A strategic response to the challenges presented by older patients with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

Clinical dementia has become one of the most serious and persistent health problems affecting persons over the age of 65. Efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia are ongoing, while healthcare executives continue to face a number of challenges. Access to targeted programs and services for persons with dementia is lacking. The costs of program development and service delivery are substantial. Persons with dementia who do use services often do not receive the most effective and efficient care, and their providers often do not receive sufficient payment. Because few examples exist of how healthcare executives can appropriately respond to these challenges, we created an operational planning strategy. This strategy defines the challenges presented by persons with dementia, identifies four viable responses, and describes two factors that will contribute to successful implementation of these responses. If healthcare executives begin planning now, then the challenges presented by one of the more serious health problems of the next 20 years can be mitigated.