New Seniorlink-Sponsored RAND Corporation Study Provides Definitive Reasoning to Integrate Family Caregiver Role into Formal Health Care Team

BOSTON, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study by RAND Corporation (www.rand.org), a nonprofit research organization, finds that while more than 53 million Americans are providing a significant portion of health and support services to individuals with serious illnesses, these family caregivers are often overlooked by the U.S. healthcare system and need to be better integrated into health care teams. The study, entitled A Framework for Integrating Family Caregivers into the Health Care Team, was sponsored by Seniorlink, Inc., a leading tech-enabled health services company.

The study is among the first to take an in-depth look at how to integrate family caregivers into professional healthcare teams ? often comprised of physicians, nurses and social workers, among others ? by incorporating interviews with payers, providers and caregiver advocates.

The report found that barriers to integration fell under four themes: identifying caregivers; communication and information-sharing; time limitations and competing demands; and trust and cultural barriers. RAND's report, authored by behavioral and social scientist Esther M. Friedman and economist Patricia K. Tong, recommends new policy initiatives to help identify and record information on family caregivers; incentivize providers to engage with caregivers; invest in programs that provide support services to family caregivers; and expand access to, and funding for, care coordinators who can connect caregivers to their loved ones' clinical information.

"The number of family members serving as caregivers to their loved ones at home increased substantially over the past five years, and we expect their ranks to grow at an even faster pace as we cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Thomas Riley, President and CEO of Seniorlink. "We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the RAND Corporation, the world's most trusted source for policy research and analysis, and hope that their findings will serve as a call to action to policymakers and healthcare providers alike to improve support for this essential group."

Seniorlink supports family caregivers with solutions that combine human touch and technology. The company leverages clinical care teams and evidence-based protocols with the support of Vela, Seniorlink's secure mobile app, which promotes collaboration and engagement that's been proven to improve outcomes and reduce the overall cost of care. 

The study, "A Framework for Integrating Family Caregivers into the Health Care Team," is available at www.rand.org.  To learn more about Seniorlink, visit www.seniorlink.com

About Seniorlink
Seniorlink is a tech-enabled health services company focused on keeping care in the home, where family caregivers play a pivotal role. Our solutions combine collaboration technology through our proprietary app, Vela; evidence-based clinical protocols; and the human touch of dedicated care teams working in partnership with family caregivers. Seniorlink's solutions lead to improved outcomes, cost savings, and improved consumer engagement and satisfaction for health plans and providers. For more information, please visit www.Seniorlink.com.

SOURCE Seniorlink, Inc.