CEO Lynne Giacobbe, who is retiring this month after nearly 23 years at Kendal at Home, has helped to develop the model of in-home care known as “CCRC with no walls.” Kendal at Home, which has a payment structure similar to a continuing care retirement community with an entry fee and monthly fee, allows older adults to age in place with the help of care coordinators and needed services. Since senior living program Kendal launched the program in 2023, Kendal at Home now serves about 450 members in the states of Ohio, Massachusetts and Kentucky. One point of pride: few members have been placed in nursing homes or been rehospitalized, Giacobbe told McKnight’s Home Care in a Newsmakers podcast.
Kendal at Home was one of the first “CCRC with no walls” programs of its kind. Now there are about 40 programs like it, Giacobbe said. The model is designed to serve the older adult who wants the connection and assurances of a retirement community but is adamant about staying at home. A key staff role is the care coordinator who serves as a liaison between the family of the client and the CCRC, and also manages the client’s care and treatment.
The program is similar to hospice except that while hospice aims for a person to die with dignity, Kendal at Home wants the member to live with dignity, Giacobbe said. Some members have been in the program since its inception. Over the years, technology, which can monitor health conditions, has helped members stay independent and connected. Kendal at Home has grown up with Medicare Advantage, which offers supplemental benefits such as home care. Healthcare in general today is focused on preventing falls and keeping people cognitively sharp, Giacobbe said. She is proudest of being part of something unique in the long-term care space and watching it flourish. She has also enjoyed partnering with LeadingAge, a big supporter of CCRCs, and serving members faithfully for so many years.
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Show contributors:
McKnight’s Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Lynne Giacobbe, CEO, Kendal at Home