HEADS Expert Spotlight: Katherine Ornstein , PhD
The Hopkins Economics of Alzheimer's Disease & Services (HEADS) Center is proud to feature Katherine Ornstein, PhD, the deputy director of the Center's Research and Dissemination Core and director of the Center for Equity in Aging, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
How does your research contribute to the overall goal of the HEADS Center?
I am thrilled to be part of the HEADS community and to work with colleagues and trainees across disciplines who are focused on equity in dementia care. I am passionate about improving access to high-quality care for persons with dementia and their caregivers. A key aspect of this is to understand how persons with dementia live in the community, what medical and other supports they receive in the community, and what barriers they face in receiving the care they want. The COVID-19 pandemic has only further emphasized the critical need to improve access to high-quality home-based care for all persons living with dementia. This work will require close examination of the organization, financing, and delivery of dementia services, which the HEADS community is actively engaged in.
What is a current project you are working on that is related to the HEADS Center? Are there any key impacts or findings you can share?
I am currently working on a project examining home-based care delivery for dementia. We are currently examining the use of skilled home health care in dementia using linked surveys, billing, and assessment data. In addition to seeing that persons with dementia are more often receiving community-based (vs. post acute) care referrals, we are also examining patterns of care delivery, e.g., frequency of physical therapy visits. Skilled home health care is highly prevalent in dementia care and may be an important avenue for supporting patients and caregivers. A better understanding of how it is used in dementia care will be important to determine appropriate payment models as community-based dementia care needs grow.
What have you learned so far from being a part of the HEADS Center?
I have learned how valuable it is to have interdisciplinary research teams. Different perspectives, methods, and expertise are needed to truly improve the care and lives of those affected by dementia.
Just for fun: What do you enjoy outside of work?
I recently moved to Baltimore from New York. I enjoy cycling to work and around Baltimore. It is a fun way to get to know a new city!
Read Ornstein's recent publications "Growth of Fee-for-Service Medicare Home-Based Medical Care Within Private Residences and Domiciliary Care Settings in the U.S., 2012-2019", "Medicare-funded home-based clinical care for community-dwelling persons with dementia: An essential healthcare delivery mechanism", and "Implications of 2020 Skilled Home Healthcare Payment Reform for Persons with Dementia" and a new Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care issue brief "Identifying and Caring for “Invisible” Homebound Older Adults".