Bridging the Gap Between the ED and Home: The Community Paramedic-Led Transitions Intervention for Persons Living With Dementia

More than 6 million persons living with dementia (PLWD) in the United States rely on the emergency department (ED) for unscheduled care, with up to half discharged home after treatment. The ED-to-home transition poses significant challenges for PLWD and their care partners (referred to as “dyads”), contributing to high rates of ED revisits and adverse outcomes. The Community Paramedic-led Transitions Intervention (CPTI) was developed to address these challenges by adapting the validated Care Transitions Intervention for the ED setting. Delivered by trained community paramedics, CPTI is a short-term 30-day program that includes one home visit and up to three follow-up phone calls. Using a coaching model, paramedic coaches work with members of the dyad to strengthen their knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their health and successfully navigate the health care system. CPTI is being implemented as part of Emergency Departments LEading the Transformation of Alzheimer's and Dementia Care (ED-LEAD), a cluster-randomized pragmatic trial testing 3 interventions designed to improve outcomes for PLWD discharged home from the ED across 14 health systems and 79 EDs nationwide. This paper describes the CPTI model as implemented within ED-LEAD, detailing its theoretical foundation, structure, training curriculum, workflow integration, and implementation monitoring. This framework can provide a model for health systems, provider groups, and emergency medical service agencies interested in adopting this innovative approach and implementing the CPTI. Insights from its implementation within ED-LEAD will guide future efforts to improve post-ED outcomes and continuity of care for PLWD and their care partners.