Kaiser Permanente in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Association has introduced the managed care industry's first program to address the special needs of Alzheimer's disease sufferers.

Kaiser Permanente serves more than 880,000 adults over age 65 (including 68,000 over age 85). An estimated 85,000 people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias may benefit from the program.

The program originated when Kaiser and the association recognized that most people with Alzheimer's and other dementias were not receiving appropriate care -- from proper diagnosis and treatment to information about their condition and referrals to vital community services.

Under the program, recommendations are provided to primary care providers, nurses and social workers on the proper screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of dementia patients. There are also recommendations on ways to support families as well as evidence-based guidelines.

The program was developed by Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute, which is sharing this and other programs it has developed with community organizations.

"The Kaiser Permanente dementia care program is a 21st century model for the nation's health care system," said Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association.

Goldberg said the effort underscores the growing realization within the field that Alzheimer's is an epidemic that requires an unprecedented marshalling of combined resources.

Alzheimer's Association