Study on Home-Based Care Program Found to Reduce Disability And Promote Aging In Place
In a study published in Health Affairs, Foundation grantees and co-authors, Dr. Sarah Szanton, Dr. Bruce Leff, Dr. Jennifer Wolff (a Health and Aging Policy Fellow), and Dr. Laura Gitlin found that 75 percent of participants had improved their performance of activities of daily living through participation in the Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program. Dr. Szanton is the creator and lead investigator of the CAPABLE program, which is funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and aims to reduce the impact of disability among low-income older adults by addressing individual capacities and the home environment. The article was also co-authored by Laken Roberts.
The long-term effects of CAPABLE are still being studied by the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
Though the cost savings are unknown, Dr. Szanton said it isn’t hard to see how CAPABLE could save money in the long run. The program cost around $3,000 per participant, but according to federal data, a semi-private room in a nursing home costs an average of $6,235 per month.
To read more, head over to the Foundation's Health Agenda blog for Dr. Terry Fulmer's post. To read the full article on the study, head over to Health Affairs. This study was also featured in Kaiser Health News.
