Home Health & Hospice Week

Giving patients rehab at home instead of in nursing homes is not only preferred by many patients, but also makes financial and treatment sense. So says a study recently published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston randomized 10 patients between a rehabilitation at home (RAH) program and rehab in the skilled nursing facility. “Home patients’ episode cost a median $8,404 … versus $9,215,” says the study. Length of stay for both groups was 14 days. “Home patients’ ADLs improved between admission and 30-days post-discharge by median 4 … versus 1,” the authors say in the abstract. “Home patients’ median Picker patient experience score was 12/14 … versus 7/14.”

Conclusion: “A RAH pilot compared favorably to traditional SNF, with trends toward lower cost, greater functional status improvement, and better patient experience,” according to the study. “This delivery innovation could reimagine how we deliver post-acute care but requires replication,” the authors say at  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07334648221077092.