Literature Review

Patient-centered medical homes can reduce care cost of chronically ill patients, study findsMcKnight’s Home Care DailyDecember 5, 2023High-cost patients receiving care through patient-centered medical home programs are less likely to remain high-cost in the long term, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Managed Care. ... The researchers compared the healthcare expenditures and health outcomes of thousands of PCMH and non-PCMH patients across Maryland during the state’s Multi-Payer PCMH program. They found that high-cost patients, such as those with chronic conditions, frailty or greater rates of hospital or ambulance usage, experienced better health outcomes with less health service utilization. 

Dying Broke: The High Cost Of Help Desperate Families Search for Affordable Home CareNew York TimesDecember 2, 2023... Frank Lee’s search for trustworthy home health aides—an experience that millions of American families face—has often been exhausting and infuriating, but he has persisted. ... There is precious little assistance from the government for families who need a home health aide unless they are poor. The people working in these jobs are often woefully underpaid and unprepared to help a frail, elderly person with dementia to bathe and use the bathroom, or to defuse an angry outburst.[Editor’s Note: This article is part of The New York Times’ “Dying Broke” series examining how the immense financial costs of long-term care drain older Americans and their families. For additional coverage, see the accompanying article in this package, “What to Know About Home Care Services: Finding an aide to help an older person stay at home safely takes work. Here’s a guide.“]