The trial, known as Maximizing Independence (MIND) at Home, involved 303 people 70 years and older with memory disorders, primarily dementia and mild cognitive impairment. One hundred and ten of them received an in-home visit from a memory care coordinator and nurse that assessed a range of care needs including diagnosis of memory problems, review of medications, behavior problems, daily activities, and untreated medical problems such as hearing or vision problems, andhigh blood pressure or diabetes. The care team then developed a personalized care plan and worked with the family over time to oversee progress and attend to new needs that arose.
The goal was to see if a dementia care coordination model that incorporated evidence-supported care practices could delay or prevent the need to move from home to other settings like nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
In a report published online in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychology, the Johns Hopkins investigators say that those who got 18 months of care coordination with home visits were able to safely stay in their homes a median of 288 extra days, or around 9.5 months over a median follow-up period of about 2 years.