Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Programs
Psychiatric management can serve as the home base for mental health care. The proper diagnosis is critical to the establishment of a successful treatment plan. Mental health symptoms and problems can stem from a wide range of sources, including medical conditions. Understanding how to carefully gather history, examine the patient, review labs and tests, evaluate the potential impact of other health issues, and incorporate the family and social background of the individual are all important in the diagnostic and treatment process. Shortcuts can't be taken without compromising quality.
We have a team of well-trained psychiatrists and board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners dedicated to providing the highest quality of treatment possible.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a broad term that describes a group of cognitive disorders, characterized by a significant and progressive decline in cognitive functions including memory, thinking, reasoning, language and the ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. Dementia can impact a person's ability to function independently and profoundly affect their quality of life and relationships.
We provide 2 programs to help assist you throughout your or your loved ones' diagnosis.
Who is Dementia Support Complete for?
Dementia Support Complete supports the diagnosed person, family, and caregivers throughout the course of a dementia diagnosis.
Dementia Support Complete Program
Dementia Support Complete is a comprehensive program for individuals with dementia and their families with a strong emphasis on maintaining their independence. Our approach involves a collaborative model of care employing nurse practitioners and care coordinators who specialize in dementia management. We strive for shared decision-making with you and the rest of your medical team. Our goal is to thoroughly understand how dementia is affecting the individual and their support system. We then offer recommendations that address individual needs while providing caregiver education and establishing connections with community resources.
Ultimately, we hope to help preserve and enhance functioning within the home, minimize dementia-related behavior issues, reduce the impact of dementia on other medical conditions, alleviate caregiver stress, and mitigate financial impact through access to community resources.
Healthy Brains Program
Kristen Sigward established the Healthy Brains Program in 2015 to assist individuals experiencing mild cognitive problems and for those interested in trying to slow age-related cognitive decline. Kristen has employed strategies to help optimize and preserve brain function, including the utilization of an innovative, interactive software application known as Brain HQ.
Over time, the Healthy Brains Program has evolved to incorporate research from neuropsychologist Dr. Tim Sigward and our team of mental health experts. The program offers an array of tools focusing on the "Six Pillars" of brain health, and resources aimed at slowing cognitive decline.
Who is Healthy Brains for?
This program was designed to benefit two major cognitive issues.
Age-Related Cognitive Decline
This refers to the gradual changes that occur in cognitive abilities as a person gets older. While these changes are considered a normal part of the aging process, they can vary widely from person to person and can impact various aspects of cognitive functioning.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
This is a condition that falls between the normal cognitive changes of aging and the more severe cognitive decline seen in conditions like dementia. It's characterized by cognitive decline that is greater than expected for a person's age, but not severe enough to significantly interfere with daily functioning and independence. Our Healthy Brains Program was created to provide evidence-based support to those with an MCI diagnosis to slow and sometimes prevent further decline.
How to begin Dementia Support Complete or Healthy Brains
The program will require the individual with cognitive impairment to be accompanied by a primary caregiver(s) or loved one(s).
First you will schedule an initial evaluation, typically with our psychiatric nurse practitioner. During this visit, many areas will be covered, including medical and psychiatric history, current health problems, and a review of all medications being taken. Records from other clinicians such as the primary care physician or neurologist may be requested, and certain labs and tests may be ordered as well. The first appointment offers a great opportunity to also ask questions and clarify uncertainties you might have.
Your second visit will lead to the development of a Care Plan, designed to help narrow down your individual and family's goals and needs. Once this is established, a plan will be set in place. This may involve setting up community resources, enhancing caregiver availability, developing a behavior plan for specific issues at home, addressing safety issues, etc.
To help carry out these plans, you will then be contacted via phone by one of our nurse care coordinators , who will monitor progress, address problems, review any new issues, and serve as a liaison with the rest of your clinical team. These calls will be at least monthly, sometimes more if needed. You will also have 24/7 access to the program for any additional concerns or questions.
Every 6 months a nurse practitioner will meet with you to assess functioning and address the needs of both the individual and the caregiver. These assessments contribute to updating your personalized Care Plan.
We also offer priority access to a wide range of support services, including our Purposeful Planning Program, as well as to professionals specializing in functional, psychological, psychiatric, and behavioral issues. Our program is typically covered by most insurance plans, and participants always have the freedom to terminate whenever they choose.
For more detailed information about our dementia support programs, visit cincinnatidementia.com.