Today, as part of a national initiative funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF), the national, independent nonprofit FAIR Health launched a new shared decision-making tool for Alzheimer’s disease that features clinical information for self-care and drug therapy options, as well as related cost information. The new tool is accompanied by an educational healthcare cost tool and resources, such as printable checklists and links to websites and organizations that offer additional information and resources. Provided at no cost to users, these offerings are available through FAIR Health for Older Adults (fairhealtholderadults.org), in a newly created section on Alzheimer’s disease. FAIR Health for Older Adults is an online resource in English and Spanish for older adults and family caregivers.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and is the most common form of dementia. The growing financial burden of Alzheimer’s disease care on older patients and their families has made it increasingly important for them to access objective information to help guide their care planning. Tools that facilitate shared decision making-the discussion between patients, caregivers and providers to decide on care that balances clinical evidence with patients’ p and values-show promise for improving patient and caregiver engagement in healthcare decision making and lowering healthcare costs. The new Alzheimer’s disease shared decision-making tool offers a full view of self-care and drug therapy options and related costs. Some self-care options listed include maintaining a healthy diet, physical exercise, brain exercises, reviewing medications with healthcare providers and treating other conditions that affect memory and thinking. The tool also offers information about three types of drug therapies: cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine and monoclonal antibodies.

Expanding upon FAIR Health’s suite of shared decision-making tools (combining clinical and cost information) and resources launched with prior grant funding, the new Alzheimer’s disease shared decision-making tool marks a significant step in offering educational information that can support the 4Ms framework of high-quality, age-friendly care: what matters, medication, mind and mobility. By focusing on what matters to patients and their families, as well as clinical care options that relate to cognition (mind), the new shared decision-making tool-along with the supplemental resources-can inform discussions and facilitate decisions around age-friendly care for Alzheimer’s disease with healthcare providers.

The tool can be used with the complementary offerings on the Alzheimer’s Disease section of FAIR Health for Older Adults: an FH^® Total Treatment Cost tool that shows the total annual costs of Alzheimer’s disease care and services; printable checklists with helpful tips and questions to ask providers; links to relevant FH^® Insurance Basics articles; links to organizations and programs that provide caregiver support; and online tools that help families find services in their areas. Using the new tools and resources, families can learn more about various care options and related costs, enabling them to plan and, if needed, explore financial resources and assistance.

As part of the JAHF-funded initiative, FAIR Health is disseminating the new, free Alzheimer’s disease-related tools and resources nationally and through its current collaborations with four clinical institutions that have achieved Age-Friendly Health Systems recognition: the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, the University of Rochester Medical Center and Emory University. Clinicians at the Age-Friendly Health Systems sites are using FAIR Health’s suite of shared decision-making and FH Total Treatment Cost tools with older patients and their caregivers in clinical settings and distributing patient toolkits with actionable checklists, educational content and links to relevant resources.

Older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease have diverse needs and require comprehensive, age-friendly care and services. FAIR Health’s new shared decision-making tool and related resources will help older patients and their family caregivers learn more about their care options and be empowered to plan for and manage costs.”

Rani E. Snyder, Vice President, Program, at The John A. Hartford Foundation

To access the free tools, educational content and resources on Alzheimer’s disease care, visit the Alzheimer’s Disease section on FAIR Health for Older Adults.