Long-distance caregivers can check local meals, home care, transportation, training, and respite through the Eldercare Locator, free dementia information through NIA's ADEAR Center, and whether a local Medicare provider participates in the CMS GUIDE Model. The 2026 NIA Dementia Care and Caregiving Summit report recommends no single treatment or single care model, and instead highlights priorities including preserving personhood and involving people with dementia and care partners in planning. A long-distance caregiver lives an hour or more away from a person who needs care. The National Institute on Aging hosted the 2026 Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit virtually March 17-19, 2026 to review progress, highlight promising innovations, and identify remaining unmet needs, according to the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory in its 2026 event listing.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- What the summit report emphasizes
- Who counts as a long-distance caregiver
- Which local supports can you check first
- Does a local provider offer GUIDE services
What the summit report emphasizes
The summit focused on research gaps and priorities rather than a new treatment. That focus helps set expectations for families seeking services from a distance.
Summit findings help inform updates to the NIH Alzheimer's and related dementias Research Implementation Milestones, which feed into the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. Session recordings were posted on the summit website, with a final report plus research gaps and opportunities to follow.
Who counts as a long-distance caregiver
NIA defines a long-distance caregiver as anyone living an hour or more away from a person who needs care. About 7 million U.S.
adults provide such care, according to the NIA booklet in its long-distance caregiving guide. Distance changes the task from daily hands-on help to checking, coordinating, and arranging local support. That makes community checks useful even when the caregiver cannot visit often.
Which local supports can you check first
The Eldercare Locator is a free Administration for Community Living-funded service that connects caregivers to local meals, home care, transportation, caregiver training, and respite. Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
ET at 800-677-1116 and eldercare.acl.gov, according to the Administration for Community Living in its getting started guide. Caregivers can also contact NIA's ADEAR Center and Alzheimers.gov information specialists for free dementia, caregiving, trial, and local-support information in English and Spanish at 800-438-4380 or [email protected]. Use that contact when a diagnosis is new, when behavior changes, or when local referrals need follow-up.
- Ask which nearby agencies provide meals, home care, and transportation
- Ask about caregiver training and respite options near the person
- Confirm hours, eligibility rules, costs, and wait times in writing
Does a local provider offer GUIDE services
A concrete community check is whether a local Medicare provider participates in the CMS 8-year GUIDE Model, launched July 1, 2024 with 390 organizations. GUIDE covers care navigation, round-the-clock access, caregiver education, and respite to help people remain at home, according to CMS in its GUIDE Model page.
GUIDE respite is capped at $2,625 per eligible patient for the performance year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. It is only for moderate or severe dementia with an unpaid caregiver, and residential-care residents and most Medicare Advantage members are excluded.
- Ask the clinic whether it participates in GUIDE
- Ask what care navigation and 24/7 access include in practice
- Ask how caregiver education and respite are arranged
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