Thanks to a generous $175,000 donation from prescription benefit plan provider Express Scripts, a pilot program is being launched by Christian Hospital’s Community Health Access Program (CHAP) and Memory Care Home Solutions to improve the health of seniors with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and offer family caregiver support in the St. Louis area.

Approximately 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia in older adults. Alzheimer’s causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills that often put those who suffer from the disease at risk and create enormous anxiety for their families and caregivers.

For example, many senior citizens who have Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia will wander away from their homes, often forgetting where they are and how they got there. They may ignore traffic signs, putting themselves and others in danger. Or they may call 911 to report imaginary events happening in their home, prompting unnecessary visits from firefighters and other emergency responders.

Staff at CHAP and Memory Home Care Solutions are using Express Scripts’ donation to start an intervention program to help identify and treat patients who suffer from dementia and frequently use 911 or emergency care. The program is intended to ease the burden on healthcare providers and local emergency resources while helping families cope with their loved-ones’ dementia symptoms and keep them safe and healthy at home. Memory Care Home Solutions, a nonprofit organization, provides dementia care education, caregiver support, and training to everyone involved in the program.

Through customized training and in-home consultations, education and outreach programs and geriatric care counseling, Memory Care Home Solutions offers free family caregiver support to help loved ones remain at home as long as possible. For more information, call (314) 645-6247 or visit Memory Care Home Solutions website for more information their services.