LeadingAge New York Adviser Fall 2015 Vol. 1 | Page 16

Feature
Therapy’s Role in Dementia Management

Success:
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T

he Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in March
2012 the Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, an initiative aimed at
reducing use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing home residents by 15 percent.
Central to this initiative was enhanced training for providers regarding high
quality person-centered care, publicly-reported data and emphasis on nonpharmacological interventions for common dementia-related behaviors including
consistent staff assignments and pain management strategies.
According to data from the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced
Reporting (CASPER) data network from CMS, over 25 percent of residents
in nursing facilities in the United States receive antipsychotic medications.
While these drugs have legitimate uses including treatment for psychotic
disorders such as schizophrenia, delusions and hallucinations, they are often
used inappropriately in nursing facilities to treat behavioral symptoms related
to dementia. Patrick Conway, M.D., CMS chief medical officer and director of
clinical standards and quality stated, “a CMS nursing home resident report found
that … patients with signs of dementia were receiving antipsychotic drugs, even
though there was no diagnosis of psychosis. Managing dementia without relying
on medication can