JAA unveils pilot program to support family caregivers
Funded by a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the program intends to provide caregivers with the training and support necessary to aid their loved ones.
The Jewish Association on Aging has announced a new pilot program in collaboration with RubyWell, a digital healthcare technology program, to provide “support, training and compensation” to family caregivers in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
Funded by a $573,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the program aims to give family caregivers the resources they need to support the well-being and comfort of their loved ones.
“Oftentimes, caregivers are providing all this work, and there’s no compensation for it,” Lisa Vlakancic, director of professional services at the JAA, told the Chronicle. “Home health is really what keeps our patients out of hospital. It’s where education sometimes takes place for the first time — that’s very valuable to the community.”
Nearly 63 million Americans serve as home caregivers, according to the AARP. About 25% of caregivers report accumulating debt due to the financial burden of providing for a loved one. Medicare does not provide caregivers with financial compensation or support.
“There is not a program like this right now for Medicare-eligible patients and caregivers — only Medicaid,” Vlakancic said. “This would support Medicare patients, as well as millions of older adults that could potentially benefit from this.”
Over the span of 16 months, 50 homebound adults on Medicare and their family caregivers will receive free access to instructional videos, as well as weekly virtual support from both a peer cohort of local family caregivers and a JAA-employed social worker. The program will also provide caregivers with a pathway to flag early warning signs before they escalate into a medical emergency, as well as a monthly stipend of $300 for 12 months of participation.
“We [the JAA] provide great care to the people already in our community,” Vlakancic said. “This partnership with RubyWell adds value — not only to help people in their homes, but to compensate them and recognize them for the care that they’re giving, and to help them navigate it.”
The data collected from the program — claims data, caregiver observations and clinical records — will be evaluated by a third-party consulting firm. Additionally, hospitalizations, emergency department visits and skilled nursing facility visits that occur during the duration of the program will be tracked and compared to matched populations
The JAA intends for the program to “complement — not replace — home health agencies, primary care providers, and health plan care management teams,” acting as a “between-visits care layer” that can support the needs and comfort of patients and caregivers alike.
Participants in the program are still being selected. Potential candidates can check their eligibility through RubyWell’s website. PJC
Octavia Liku can be reached at oliku@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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