Medical foster homes for helping veterans and other ailing adults

Rachel Richards, Seniorlink’s Vice President of Government Relations, was featured in U.S. News & World Report today. In the article, Richards explains the benefits of adult foster care programs and how each state has a unique program. 

Via U.S. News & World Report:

“We’re meeting the family caregiver where they’re at,” Richards says. “They’ve been doing it informally. Now we’re going to formalize it and provide them with some structured education and oversight. It’s really about being motivated. We try to be sure they’re doing it for the right reasons. And then we’ll come in and provide support to that caregiver, both with professional services, nurses and case managers, and financial support. So they will be paid a stipend to provide caregiving.”

Programs begin with an in-home visit to assess needs of both the recipient and caregiver and formulate a plan of care. The program maintains regular contact with follow-up visits and ongoing caregiver coaching.

“We want them to understand how to reconcile medications,” Richards says. “We want them to understand how to transfer somebody from bed to out of bed. We want them to be able to assess for fall risks. We want them to know when they need to call the doctor.”

To read the full article, click here!