PocketRN Brings No Cost “Virtual Nurse for Life” to Dementia Patients and Caregivers Under New 8-Year CMS GUIDE Model

 PocketRN, a leading provider of virtual nursing care, today announced its acceptance as a participant in the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center. The CMS GUIDE Model is a groundbreaking initiative designed to enhance the quality of life for individuals with dementia and alleviate the burden on their caregivers.

As a GUIDE participant, PocketRN’s innovative “Virtual Nurse for Life” approach will allow dementia patients and caregivers to be specialty-matched to nurses, who become trusted companions that establish a profound and lifelong relationship with patients and families. PocketRN nurses also encourage openness to better understand individualized challenges, and serve as continuous sources of education, coaching, monitoring, emotional support, and a 24/7 lifeline. Under the GUIDE Model, PocketRN will be available at no cost to eligible members, with $0 copays.

The anticipated outcomes of the GUIDE Model include increased caregiver empowerment and a reduction in Medicare and Medicaid expenditures–primarily achieved by preventing or delaying long-term nursing home stays. Additionally, the program aims to bring about a secondary reduction in hospital, emergency department, and post-acute care utilization. These outcomes closely align with the work that PocketRN is already doing and its mission to close the gap between home and healthcare.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring our revolutionary nurse-led care model to the millions of dementia patients and families who need it most,” said CEO Jenna Morgenstern-Gaines. “With PocketRN, patients and families get unwavering support from a ‘virtual nurse for life’ as they navigate the complexities of managing dementia at NO cost to them. Nurses are hands-down the best clinicians to be the ‘glue’ to dementia patients and families throughout their journey–they’ve been doing so forever, and it’s high-time their work is valued by our system.”

PocketRN’s Head of Innovation, Samuel Thomas, also expressed, “Ultimately, this is a way to provide more equitable, accessible care to a vast population of dementia patients and families that we’re already serving and haven’t been able to serve yet because of existing reimbursement frameworks. It’s an incredible opportunity to bring about positive change and enhance the lives of those who truly need more support, in the most cost-effective and highest-quality way.”

PocketRN will utilize its national network of expert nurses to dramatically expand access for dementia patients and families who otherwise may go without care. Its participation in the GUIDE Model will span eight years, with a one-year pre-implementation period for program development, community engagement, and infrastructure scaling before rolling out with a cohort of initial partners. Providers who are interested in partnering with PocketRN so their patients and families can get high quality, personalized dementia care at no cost can contact nancy.gillette@pocketrn.com.

About PocketRN
PocketRN gives patients, families, and caregivers a “virtual nurse for life.” Its mission is to close the gap between home and healthcare by: enabling nurses to care proactively and continuously at the top-of-their-license, enabling caregivers with peace of mind and the confidence to support others, and enabling patients to access whole-person, trusted, empathetic care when and where they want it. PocketRN is the glue that holds together fragmented experiences in care so that partners, clinicians, patients, and families get back more of what they need: quality time. For more information, visit www.pocketrn.com or engage with PocketRN on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.