The FPST will continue and build upon their comprehensive model of care for dementia patients within the tribal community.FPST's initiative for addressing dementia will be shared with AI/AN Tribes. - The Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe endeavors to continue their comprehensive model of care for dementia patients. Because of the intended impact on community health, the Fallon Tribal Health Center (FTHC) will manage the Addressing Dementia in Indian Country program. FTHC patients are members of local tribes and come from Fallon and the surrounding areas. In 2024, FTHC staff logged more than 10,000 medical appointments. FTHC provides comprehensive health care, including senior services. However, as FTHC’s population ages, patient care plans require more coordination, particularly for those experiencing dementia. Program activities will include continuing to assess the prevalence of dementia within FTHC’s service area, mapping available services to identify gaps in care and implementing a model of care that is culturally relevant and community based. A Dementia Care Steering Committee, consisting of leadership from Tribal Health Organizations,has been established to ensure the model of care includes multi-disciplinary input and execution. Tribal Health Organizations will include the health center, senior center, wellness center and behavioral health services. Program efforts will also include improving the standard of care for Dementia patients and their caregivers. As the model of care is developed and activities progress, program evaluation will be based on the number of patients screened for dementia, services received from FTHC and multiple other organizations, assigned to the Dementia Care Specialist, home safety evaluations, new Medicare enrollees and emergent care volume compared with data from before and after program implementation. The health center’s electronic health record system (EHR) will serve as the data repository – all organizations will enter program data directly into the EHR, so reporting will be accurate and consistent. The structure of FPST’s Addressing Dementia initiative will be shared with other American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes to proliferate its use and success.
