Improving access to dementia care community resources in the Pacific island of Guam

Abstract

The island of Guam is a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific with a population of approximately 174,000. Most persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in Guam live at home with their family. This is due, in part, to Guam’s indigenous Chamorro culture, which emphasizes the importance of caring for the manåmko’ (elderly), but also to the limited availability of residential care facilities for older adults. In fact, Guam currently has no nursing homes or assisted living facilities that specialize in care for persons living with ADRD. This places a heavy burden on Guam’s families. Fortunately, Guam has an impressive array of community‐based resources to support persons living with dementia and their family caregivers. However, many members of the community are not aware of these services or do not know how to access them. To improve access to Guam’s dementia care support services, a series of education outreach presentations were provided to the community through an online support group for family caregivers of persons with dementia held weekly on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The presentations were conducted by elder care specialists from local government agencies and private healthcare organizations. A wide range of services were covered including: (1) adult day care services; (2) transportation services; (3) congregate and home‐delivered meals; (4) adult protective services; (5) case management services; (6) in‐home services; (7) home health services; (8) long‐term residential care for non‐ambulatory older adults; (9) government health insurance programs for older adults including Medicaid and Guam’s Medically Indigent Program; and (10) legal services for older adults, including guardianship, powers of attorney, wills, living wills, and advance healthcare directives. Each presentation provided guidance on eligibility criteria and application procedures, as well as contact information for key personnel. Program outcomes indicate the following: (1) all sessions were well attended; (2) participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive; and (3) a significant number of participants followed through with applying for dementia care services. In sum, education outreach presentations conducted online can serve as an effective means to improve access to community resources for persons living with ADRD and their family caregivers.

Full text

DOI: 10.1002/alz.086370
DEMENTIA CARE PRACTICE
POSTER PRESENTATION
DEMENTIA CARE PRACTICE
Improving access to dementia care community resources in the
Pacific island of Guam
Iain K. B. Twaddle Nikolas Jude Gutierrez Maree Josephine Saloma
Camille Minerva Maestrecampo
University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam
Correspondence
Iain K. B. Twaddle, University of Guam,
Mangilao, Guam.
Email: psychology@triton.uog.edu
Abstract
The island of Guam is a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific with a population of
approximately 174,000. Most persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
(ADRD) in Guam live at home with their family. This is due, in part, to Guam’s indigenous
Chamorro culture, which emphasizes the importance of caring for the manåmko’
(elderly), but also to the limited availability of residential care facilities for older adults.
In fact, Guam currently has no nursing homes or assisted living facilities that specialize
in care for persons living with ADRD. This places a heavy burden on Guam’s families.
Fortunately, Guam has an impressive array of community-based resources to support
persons living with dementia and their family caregivers. However, many members of
the community are not aware of these services or do not know how to access them.
To improve access to Guam’s dementia care support services, a series of education
outreach presentations were provided to the community through an online support
group for family caregivers of persons with dementia held weekly on Wednesday
evenings and Saturday mornings. The presentations were conducted by elder care
specialists from local government agencies and private healthcare organizations.
A wide range of services were covered including: (1) adult day care services; (2)
transportation services; (3) congregate and home-delivered meals; (4) adult protective
services; (5) case management services; (6) in-home services; (7) home health services;
(8) long-term residential care for non-ambulatory older adults; (9) government health
insurance programs for older adults including Medicaid and Guam’s Medically Indigent
Program; and (10) legal services for older adults, including guardianship, powers
of attorney, wills, living wills, and advance healthcare directives. Each presentation
provided guidance on eligibility criteria and application procedures, as well as contact
information for key personnel. Program outcomes indicate the following: (1) all
sessions were well attended; (2) participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive;
and (3) a significant number of participants followed through with applying for
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the original work is properly cited.
© 2024 The Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer’s Association.
Alzheimer’s Dement. 2024;20(Suppl. 5):e086370. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/alz 1of2
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.086370

2of2 DEMENTIA CARE PRACTICE
dementia care services. In sum, education outreach presentations conducted online
can serve as an effective means to improve access to community resources for persons
living with ADRD and their family caregivers.