Many policymakers, health care and insurance executives, and consumer advocates argue that better integrating medical care with long-term supports and services (LTSS) can both save money and improve the well-being of frail elders and younger people with disabilities. It seems logical, and there is some tantalizing evidence that it is true. Unfortunately, health care is filled with ideas that sound [...]
What if you could be admitted to the hospital—in your own bedroom? That’s the idea of a health care model called Hospital at Home, which is aimed at elderly patients with diseases such as congestive heart failure, emphysema, urinary tract infections, or pneumonia. According to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs, people receiving this care through the [...]
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a panel on end-of-life care jointly sponsored the Charles E. Smith Life Communities in Rockville MD, Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD,, and Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. The session was part of a day-long program on care transitions and highlighted the special importance of caring for the dying. My fellow panelists and I brought a wide [...]