CareMore Health today announced results from its Togetherness Program relating to the first-in-industry clinical approach to addressing loneliness among seniors. Initially launched by CareMore in 2017, the Togetherness Program is designed to address senior loneliness as a treatable condition by focusing on patients’ psychological, social and physical health.
The program has enrolled one thousand CareMore patients and, through consistent telephonic and in-person outreach by Togetherness Connectors, comprised of social workers and volunteer associate phone pals, the program has demonstrated the following positive health outcomes:*
- Participation in exercise programs increased by 56.6% for the program’s participants compared to those not involved in the program
- Emergency room (ER) utilization among enrolled participants decreased by 3.3% compared to the program participants’ baseline, while ER use of the intent to treat population increased by 20.3%
- Hospital admissions per thousand members among program participants are 20.8% lower than admissions among the intent to treat population
The broader issue of senior isolation and loneliness were discussed during “The Loneliness Epidemic” exchange event, a multidisciplinary conversation hosted by The Atlantic in Washington, DC, on Monday, December 10. Featuring former Surgeon General of the United States Vivek H. Murthy, MD, as a keynote interviewee, the event ignited a discussion among patient advocates, healthcare industry representatives, academia and public services groups about the loneliness epidemic, which is now anticipated to affect more than four out of five seniors in the United States.
According to event speaker and CareMore president, Sachin H. Jain, MD, “As studies reveal that senior loneliness can increase a person’s risk of mortality– more than air pollution, obesity and excessive alcohol use – it is more important than ever that we come together to exchange ideas and discuss solutions. We are excited by the outcomes of our Togetherness program and know that our model is the blueprint for how others in the industry can help improve the lives of our nation’s seniors.”
CareMore’s Togetherness Program will continue to assess outcomes in 2019 and beyond, leveraging its healthy start assessments and referrals to identify new and additional consumers appropriate for the program.
“The positive feedback from the many key stakeholders and patient advocates at the Loneliness Epidemic Exchange demonstrates that a multidisciplinary approach and commitment are required to more effectively combat this epidemic of loneliness,” said Robin Caruso, LCSW, CareMore’s Chief Togetherness Officer. “CareMore is ready to use our model to help lead and show other organizations how to reach and improve the health of isolated seniors affected by loneliness in this country.”
To learn more about the societal impact of senior loneliness and the CareMore Togetherness Program, view the exchange hosted in Washington DC here: http://lonelinessepidemic.theatlantic.com. More information about CareMore can be found at www.caremore.com.
*Preliminary results based on internal and preliminary reporting, on 12 months of utilization, and subject to change as additional data is received.
About CareMore Health
CareMore Health is a physician-founded, physician-led integrated care delivery system that harnesses the power of teamwork to treat the whole person. Through a focus on prevention and highly coordinated care, its clinical model and designed-for-purpose approach to managing chronic disease proactively addresses the medical, social and personal health needs of its patients, resulting in clinical outcomes above the national average and ultimately, healthier people and communities. Over the past nine years, CareMore has expanded from one state to ten. And today, the CareMore delivery system provides care for enrollees in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plans in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, DC. CareMore also is participating in a dual demonstration project in parts of Los Angeles County in conjunction with state and federal regulators to coordinate care for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about CareMore, go to www.caremore.com.
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