine