Dementia comes with a to-do list. When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, caregivers are not only hit with fear and anxiety, but they are also saddled with the task of finding ways to support the person in their care. This can lead to cases of severe caregiver burden</
As dementia becomes one of the fastest-growing health concerns, solutions are needed.
A new initiative from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s aims to connect families with virtual care resources to help them navigate the journey. The organization’s My Brain Guide platform has partnered with the virtual neurology care practice Synapticure and the virtual-first memory and brain health clinic Isaac Health to reduce the friction of finding a specialist.
How Hard Is It to Find a Dementia Specialist?
Dementia needs to be treated by someone who specializes in the condition. Those professionals are not easy to come by. According to a 2024 report from Health Affairs Scholar, “shortfalls of dementia specialists could result in long wait times and delayed treatment.”
The Black community is uniquely vulnerable to this lack because of how often they develop this disease. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners reports that “African Americans and Hispanics, especially those of advanced age living with chronic diseases, have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia (AD).” Those living in rural communities also face difficulty finding specialists.
These shortages in specialists mean that when you first get a glimpse of something going wrong with your mother or auntie, you might have to wait to fully get to the bottom of what’s going on. This is distressing because early intervention is crucial to preserving the function of a person with dementia for as long as possible. “Timely delivery of dementia diagnosis, care strategies, supports, and management planning can greatly improve health outcomes for persons with dementia,” according to PLoS One.
How Can Telehealth Help Dementia Caregivers?
“When families start to see signs of memory issues with a loved one, it’s distressing to discover that traditional care options often require you to wait months to get an appointment, leaving families in limbo for far too long,” said Sandra Abrevaya, Co-founder & CEO of Synapticure, in a statement to Black Health Matters. She opened up about her firsthand experience caring for someone with memory challenges. “As a caregiver for the last decade, I know how important it is to provide these families access to doctors within weeks, not months, to get clarity, support, and a path forward. So, we decided to bring world-class doctors to families through Synapticure, and can provide all this support from the comfort of your own home,” she added.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, “Telemedicine via synchronous videoconferencing lends itself well to the clinical interview that is of primary importance in providing routine care for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and allows clinicians a glimpse into the patient’s home environment.
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing reported that “telehealth interventions can enhance cognitive function, executive function, and QOL in elderly patients with dementia,” in April. Their study included a systematic review that reflected that “family caregivers were highly satisfied with telehealth and felt that telemedicine had potential benefits for the outcomes of people with dementia.”
“This partnership represents a huge opportunity to bring world-leading brain health care to more families, combining rapid access to dementia assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and ongoing support at a moment when early action can make a meaningful difference,” said Julius Bruch, CEO of Isaac Health.
What Are the Limitations of Virtual Resources for Dementia Care Givers?
Virtual interventions are not just helpful in dementia cases. Companies like Wisp and Maven Clinic have popped up to connect patients to care quickly and with less friction. Amazon has launched One Medical to bring telehealth to the world at scale.
Telehealth is not easily accessible for everyone, though. While it may seem that everyone can navigate the internet, the digital divide has left some people behind. Patients and caregivers must have adequate internet access to use telehealth solutions. A lack of digital literacy can also present challenges.
If you don’t spend your day Snapchatting and TikTokting, you might not feel comfortable using the internet to help your loved one access the care they need. Addressing digital inequities can help more people access remote care for dementia.
Sources
International Journal of Nursing Sciences
Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing
