Your loved one has dementia. Help is here. Medicare may cover it.
Age Well Care is an approved GUIDE Model partner. Eligible Medicare families may receive comprehensive dementia care coordination and caregiver support — at no out-of-pocket cost.
6.7M
Americans living with dementia
Support is available — most families never find it
What the GUIDE program covers
$2,500
In respite care — every year
Respite care is time away from caregiving — fully funded by Medicare for eligible families enrolled in the GUIDE program. Up to $2,500 per year, available as in-home care or adult day care services, so the people who love and care for someone with dementia can rest, recover, and show up fully.
Most families never know this exists. Fewer still know how to access it. Age Well Care does.
Source: CMS GUIDE Model Request for Applications — annual respite services cap per enrolled beneficiary. Available to eligible Original Medicare beneficiaries with a confirmed dementia diagnosis.
"Caregiver burnout is one of the most predictable —
and preventable — parts of this journey.
Respite isn't a luxury. It is care."
What $2,500 in respite actually means
- 65+ hours of in-home respite care — a trained caregiver in the home while you step away, sleep, or simply breathe
- Weeks of adult day care — structured, social, and safe time outside the home for your loved one
- A real break — not a guilty hour away, but planned, supported time that your family can count on every single month
- Covered in full — not reimbursed later, not means-tested. Available through Original Medicare for eligible enrolled families
What is GUIDE?
A Medicare program designed to keep your loved one home, longer.
The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model is a federal initiative launched July 2024 that funds comprehensive dementia care for eligible Medicare beneficiaries — and meaningful support for the families who love them. Age Well Care is one of a small number of approved partners serving Santa Barbara County.
Launched July 2024 — an 8-year federal program running through 2032
No out-of-pocket cost — fully covered by Medicare for eligible beneficiaries
Caregiver support included — education, training, and respite services
Federal eligibility criteria — CMS GUIDE Model
Confirmed dementia diagnosis by a qualified clinician
Enrolled in Original Medicare Parts A & B — not Medicare Advantage
Medicare is primary payer (dual-eligible Medi-Cal is accepted)
Has not elected the Medicare hospice benefit
Community-dwelling — not a permanent nursing home resident
Not sure if your loved one qualifies? The eligibility check below takes 90 seconds.
What Age Well Care provides
Comprehensive support — for them and for you.
As a GUIDE-approved partner, Age Well Care delivers the full range of services covered under the model.
Dedicated Care Navigator
Your family is paired with a navigator who guides you through every stage — care access, resources, and coordination — so you never have to figure it out alone.
Personalized dementia care plan
A comprehensive care plan built around your loved one's goals, preferences, and needs — reviewed and updated as their condition evolves.
Caregiver education & support
Evidence-based training, one-on-one support calls, and connection to local and national dementia resources — designed to reduce family burden.
Respite care coordination
Access to in-home and adult day care respite services — up to $2,500 per year, covered under GUIDE — so you can rest and recharge.
24/7 care access line
Round-the-clock access to your care team for urgent questions, concerns, or changes in condition. You are never without support.
Community resource connections
Connections to Santa Barbara-area services — transportation, meals, social programs — tailored to your family's specific situation.
"We didn't know any of this existed. Age Well Care made one call and our whole situation changed."
— Daughter of a client, Santa Barbara
Who will contact you
A real person. Not a process.
When you submit the eligibility form, a Care Navigator from Age Well Care will reach out — not a call center, not an automated response. A person who understands dementia, knows Santa Barbara County's resources, and will take the time to understand your family's specific situation before recommending anything.
There is no script. There is no pitch. Just a genuine conversation about what's available and whether it's right for you.
Care Navigator
Age Well Care — Santa Barbara County
"My job is to make sure your family doesn't have to navigate this alone."
Responds within one business day · Available by phone or email · Serving Santa Barbara · Goleta · Montecito · Carpinteria · Santa Ynez · Solvang · Los Olivos · Camarillo · Thousand Oaks · Westlake Village · Newbury Park · Agoura Hills · Calabasas · Ventura · Oxnard · Ojai · Hope Ranch · Summerland
The process
From this form to care — four steps.
01
Check eligibility
Answer five questions based on the federal GUIDE criteria. Takes 90 seconds. We review your answers and route you to the right next step.
02
Meet your navigator
A Care Navigator from Age Well Care contacts you within one business day to confirm eligibility with Medicare and introduce themselves to your family.
03
Complete the assessment
A comprehensive in-home assessment confirms dementia stage, caregiver needs, and builds the foundation of your personalized care plan.
04
Care begins
Once enrolled, your family receives the full suite of GUIDE services — including up to $2,500 in annual respite care — at no cost through Original Medicare.
Eligibility check
Let us figure out what's available for your family.
Answer five questions. We review your answers against the federal GUIDE criteria and a Care Navigator reaches out within one business day — no phone call required to get started.
No phone call required to start. This form checks eligibility against the federal GUIDE criteria. A Care Navigator follows up by email or phone — whichever you prefer. No obligation. No pressure.
Prefer to talk? Call 805-900-0829
Eligible families access up to $2,500 in annual respite care — fully covered by Medicare.
Has your loved one been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease?
A formal diagnosis confirmed by a physician is required under the federal GUIDE program. This includes Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and other dementia types.
Still have questions? We're here.
Our Care Navigators understand how overwhelming this time can be. Reach out — there is no obligation, no pressure, just a conversation about what's possible for your family.
Call or text us805-900-0829 · agewell.care · Serving Montecito · Santa Barbara · Goleta · Santa Ynez · Solvang