Seniorlink, Inc. has announced the approval of its Caregiver Homes™ subsidiary as a Shared Living Services provider for the state of Rhode Island Department of Human Services. In the Caregiver Homes' model, the client lives in the home of a paid caregiver who is supported by a clinical care team to provide 24-hour care and supervision for an elder or disabled adult. This model offers an alternative to families who prefer not to place a family member in a nursing home.
“We're pleased that our Rhode Island neighbor has become Caregiver Homes' second state of operation, and we are honored that the Rhode Island Department of Human Services has chosen our organization to serve their neighborhoods and communities”
Caregiver Homes of Rhode Island will offer Shared Living Services to consumers served by Medicaid and the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (RIDHS). According to Gary D. Alexander, Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, "Many families struggle with the decision of whether a nursing home is the best option for a loved one. Shared Living helps by providing families another choice for obtaining long-term care. We are very pleased to announce this program and to give to elders and adults with disabilities more choice in the type of setting where they live."
The Caregiver Homes model of care was chosen to help broaden the range of consumer-driven and cost-effective services offered through Rhode Island Medical Assistance Programs under a Medicaid Global Waiver. The program targets individuals who are no longer able to live independently or who are receiving Home and Community Based Waiver Services (HCBS) that are no longer sufficient to allow them to remain at home.
"We're pleased that our Rhode Island neighbor has become Caregiver Homes' second state of operation, and we are honored that the Rhode Island Department of Human Services has chosen our organization to serve their neighborhoods and communities," commented Seniorlink Chairman and CEO, E. Byron Hensley, Jr. . "Rhode Island native David Bell has joined our organization as Program Manager for our new Caregiver Homes location and we welcome him to our team. David has more than twenty years' experience in elder services in Rhode Island, most recently as Director of the Elder Services Program at Child and Family of Newport County."
The Caregiver Homes model was first created for Massachusetts residents in 2007 after the successful completion of a pilot program conducted with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. To date, the Company has served over 1200 elder and disabled clients. Rhode Island is the first of several planned expansion opportunities that Seniorlink anticipates to open over the next twenty-four months. Seniorlink's ability to expand its Caregiver Homes operations has been made possible by its focus on hiring the highest quality management and staff as well as its commitment to technology to support clinicians and caregivers in the community. The Company's web-based care management system--Seniortouch™--allows for immediate visibility into client functioning and real-time adjustments to care plans. Seniorlink's Medical Advisory Board analyzes data from Seniortouch to identify trends, comparing the Company's care planning and clinical effectiveness with established best practices.
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