Over the last two decades, healthcare has seen a significant movement towards delivering care in home and community environments, especially for older adults and individuals with complex health and social challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated this transition, as healthcare providers rapidly adapted to offer services outside of traditional hospital and clinic settings. Despite this shift, home-based care remains an underutilized resource with uneven adoption. As we move beyond the acute phase of the public health emergency, there’s a crucial opportunity to promote Age-Friendly Health Systems by shaping policies and supporting providers in the realm of home-based primary care.
This initiative aims to amplify evidence-driven policy recommendations to healthcare leaders, thereby reinforcing policy efforts to expand home-based primary care. A key component of this is translating policy considerations into actionable guidance for providers and offering practical pathways for policymakers to refine payment and delivery models to better accommodate home-based primary care services. This project builds upon previous work in the home-based care sector to address the persistent need for home-centered primary care to enhance the well-being of older adults facing intricate health needs.
This Center is collaborating with leading organizations including the National Home-Based Primary Care Learning Network, the Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI), and the American Academy of Home Care Medicine (AAHCM) to champion home-based primary care and age-friendly health systems. This collaboration is part of a larger grant, entitled “Moving and Scaling Home-Based Primary Care, Phase III: Quality, Training, Advocacy and Policy,” focusing on multiple critical aspects including the development of robust home based primary care training programs. This project receives generous support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of older adults. As a recognized leader in aging and health, The John A. Hartford Foundation prioritizes creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and enhancing serious illness and end-of-life care. More information can be found at www.JohnAHartford.org.
