Seniorlink Dementia Care Pilot Demonstrates Improved Clinical Outcomes, Customer Satisfaction, and Cost Savings

BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Seniorlink, Inc., a leading tech-enabled health services company, today shared results of its dementia care program pilot that demonstrated improved outcomes and satisfaction for family caregivers for persons diagnosed with dementia. The results were announced at the Leading Age conference in San Diego, CA. This is an update to previous 6-month data shared in late 2018.

The VOICE (Vital Outcomes Inspired by Caregiver Engagement) dementia care program is a digital coaching solution that partners family caregivers of persons diagnosed with dementia with experienced coaches who use Seniorlink’s proprietary dementia protocols. Coaches used Seniorlink’s care collaboration app, Vela, and the program leveraged established peer reviewed models of care for dementia, behavioral science and proven caregiver engagement techniques.

This successful 12-month pilot program, conducted in Indiana, demonstrated a 56% reduction in ER visits and a 21% reduction of hospitalizations. This analysis was conducted on a pre-program, post-program basis to establish the most accurate comparative baseline. Data also revealed that overall caregiver activation and satisfaction levels increased; the program yielded a 27% increase in caregiver activation, a 37% increase in caregiver knowledge, a 19% increase in caregiver confidence and an 80% improvement in caregiver satisfaction.

“Family caregivers, once engaged, value the partnership with our coaches,” said William McIvor, EVP and Chief Growth Officer, Seniorlink. “Caregivers use our guidance to take the best possible care of those they love, and the healthcare system benefits from their proactivity in minimizing, or eliminating, predictable, preventable complications associated with dementia. Our work has shown that when you leverage proven care protocols you can increase caregiver confidence, engage them as partners in care management, and have a profound impact on outcomes and cost savings for our healthcare system.”

The pilot focused on four key areas of coaching support: understanding dementia, communication skills, caregiver self-care, and managing dementia patient behaviors that can be challenging.

The goals of the program included increasing caregiver engagement; improving key caregiver outcome measures such as knowledge, confidence, and attitude; and improving patient outcomes such as reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

Program results were shared at the Leading Age Conference by Katherine Tardiff, Vice President of Clinical Services at Seniorlink.  Tardiff participated in the session From Policy to Practice: Transforming Quality Dementia Care with Lakelyn Hogan, Gerontologist and Caregiver Advocate, Home Instead Senior Care; Sam Fazio, Senior Director of Quality Care & Psychological Research, Alzheimer’s Association; and Douglas Pace, Director, Mission Partnerships, Alzheimer’s Association.

To learn more about Seniorlink visit 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.

SOURCE Seniorlink