Senior Care Providers Launch Program To Curb Hospital Visits

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Despite advances in medicine, the rate of seniors admitted or readmitted to hospitals has plateaued over the past several years. Senior Helpers, the nation’s premier provider of in-home senior care, on Tuesday announced the launch of a new program designed to dramatically lower re-admissions in the future — with deployment planned in Central Texas.

The Austin location of Senior Helpers was chosen as part of an exclusive group of owners in the Senior Helpers system to participate in a test designed to prove the viability of the new program, officials said. According to Frank Hayes, president and owner of Senior Helpers in Austin, this new program was based on research spanning two decades that included more than 75,000 patients in 18 states.

"Based on the preliminary research, Senior Helpers embarked on a six-month pilot to test the new approach, and the results were amazing," Hayes said. "Re-admission rates for seniors in the pilot dropped to below 5 percent compared to the current national 30-day readmission rate for nursing facilities of 22.3 percent published by Medicare.gov. We believe this will change the way seniors plan for care in the future. When used together, the LIFE Profile™ and the Senior Helpers SmartCare PLANTM can help ensure a better quality of life for our clients and their families.”

The new LIFE Profile is a five-part data-driven assessment that scores those factors proven to be most important to successful aging, officials said. Senior Helpers uses the LIFE Profile data to create a customized plan for care, called the Senior Helpers SmartCare PLAN.

Officials said Senior Helpers is the sole home care agency with access to this powerful combination of tools designed to more effectively identify the care needed for each client. Senior Helpers of Central Texas serves Austin, Round Rock, Lakeway, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown and surrounding areas.

Its caregivers are fully trained and certified to offer the highest level of care possible based on the company’s Senior Gems® Alzheimer’s and Dementia care program. As the gold standard for excellence in personalized in-home senior care, the program was developed in conjunction with nationally recognized dementia care expert Teepa Snow, Positive Approach, LLC. The company also offers a Parkinson’s Care Program, a specialized training program for their caregivers created in conjunction with leading experts from the Parkinson’s Foundation’s Centers of Excellence network.

About Senior Helpers

Senior Helpers is the premier provider of care for seniors, and offers services ranging from specialized care for those with diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, to personal and companion care to help individuals looking for a little assistance with daily activities. Founded in 2001 with a vision to help seniors who wish to remain in their homes despite age-related illnesses and mobility challenges, Senior Helpers has more than 300 franchised businesses that have cared for tens of thousands of seniors.