From Fear to Support: Ending Dementia Stigma in America

with Amy Kotterman,

Senior Executive Director of Integrated Operations, United Church Homes

This week on the Art of Aging, Rev. Beth Long-Higgins talks with Amy Kotterman of United Church Homes about the CMS GUIDE model, an innovative Medicare program designed to improve life for people living with dementia and support their unpaid caregivers. They explain what CMS and the GUIDE model are, who is eligible (including the need for a formal dementia diagnosis and traditional Medicare), and how care navigators provide ongoing education, care coordination, and essential respite services. The conversation tackles caregiver stress, loneliness, stigma around dementia, and the importance of early diagnosis and proactive health, including often-overlooked factors like hearing loss and social isolation. Amy also outlines how to find GUIDE providers nationwide, where United Church Homes currently serves (primarily in Ohio), and closes with personal reflections on aging well, lifelong learning, and examples of abundant aging in her own life and work.
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Notes:

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

  • Welcome to Today’s Episode with Amy Kotterman (0:26)
  • What CMS Is and Meaning of the GUIDE Model (1:14)
  • Amy’s Passion for Dementia Care and Culture Change (2:30)
  • Comfort Matters, Music and Memory, and Creative Dementia Programs (3:42)
  • Why GUIDE Focuses on Caregivers and Home-Based Support (5:10)
  • Eligibility Requirements and How GUIDE Enrollment Works (7:44)
  • Role Of Care Navigators and Building Ongoing Support Plans (9:29)
  • What Respite is and Why Caregivers and People With Dementia Need It (11:48)
  • Alignment, Re-Application, and Importance of Early Diagnosis (15:08)
  • Dementia vs Alzheimer’s and Diagnosis Codes That Qualify (17:27)
  • Lifestyle, Hearing Loss, and Social Isolation Links to Dementia (29:39)
  • How To Find GUIDE Providers Through CMS Website (36:10)
  • How To Contact United Church Homes and Its GUIDE Program (37:31)
  • Amy’s Reflections on Her Own Aging and Health Habits (38:42)
  • Lifelong Learning, New Roles, and Abundant Aging Inspirations (40:16)

 

Abundant Aging is a podcast series presented by United Church Homes. These shows offer ideas, information, and inspiration on how to improve our lives as we grow older. To learn more and to subscribe to the show, visit abundantagingpodcast.com. 

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