Now, more than ever, care at home is being looked at as not only a viable solution to help an older loved one remain in a familiar setting, but also as a way to ensure the health and safety of a population that is at heightened risk for complications from COVID-19.

Understanding the important role of home care during the pandemic, in today’s episode we welcome Paul Mastrapa, CEO of Help at Home, which has been helping seniors and people with disabilities live independently in their communities for over 45 years. Paul has been in the home care industry for more than 25 years, and as I think you will discover when listening to him speak, he is passionate about the ways in which home care can help older adults remain safe and independent in their homes.

We discuss:

• The broad range of services available through home care
• How the health industry is working to assist people both with medical and social issues
• The importance of consumers doing research when selecting care for a loved one
• The role of home care now, during the pandemic, and in the future, as our population continues to age

Below are some highlights from our conversation:

• [3:45] Paul explains how care at home is a broad range of health-related services– medical, non-medical, acute, critical, etc.
• [5:25] We discuss how the home care industry is looking to support both the medical and non-medical issues affecting patients.
• [6:00] Paul emphasizes the importance of consumers educating themselves about the various options for care and why it’s critical to research providers in order to make an informed decision about care.
• [6:55] Throughout the health care industry, there is an awareness of the role of social determinants of health — that health status is impacted by factors that aren’t only health-related.
• [8:10] Knowing the impact of social determinants of health, Paul explains that insurance, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and others are beginning to cover non-medical services and social supports.
• [9:55] We discuss the importance, now more than ever, of having one-on-one care at home verses in an institutionally-based setting, and how the pandemic has helped consumers recognize the many benefits of care at home.
• [13:00] We discuss how during the pandemic, caregivers are helping to provide an essential service, minimizing the demand for services in acute care settings, thereby helping to ensure hospitals don’t become overwhelmed.
• [15:50] Looking at the future of home care, Paul sees its role in breaking the cycle of hospitalizations through a holistic approach to care: offering everything from technology through personal support in order to help keep people in place and improve quality of life.

After listening to today’s episode, I think you’ll find that home care continues to serve a vital role in helping older adults remain in their homes, and increasingly, can provide a variety of solutions for everything from complex medical needs to social supports.

You can listen to today’s episode here, or on Apple Podcasts, Google,  YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

To learn more about the care that can be delivered at home, listen to my interview with Wanda Coley, president and COO of Well Care Health. Wanda discusses the large variety of services available at home and explains how nothing is more beneficial for clients than having the opportunity to age in place or recover from a hospitalization or illness in the comfort of home.

If this episode has been helpful, be sure to leave a five-star review and share the podcast with your friends to help us in the national effort to educate about home health care options! You can connect with me, Merrily Orsini, on Twitter @MerrilyO.