Seniorlink to Collaborate with the RAND Corporation to Study the Integration of Family Caregivers Into Patient Care

BOSTON, Nov. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Seniorlink, Inc., a leading tech-enabled health services company, formed a collaboration with the RAND Corporation (www.rand.org) to conduct a research study and write a white paper discussing how to more effectively integrate family caregivers into patient care teams.

The goal of the research is to identify a framework that will formalize the role of family and friends who care for loved ones at home, and who allow these patients to remain in their communities instead of in more expensive care facilities. The study, which is part of a new RAND Caregiving Initiative, will also identify opportunities to scale existing efforts to integrate family caregivers into care teams by providing recommendations in three critical areas: policy, financial alignment, and technology.

“We are honored to collaborate on this study with the RAND Corporation, the world’s most trusted source for policy research and analysis,” said Thomas Riley, President and CEO of Seniorlink. “There are currently more than 44 million people in the U.S. providing direct care and support to loved ones, and that number will only grow as our population ages. Our shared goal must be better care at a lower cost, and to achieve this, family caregivers are central to the solution.”

The importance of family caregivers is receiving national recognition. Last year, the RAISE (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) Act was adopted, requiring a national strategy to support family caregivers. In addition, 42 U.S. states and territories have signed the CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act into law. Medicare Advantage plans have also begun to include coverage for non-skilled in-home supports and family caregiver support services such as respite care. This growing support for family caregivers necessitates careful research to ensure that effective protocols are implemented.

Seniorlink supports family caregivers with solutions that combine human touch and technology. The company leverages clinical care teams and evidence-based protocols with the support of Vela, Seniorlink’s secure mobile app, which promotes collaboration and engagement that’s been proven to improve outcomes and reduce the overall cost of care. 

More information about Seniorlink can be found at www.seniorlink.com. 

About Seniorlink
Seniorlink is a tech-enabled health services company focused on helping to keep care in the home, where family caregivers play a pivotal role. Our solutions combine proprietary collaboration technology, evidence-based clinical protocols, and the human touch of dedicated care teams who work in partnership with family caregivers to meaningfully lower costs and improve consumer engagement and satisfaction for risk-bearing provider and payer organizations.