The JAMA Forum: Long-Term Care: Investing in Models That Work
The JAMA Forum's article on long-term care models discusses programs that keep older adults in their own homes including the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
The piece focuses on programs that help older adults and those who are disabled remain in their homes and out of long-term care facilities. "With the average annual cost of a private room in a nursing home now more than $100,000, keeping people in their own homes and communities could dramatically reduce federal Medicaid spending." Barriers to the implementation of models are identified and addressed in detail.
"Peter Fitzgerald [a John A. Hartford Foundation grantee] has a theory as to why we haven’t scaled up effective programs such as PACE: “We got so taken with the idea that we needed something new that we didn’t look at what has worked.” But this is changing, he adds, as caring for the boomer generation becomes a reality."
As the author points out, "....sometimes investing in programs that work well can reduce spending while improving the health and well-being of people."
To read the article, click here.
