Carrie L. Graham

From Hospital to Home: Assessing the Transitional Care Needs of Vulnerable Seniors

PURPOSE This qualitative study assessed the needs of patients and caregivers during the transition from hospital to home. We specifically identified unmet needs of ethnic minorities, recent immigrants, and seniors with limited English proficiency (LEP). Findings are translated into recommendations for improving services to these groups during health care transitions. DESIGN AND METHODS This needs assessment included extensive analysis of qualitative data collected from 20 language-, culture-, and ethnic-specific focus groups with caregivers who recently assisted a senior after a hospital discharge. Findings from these focus groups were supplemented by 5 in-depth, longitudinal case studies of recently hospitalized seniors and their caregivers. RESULTS Inadequate information and training at discharge were themes that spanned all groups, despite ethnicity or language. Additional unmet needs were identified for ethnic minorities, those with LEP, and recent immigrants, including lower levels of social support than might be expected, lack of linguistically appropriate information and services, and cultural and financial barriers to using long-term care services. IMPLICATIONS As ethnic diversity increases among older Americans, it will become increasingly important to design health care services to meet the needs of diverse groups. Recommendations include assessments of informal care, bilingual information and services, partnerships with community agencies providing culturally competent services, and expansion of home- and community-based services to near-poor seniors.

Participatory Design of Mass Health Communication in Three Languages for Seniors and People With Disabilities on Medicaid

OBJECTIVES We used participatory design methods to develop and test guidebooks about health care choices intended for 600 000 English-, Spanish-, and Chinese-speaking seniors and people with disabilities receiving Medicaid in California. METHODS Design and testing processes were conducted with consumers and professionals; they included 24 advisory group interviews, 36 usability tests, 18 focus groups (105 participants), 51 key informant interviews, guidebook readability and suitability testing, linguistic adaptation, and iterative revisions of 4 prototypes. RESULTS Participatory design processes identified preferences of intended audiences for guidebook content, linguistic adaptation, and format; guidebook readability was scored at the sixth- to eighth-grade level and suitability at 95%. These findings informed the design of a separate efficacy study that showed high guidebook usage and satisfaction, and better gains in knowledge, confidence, and intended behaviors among intervention participants than among control participants. CONCLUSIONS Participatory design can be used effectively in mass communication to inform vulnerable audiences of health care choices. The techniques described can be adapted for a broad range of health communication interventions.

Does the Village Model Help to Foster Age-Friendly Communities?

This article explores the potential role of the Village model, a social initiative that emphasizes member involvement and service access, in helping communities to become more age-friendly. A survey of 86.3% of operational Villages examined activities designed to help members access a variety of supports and services consistent with the World Health Organizations (WHO) Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities program model, as well as other potential contributions to community age friendliness. Analysis revealed that 85.5% of Villages provided assistance with at least six of the eight WHO domains, but only 10.1% implemented features of all eight; more than one-third were engaged in direct or indirect efforts to improve community physical or social infrastructures or improve community attitudes toward older persons. These findings suggest that Villages and other social organizations may have untapped potential for enhancing their members’ ability to age in place consistent with the goals of age-friendly initiatives while also promoting constructive changes in the overall community.

The Impact of the “Village” Model on Health, Well-Being, Service Access, and Social Engagement of Older Adults

Background. Villages represent an emerging consumer-driven social support model that aims to enhance the social engagement, independence, and well-being of community-dwelling seniors through a combination of social activities, volunteer opportunities, service referral, and direct assistance. This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of Village membership on factors associated with the likelihood of aging in place. Additionally, the research examines the characteristics and service use of members who benefit the most. Method. Perceived impacts of Village membership in the areas of social engagement, service access, health and well-being, and self-efficacy for maintaining independence were assessed through a survey of 282 active Village members from five sites in California. Bivariate and multivariate analyses examined associations between member characteristics, volunteerism, service use, and self-reported impacts. Results. Villages have the strongest impact in the area of promoting social engagement and facilitating access to services. Three quarters of the participants report that the Village increases their ability to age in place. Positive impacts were associated with level of Village involvement, but less likely among members who had worse self-reported health. Conclusion. Villages represent a promising new model designed to support community-dwelling seniors with a number of positive impacts that may reduce social isolation, improve well-being, and increase confidence aging in place. Villages appear to have the greatest benefit for members who are most involved and fewer positive impacts for members in poor health, prompting questions about the long-term effectiveness of the Village model in helping more frail seniors to age in place.

Nursing home transition: providing assistance to caregivers in transition program.

Transition from a skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation center to the community can be fragmented and insufficiently case managed, resulting in inadequate care recommendations, patient-caregiver distress, a delay in discharge, and a higher risk of nursing home readmission. The Providing Assistance to Caregivers in Transition (PACT) program is an interdisciplinary case management program designed to enhance nursing home discharge planning and case management support for the transitional period following a return to the community. During the PACT programs initial 24 months of operation, 38 of 42 opened cases were assisted in a discharge to the community. Of these, 30 remained at home for at least 6 months, 5 were readmitted within 6 months, and 3 others died. Caregivers reported satisfaction with instrumental (e.g., information about care options, facilitation of referrals to services) and emotional support. Nursing home cooperation was mixed. More work is needed to develop a broader referral base for the program.

An Integrated Model of Co-ordinated Community-Based Care

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Co-ordinated approaches to community-based care are a central component of current and proposed efforts to help vulnerable older adults obtain needed services and supports and reduce unnecessary use of health care resources. DESIGN AND METHODS This study examines ElderHelp Concierge Club, an integrated community-based care model that includes comprehensive personal and environmental assessment, multilevel care co-ordination, a mix of professional and volunteer service providers, and a capitated, income-adjusted fee model. Evaluation includes a retrospective study (n = 96) of service use and perceived program impact, and a prospective study (n = 21) of changes in participant physical and social well-being and health services utilization. RESULTS Over the period of this study, participants showed greater mobility, greater ability to meet household needs, greater access to health care, reduced social isolation, reduced home hazards, fewer falls, and greater perceived ability to obtain assistance needed to age in place. IMPLICATIONS This study provides preliminary evidence that an integrated multilevel care co-ordination approach may be an effective and efficient model for serving vulnerable community-based elders, especially low and moderate-income elders who otherwise could not afford the cost of care. The findings suggest the need for multisite controlled studies to more rigorously evaluate program impacts and the optimal mix of various program components.

Seniors' and People with Disabilities' Experiences with Mandatory Medicaid Managed Care in California: Populations to Target for Additional Support during Transitions

Abstract:With more states moving people with disabilities and complex care needs into managed care, it is important to target beneficiaries for additional anticipated support before specific needs arise. In a survey of 1,521 seniors and people with disabilities in California who moved into Medicaid managed care six-16 months previously, the majority reported neutral or positive experiences with managed care continuity, access, and quality, compared with fee-for-service. Beneficiaries most likely to have negative experiences included those with poor self-rated health, functional impairment, cognitive impairment, frequent ED visits, and claims for back / osteoarthritis and cancer. Those with no specialty visits and those who had been continuously enrolled in Medicaid longer term before the transition also were more likely to report negative experiences. These populations can be targeted for assistance by health plans and Medicaid agencies. More specialty visits and longer time in Medicaid managed care also seems to improve beneficiaries’ experiences.

Do Villages Promote Aging in Place? Results of a Longitudinal Study

Villages are a new, grassroots, consumer-directed model that aims to promote aging in place and prevent unwanted relocations for older adults. In exchange for a yearly membership fee, Villages provide seniors with opportunities for social engagement (social events and classes), civic engagement (member-to-member volunteer opportunities), and an array of support services. In total, 222 Village members were surveyed at intake and 12-month follow-up to examine changes in their confidence aging in place, social connectedness, and health. The strongest positive results were in the domain of confidence, including significantly greater confidence aging in place, perceived social support, and less intention to relocate after 1 year in the Village. As most seniors were in good health and well connected at the time they joined the Village, there were not improvements in health or social connectedness. Authors discuss the importance of longer term, longitudinal studies to examine the effectiveness of Villages in preventing institutionalization over time.

Assessing the Quality of Nursing Homes in Managed Care Organizations: Integrating LTSS for Dually Eligible Beneficiaries

Little is known about the quality of nursing homes in managed care organizations (MCOs) networks. This study (1) described decision-making criteria for selecting nursing home networks and (2) compared selected quality indicators of network and nonnetwork nursing homes. The sample was 17 MCOs participating in a California demonstration that provided integrated long-term services and supports to dually eligible enrollees in 2017. The findings showed that the MCOs established a broad network of nursing homes, with only limited attention to using quality criteria. Network nursing homes (602) scored significantly lower on 6 selected quality measures than nonnetwork (117) nursing homes. Low registered nurse and total nurse staffing were strong predictors of network nursing homes controlling for facility characteristics. Managed care organizations should consider greater transparency about the quality of their nursing homes and use specific quality criteria to improve the quality of their networks.

Impact of the Village Model: Results of a National Survey

ABSTRACT Villages are a relatively new, consumer-directed model that brings together older adults in a community who have a mutual interest in aging in place. These membership organizations provide social and civic engagement opportunities, volunteer provided support services, and referral to vetted community providers to achieve their primary goals of promoting independence and preventing undesired relocations. This cross sectional survey of 1,753 active Village members from 28 Villages across the US measured members’ perceived impacts in the areas of social connection, civic engagement, service access, health and well-being, and ability to age in place. Results showed that involvement in the Village was a key factor associated with greater perceived impacts. Over half of members perceive that the Village has improved their sense of connection to others and their feeling that they have someone to count on. Though younger members in better health were more likely to perceive impacts in social connections, results suggest older women, living alone with some disability may be the most likely to experience improved health, quality of life, and mobility. The implications for social work practice are discussed.