When it comes to crafting home care policies such as hospital-at-home, family caregivers want a seat at the table, according to Paurvi Bhatt, president and chief impact officer for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. They want to be able to have input in the design of such programs because they often ultimately bear the caregiving burden, she told McKnight’s Home Care in a Newsmakers podcast.
Bhatt is excited about the federal focus on family caregivers in the United States. She mentioned the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, which became law in 2018 and directed the secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national family caregiving strategy. The recently introduced GUIDE model, which aims to support people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers, also offers an important step forward. She would like to see the model address other conditions and disease states other than dementia. In general, there should be an awareness of the financial and other needs of family caregivers. Many rely on government and other assistance to address their social determinants of health such as food and healthcare. Increasingly, community organizations, including faith-based organizations, and employers are filling the gap, she noted. One of the key priorities of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers is to establish a federal office focused on caregiver health.
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Show contributors:
McKnight’s Home Care Editor Liza Berger and Paurvi Bhatt, President and Chief Impact Officer for the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers