Project READY, Resources for Healthcare Professionals

The READY Act 

Ramping up Education of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia for You (READY) Act Aims to Help Health Care Providers in Florida 

The READY Act promotes guidance and education to help health care providers improve care and services for their patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementias. Timely interventions can mean a higher quality of life for many Floridians. The READY Act recommends that health care providers:

• Use validated cognitive assessment tools to screen patients age 65 and older during yearly Medicare wellness visits. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) suggests using assessment toolsand the guidelines index from the Alzheimer's Association.
• Practice early detection and timely diagnoses. Just as screening for health conditions and diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer gives people access to preventive health services and early diagnosis, the same is true for Alzheimer's disease and dementias. Cognitive decline can be difficult and time consuming to discuss with patients, but there are many assessment tools for limited-time office visitsprovided by the Alzheimer’s Association. 
• Use Medicare CPT code 99483 for a clinical visit that leads to a comprehensive care plan. Care planning is beneficial because it gives patients and caregivers opportunities to learn about medical and non-medical treatments, clinical trials, and services available in the community. Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives can be reimbursed. Because care planning for people with dementia is an ongoing process, care plans should be updated at least once a year or when disease has progressed. 
• FDOH recommends the Alzheimer’s Association's Cognitive Impairment Care Planning Toolkit. 

Reduce the risk of cognitive decline for all patients, particularly among people of diverse communities, by promoting healthier lifestyles. There are many resources available to you:

• Download resources for your patients and their caregivers from the Alzheimer’s Association.
• Download infographics from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
• Learn why people with Down syndrome are at an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.
  Share fact sheets from Florida SHIP's Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Resource Guide.
• Access the CDC's Healthy Brain Resource Center for up-to-date information and for fact sheets such as the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s.

• Project ECHO connects dementia care experts with health care teams from primary care practices in a free continuing education series of interactive, case-based, video-conferencing sessions.
• EssentiALZ is essential training that meets Florida requirements for long-term and community-based care settings.
• The Alzheimer’s Association website offers continuing education.
• The BRFSS Statistical Brief: Cognitive Decline Optional Module provides guidance for analyzing data collected through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
• The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) can be a source for timely information on Alzheimer’s disease and dementias—the MMWR is a free online subscription.
• The National Palliative Care Research Center offers resources such measurement and evaluation tools.