GUIDE Model& What ACOs Are Missing: Activated Family Caregiver as Next Frontier in Dementia Strategy

The CMS GUIDE Model is bringing unprecedented visibility to the costs and unmet needs of persons living with dementia -- and for ACOs, it's revealing both a significant spend exposure and a significant strategic opportunity. The organizations moving fastest are recognizing what traditional care management models have overlooked: dementia is the one condition where the patient's capacity to engage declines as the disease progresses, and the family caregiver -- not the patient -- is the person making daily care decisions, adhering to care plans, and navigating crises, and driving utilization. Activating that caregiver as a trained, integrated part of the care team is the untapped advantage that changes the economics. In this executive briefing, we will unpack what ACO leaders need to know about GUIDE, why the activated family caregiver is emerging as the defining mechanism in the management of dementia, and how forward-thinking ACOs are partnering with GUIDE participants to capture results they can't build alone. Designed for ACO executives, clinical leaders, and finance teams ready to move from policy awareness to strategic advantage.