The Home-Based Care Industry is Expected to Grow More than 70 Percent in the Next Three Years
Tracey Moorhead, President & CEO, ElevatingHome
(Washington, DC, Thursday, September 28, 2017) – Eighty-seven percent of America’s seniors say they want to stay in their own home as they age and would prefer to receive medical care at home when possible, but the current health care delivery system in America drives patients to receive care in hospitals or skilled nursing facilities. Meanwhile, 10,000 people in the United States turn 65 every day, and as a result, the home-based care industry is expected to grow more than 70 percent in the next three years – from approximately $80 billion today to $137 billion by 2020.
When Congress takes up budget negotiations again, proposed cuts to Medicaid will likely be at the center of the debate. These cuts could have a devastating effect on people who rely on – and prefer – home health care to help them do everything from managing their medications to controlling their chronic conditions and keeping them out of the hospital.
Tracey Moorhead is President & CEO of ElevatingHome, a new nonprofit organization that brings together America’s home-based care providers to advocate for high-quality, home-based care. She explains why it’s important to have a larger conversation about home-based care.
SOUNDBITE #1:
HOME-BASED HEALTH CARE DELIVERS THE CARE PEOPLE NEED, IN THEIR OWN HOMES, IN FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS – AND WE’RE OFTEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE BETTER OUTCOMES AND LOWER COSTS AS COMPARED TO INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS. THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS IS ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE FROM FIFTEEN MILLION IN TWENTY-THIRTEEN TO TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION IN TWENTY-FIFTY.
SOUNDBITE #2:
HOME-BASED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS DELIVER PERSONALIZED CARE TO PATIENTS OF ALL AGES AND HEALTH STATUS. THESE SERVICES RANGE FROM WELLNESS VISITS AND CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO PALLIATIVE, ADVANCED ILLNESS AND HOSPICE CARE. MEDICAID CUTS WOULD PUT THESE SERVICES IN SIGNIFICANT JEOPARDY FOR THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO RELY UPON THEM.
For more information, visit www.elevatinghome.org.