ORLANDO, Fla. & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new study of nearly 9,000 adults by LeadingAge and The Lewin Group released today at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific meeting finds that the availability of an on-site service coordinator (such as a social worker) at federally subsidized senior housing reduced hospital admissions among residents by 18 percent.
Service coordinators connect residents of affordable senior housing with community-based resources and services, such as transportation, nutrition counseling and wellness programs designed to help them remain healthy and independent. Approximately 40% of subsidized senior housing properties have on-site service coordinators.
“Today’s study highlights the critical role of senior housing as a platform for health and other services that can reduce health care utilization and potentially improve health outcomes and reduce Medicare spending for senior residents,” said Alisha Sanders, Senior Policy Research Associate, LeadingAge Center for Applied Research, who presented the research at today’s conference. “The size of the senior housing population, and the health challenges that these residents face, suggest that substantial health care savings could be realized if more housing properties had service coordinators working on site.”
The study of 8,706 seniors in 507 properties in 12 communities around the country focused on health care utilization among lower-income seniors, a particularly vulnerable group that utilizes health care services at higher than average levels. The average age of seniors living in these communities was 80 years old, with 56% eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. Half of these older adults had five or more chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, or cancer. Having multiple chronic conditions is associated with higher health care utilization and spending.
Today’s findings are supported by a recent location-based study by LeadingAge showing that a statewide senior housing-based service coordination program is slowing the growth of Medicare spending in Vermont. Combined, the studies support the insight that having a service coordinator on-site where vulnerable seniors live is an effective, economical means of reducing expensive health care interactions and events.
The study, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its How Housing Matters initiative, focused on the most vulnerable older residents of federally assisted housing properties previously identified in a 2014 study supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). LeadingAge/Lewin examined key health care utilization data and compared it to availability of on site services at these same locations.
“At a time when the population as a whole is getting grayer and policymakers are under increasing pressure to rein in health care costs, federal and state agencies, as well as health care providers, should consider partnering with federally subsidized senior housing properties to coordinate services,” said Sanders. “Today’s study indicates that such coordination and collaboration can save Medicare dollars for millions of low-income elderly residents.”
About LeadingAge
The mission of LeadingAge is to expand the world of possibilities for aging. Our 6,000+ members and partners include not-for-profit organizations representing the entire field of aging services, 39 state partners, hundreds of businesses, consumer groups, foundations and research partners. LeadingAge is also a part of the International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, whose membership spans 30 countries. LeadingAge is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization focused on education, advocacy and applied research. http://www.leadingage.org/
