OLD LYME, Connecticut—Purple Flag for Dementia Care, an accreditation program aiming to improve the quality of dementia care services, announced its excellence in dementia care program is set to expand into three additional care areas: traditional assisted living, homecare and hospice care. As a result of the expansions, the company released four new purple flags to recognize the program, which intends to recognize and accredit care settings with dedicated memory care units.
“We recognized that these three additional settings and provider types also serve those living with dementia, cognitive decline and memory loss,” said Christopher Carter, CEO of the excellence in dementia care programs at Purple Flag for Dementia Care and president of the Connecticut Assisted Living Association. “Current Purple Flag providers who understand the benefits of the program and who also provide services in the expanded areas helped us understand how our standards of excellence in dementia care can benefit more people through these additional settings.”
The organization said the program expansions intend to bring its standards of dementia care to more providers and, in turn, benefit more individuals who are living with dementia, memory loss and cognitive decline.
Purple Flag accreditation requires communities and organizations to meet quality of life and care standards. Currently, the organization has 10 best practice program standards that care providers must meet in order to become a Purple Flag excellence in dementia care-accredited organization. The program aims to provide necessary tools and trainings that help enhance patients’ lives through best-practice performance advancement approaches. As a result, the organization seeks to build a provider network that works together to establish a standard for excellence in dementia care.
The organizations said its accreditation program has seen significant growth since its inception in 2019, with more than 32 purple flags flying in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Additionally, the organization intends to expand its footprint into Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia through an upcoming collaboration with LifeSpan Network, a senior care provider association in the Mid-Atlantic.