The Eden Alternative® Receives CMS Grant to Support Texas’ Reduction of Antipsychotic Use

January 18, 2016

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For Immediate Release                                                                                                               Contact: Rebecca Reid
January 18, 2016                                                                                                                                          410-212-3843

 

The Eden Alternative® Receives CMS Grant to Support Texas’ Reduction of Antipsychotic Use

 

Texas is one of five states that will benefit from national grant-funded dementia care training that puts the person first. The Eden Alternative has received exclusive funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to deliver the training, which ultimately supports a major national effort to reduce antipsychotic medication use.

 

Rochester, NY (PRWEB) January 18, 2016 — The Eden Alternative® is the sole recipient of a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help reduce antipsychotic use in Texas and four other states. Funds will support the delivery of a unique educational experience featuring Dementia Beyond Drugs, an Eden Alternative training facilitated by award-winning author and geriatrician Dr. Al Power. The goal of this 2-day educational event is to shift the focus of dementia care from managing so-called “difficult behaviors” to, instead, identifying and responding to the unmet needs that are typically their underlying cause. Gone unchecked, unmet needs can lead to distress and the subsequent overuse of antipsychotic medications for those who live with dementia.

 

“In my nursing home work, family members would often tell me that their loved ones looked better than they had in months. They would often ask what pill I had prescribed to cause such an improvement,” says Dr. Power. “But it wasn’t a pill. It was because we had stopped the antipsychotic drug and found other ways of providing support.”

 

A recent report authored by The Eden Alternative revealed that training in person-directed dementia care shifts perceptions that support the reduction of antipsychotic use. The report marked the conclusion of a grant-funded Eden Alternative project in Oklahoma involving the delivery of Dementia Beyond Drugs. The project evaluation process revealed that participants experienced an overall 9% shift toward person-directed perceptions of and approaches to, dementia care – nearly double the project’s proposed outcome of a 5% shift after two days of training. Findings showed that not only did participants make a significant move away from institutional ways of thinking about dementia care, but they also conveyed confidence in their ability to apply the non-pharmacological solutions that they learned.

 

“The impact of our training on the participants exceeded everyone’s expectations. This shows not only the effectiveness of the training, but also the need and desire for change. Shifting perceptions about dementia care is a crucial first step to changing the culture of care and moving away from dangerous overuse of antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes across the country,” says Chris Perna, President and CEO of The Eden Alternative.

 

One hundred and thirty nursing homes in Texas will have the opportunity to choose between two distinct educational tracks. Track One of the project offers nine of the participating nursing homes the option to combine Dementia Beyond Drugs training with an online experience of the Care Partner Workshop (Dementia- Specific Focus), also developed by The Eden Alternative. This interactive, team-based training will engage family members, side-by-side with nursing home employees, to strengthen care partnerships and overall well- being   on the team, as a way to collaboratively respond to the needs of those who live with dementia. Track Two of the project gives participants the option to register for Dementia Beyond Drugs training alone. According to August 2015 data from the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes, Texas currently ranks as #50 in the country when it comes to reducing antipsychotic medications.

 

“Texas long term care providers must strive to implement a culture change within nursing homes to reduce the use of off label antipsychotics,” said George Linial, President and CEO of LeadingAge Texas. “Through compassionate care and individualized resident approaches, Texas nursing homes can consistently yield better outcomes in the treatment of nursing home residents. We are thrilled to bring this opportunity to nursing homes in Texas, as we continue to push for better quality of life for individuals living with dementia.”

 

“Many Texas nursing home providers report having made measurable progress over the last few months by committing to the statewide One a Month campaign’s mission to reduce the use of antipsychotics in dementia care, and in some cases, has outpaced the nation in transitioning residents off these medications,” said Kevin Warren, President and CEO of the Texas Health Care Association (THCA). “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with The Eden Alternative for Texas nursing home providers to continuously advance the training and education necessary to implement new dementia care strategies outside of antipsychotic medications and firmly establish Texas as a leader in this effort.”

 

Funded registration is now open for qualifying Texas nursing homes for both educational tracks of this new project. Click here to learn more or go to www.edenalt.org.

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About THCA

Founded in 1950, the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) is the largest long-term care association in Texas. THCA’s membership is comprised of several hundred licensed non-profit and for-profit skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), specialized rehabilitation facilities and assisted living facilities in Texas. These facilities provide comprehensive, around-the-clock nursing care for chronically ill or short-term residents of all ages, along with rehabilitative and specialized medical programs. THCA also represents more than 190 long-term care businesses that provide products and services to the state’s approximately 2,850 nursing homes and assisted living facilities. To learn more, visit http://txhca.org/ or connect with THCA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.