A new, no-cost Medicare pilot program is available in South Florida for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.

The Medicare GUIDE program acknowledges the significant toll of caring for someone with dementia and offers free support to their caregivers.

Sidney Chugani, president of Right at Home Dania Beach, assists local families in enrolling in the GUIDE program. Once enrolled, an unpaid caregiver such as a family member can request relief on a part-time basis, ask for help finding a support group, or tap into a 24/7 support line. The caregiver can also access training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one with dementia. Through this program, an individual with dementia will get assigned a Care Navigator to help them access medical services and supports, such as meals and transportation.

“It’s about time Medicare recognized this need,” Chugani said. “It’s a growing problem and it’s going to keep on growing.”

The government launched the program to reduce Medicare and Medicaid expenditures by helping people with dementia remain at home and minimizing their hospitalization, emergency department use, and long-term nursing home care.

Chugani said someone with dementia cannot be left alone, and through the GUIDE program, a caregiver can ask for four hours of relief at a time from duties.

“Hopefully, as the government realizes how meaningful this is, they will increase the number of hours,” he said.

The challenges of managing health care, providing constant support, and dealing with the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia can present a significant mental, physical, emotional, and financial burden for caregivers. People with dementia often have multiple chronic conditions.

On its website, CMS says, “when used over time, respite services have been found to help unpaid caregivers continue to care for their loved one at home, preventing or delaying the need for facility care.”

To qualify, an individual must have a confirmed diagnosis of dementia and be enrolled in traditional Medicare, not a Medicare Advantage Plan. The dementia patient cannot be in hospice or a living in a nursing home.

Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.