Axxess has been the innovative leader in meeting the needs of home healthcare providers as they offer the best possible care. The company’s newest white paper, “The Case for Care in the Home”, lays out a fact-based argument that home care is an option that patients prefer based on its cost, comfort and convenience.
Growth in home care is tied to a dramatic increase in the United States’ aging population and will only become more important in the coming decades. Data from the Census Bureau shows that the population over 65 years of age will rise from 56 million in 2020 to 84 million by 2050. The number of people over 85 years of age is expected to triple during that same period. This booming population will also coincide with a decline in the number of potential family caregivers. The census data shows that as of 2016 a person might have seven potential caregivers. By 2030, that number is expected to drop to four.
The data clearly show a growing number of patients looking for care, and that care in the home is the best choice to meet their needs. Below are the four key benefits home care provides patients and their families.
An enhancement to the patient’s care continuum
Providing care in the home fills care gaps in several ways. A team of healthcare professionals can make decisions that facilitate the best possible care for the patient. That team can also include people who provide a variety of services that range from personal care to companionship. Patients often feel empowered by the attention, which helps improve their outcomes. Home care creates a system that helps healthcare providers monitor a patient over the long-term.
A more satisfying outcome for patients
A wide array of data shows patients have better outcomes when they receive care in the home. Services like physical therapy, medication management, meal preparation, preventing falls and attention to personal hygiene have all been shown to increase the chance of a patient’s positive outcome.
An overwhelming number of patients prefer healthcare in their home
Home is where the heart is and it is also where the overwhelming number of patients want to be during their treatment. AARP found that 90 percent of people over 65 years of age want to stay in their home as long as possible. A stay in the hospital can be confusing to patients and create a barrier to their recovery. Patients often report feeling stress from the general unease of being in a strange place and never knowing when you will be disturbed by a staff member. Caring for patients in their own home gives them a sense of control in a familiar setting. Lowering a patient’s stress level will help them recover.
Home care is the most cost-effective option
Care in the home leads the way as the most affordable choice for patients and is substantially more affordable than traditional hospitals and nursing homes. Home care also helps patients save money on other expenses associated with medical facilities such as ambulance rides, emergency room treatment and inpatient admission.
Axxess has led the way as a technology company that understands care in the home is the future of healthcare. People want to be comfortable and save money. We invite you to dive deeper into this thought-provoking examination laid out in our white paper, “The Case for Care in the Home.” You will also find white papers on a variety of other topics facing the home care industry on Axxess.com
