1:45-3:00 p.m

22-E. The Value of Home-Based Caregivers: Using Evidence to Drive Policy Change

Home-based care is integral to the aging services sector. Yet professional caregivers who work in clients’ homes often feel undervalued by the public, providers, policymakers, and consumers. This session will explore how results from a randomized controlled trial of aides caring for community-dwelling older adults with heart failure could shift those perceptions. Researchers found that an education and communication intervention improved aides' self-efficacy and knowledge, resulting in fewer self-reported, preventable 911 calls and potentially saving health care dollars. Presenters will discuss how these positive findings demonstrate the value of home-based caregivers and could inform federal and state policy recommendations for home care, home health, and the direct care workforce.

• Mollie Gurian, VP, Policy & Government Affairs, LeadingAge
• Molly Carpenter, Director, Workforce Strategy and Development, LeadingAge
• Natasha Bryant, Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Katy Barnett, Director, Home Care & Hospice Operations and Policy, LeadingAge
• Madeline R. Sterling, MD, MPH, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine