July 25, 2023
Source/Image licensed from Ingram Image
Independence Blue Cross is offering new support to the caregivers of its Medicare Advantage members that have just returned home from the hospital. A new program gives these caregivers access to expert advice, practical assistance, support groups and planning resources.
An estimated 51 million Americans require a caregiver because they are elderly or have a serious medical condition.
And though there are benefits to being a caretaker, including a sense of giving back, there are also many challenges – especially when the person receiving care has just been discharged from a hospital.
To ease these burdens, Independence Blue Cross is offering new support to the caregivers of its Medicare Advantage members that have just returned home from the hospital. A new program offers access to expert advice, practical assistance, support groups and planning resources.
The program is run by Carallel, a company that specializes in helping caregivers manage their responsibilities. It helps caregivers maintain resilience and create manageable plans for providing care. It also helps caregivers with advance care planning, finding in-home supports and vetting senior living options.
Caregivers of Independence Medicare Advantage members can enroll in the program in the weeks after their loved ones are discharged from a hospital.
"Family caregivers take on enormous responsibility for loved ones – never more so than when that loved one has been hospitalized," said Dr. Heidi Syropoulos, IBX's medical director for government markets. "They face unexpected challenges and unfamiliar responsibilities. ... We want to support them when they need it, so they can support their loved ones with confidence."
