MedTech Intelligence – Read More
At-home care is becoming a major focus in American healthcare, with up to $265 billion in Medicare services expected to shift from traditional facilities to home settings by 2025. As Hospital-at-Home (HaH) programs expand and home care becomes more complex, there’s one critical element that often gets overlooked: family caregivers.
The healthcare system heavily depends on these individuals, who handle daily tasks like managing medications, monitoring symptoms, and coordinating with doctors. Unlike professionals, they take on these responsibilities out of personal commitment, which makes their role particularly challenging as they juggle medical needs and the emotional strain of caring for a loved one.
Technology can ease the burden for family caregivers in HaH programs by automating routine tasks and offering real-time health updates. Prioritizing the well-being of these caregivers through remote patient monitoring (RPM) is essential. Companies and healthcare providers need to understand the challenges family caregivers face and ensure that solutions track patient health and ease the stress and demands on those providing care.
How Family Caregivers Navigate HaH Programs
Family caregivers take on a range of responsibilities, often without professional training. Over 65 million Americans provide care for disabled or ill relatives and dedicate, on average, 25 hours a week to caregiving activities. But these responsibilities come with their own toll. The emotional, logistical, and physical strain often results in exhaustion and health problems, while the financial impact can be significant—some family caregivers may even need to reduce their work hours or leave their jobs altogether.
Although the concept of HaH was introduced in the U.S. in the 1990s, the pandemic sparked large-scale adoption. Since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative in 2020, over 370 U.S. hospitals have been approved to participate. The initiative was originally set to expire at the end of 2024, but Congress temporarily extended the waiver through March 2025. Even so, the shift toward home care is likely a lasting change—not just a temporary trend.
An AARP Public Policy Institute study examined the role of family caregivers in HaH programs. The study found that the AHCAH waiver does not mandate caregiver involvement or specify their role, and most HaH programs do not require a family caregiver for a patient to qualify. However, when family caregivers are involved, they typically manage personal care tasks such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation. They may also monitor vital signs using hospital-provided medical devices and coordinate healthcare appointments, including preparing their loved ones for these visits.
Phases of Family Caregiver Involvement and the Support of Technology
A study on family caregivers in HaH settings in Norway found that their involvement typically evolved through three main phases: initially preparing for the unfamiliar HaH environment, adjusting to new home routines, and finally gradually reducing caregiving intensity as the patient recovers. The study highlighted that this progression can be overwhelming, particularly due to limited involvement in the decision-making process and an overload of information during the early stages.
In this context, technology plays an important role in supporting family caregivers. Advanced medical wearables can alleviate the manual tasks caregivers must perform by automatically monitoring vital signs like temperature and blood pressure. These wearables can also detect potential health issues early, alerting healthcare providers before problems escalate into emergencies. This way, family caregivers can focus on other tasks or take needed breaks, confident that their loved one’s health is being closely monitored.
Further insights from the AARP Public Policy Institute study revealed that many HaH programs often overlook the needs of family caregivers. To improve support for both family caregivers and patients, the study suggests hospitals take four key actions: ensure that participation is voluntary for everyone involved, provide clear and detailed information about the program, address caregivers’ needs and consider their feedback, and conduct research to evaluate and enhance HaH programs based on family caregivers’ experiences.
The Need for Support for Family Caregivers
More research is needed to understand how HaH programs affect family caregivers, particularly in the U.S. However, global studies have explored this topic more extensively and consistently found that family caregivers in HaH programs experience higher satisfaction and less stress compared to those in traditional hospital settings.
The preference for home-based care in the U.S. is clearly growing, especially among older adults. According to a recent Vivalink survey, 35% of people aged 60-69 would rather get most of their care at home with occasional hospital or office visits. In contrast, only 15% prefer to stay with hospital- or office-based care. These numbers show how much people are leaning toward home care solutions, highlighting why HaH programs are becoming such an important part of the healthcare system.
As more facilities adopt HaH programs, family caregivers will play an even more significant role. Providing them with the right tools, training, and support will help technology companies and healthcare facilities make sure this model of care not only succeeds but also delivers the best results for patients and their families.
The post The Overlooked Role of Family Caregivers in Home-Based Care: Addressing Challenges and Leveraging Technology appeared first on MedTech Intelligence.