Transforming a System of Care
The U.S. healthcare system is changing—especially when it comes to caring for older adults. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed how vulnerable our aging population is, and how unprepared many parts of the system remain. Overstressed nursing homes, overworked primary care physicians, and a lack of accessible resources for dementia care remain persistent challenges.
But there’s hope. New technologies, treatments, and care models are reshaping what aging and diagnosis can look like. The question now is: How do we deliver these advances to the people that need them most?
In this episode of the Age of Aging, we explore the evolving landscape of elder care in the U.S.
We start with Dr. PJ Brennan, the Chief Medical Officer of Penn Medicine who discusses the challenges the U.S. healthcare system is currently facing with its elder population. Then Dr. Kyra O’brien explains why the new anti-amyloid therapies, lecanemab and donanemab, might help more people get diagnosed and allow clinics like the Penn Memory Center to expand their resources. Finally, Dr. O’Brien dives into the new federal program “GUIDE,” which aims to reshape dementia care across the country.
Resources
This week’s Beautiful Question: What is something that you could teach someone? Leave us a message at (571) 449-6474.
Listen to our episode on anti-amyloid therapies, “In Sickness and in Health”
Read more about anti-amyloid therapies
More information about GUIDE at Penn Medicine
Penn GUIDE interest form
General information on GUIDE (cms.gov)