Boomers face dearth of home caregivers; Medicare expands home-care pilot project

As baby boomers age, the U.S. will face a challenge trying to fill more than 1 million new home care positions to meet their needs, The Associated Press reports. In the meantime, Medicare is adding more groups to a pilot program aimed at lowering costs for Medicare beneficiaries by providing them with home-based care.

The Associated Press: Aging Baby Boomers Face Home Health Care Challenge
Demand for home health care workers is soaring as baby boomers -- the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 -- get older and states try to save money by moving people out of more costly nursing homes. But filling more than 1 million new home care positions over the next decade will be a challenge (Seewer, 8/12).

Modern Healthcare: CMS Adds Medical Practices To Home-Care Pilot Program
Three groups of medical practices were added to an eight-month-old Medicare pilot program that aims to test methods for reducing unnecessary beneficiary hospitalizations. The pilots aim to test whether primary-care services delivered in the home by multidisciplinary teams can improve care and reduce costs for beneficiaries with chronic conditions and forestall the need for institutional care. They require 24-hour availability by providers who also use electronic health information systems, remote monitoring and mobile diagnostic technology (Daly, 8/13).