Reactive vs. Preventative Healthcare for Seniors

REACTIVE VS PREVENTATIVE HEALTHCARE FOR SENIORS The nation's back is breaking under exorbitant medical costs. In 2012, 41 percent of the adults (2 of 5 adults, or an estimated 75 million people) reported that they had a hard time paying the even with health insurance, and had been contacted by a collection agency or had to change their way of life in an effort to pay their medical bills." Approximately 50 percent of personal bankruptcies are due to medical expenses. ' bills, 28 percent of middle income families between $30,000 & $75,000 stated that they were curently having a serious problem paying for healthcare or health insurance. ...And seniors are shouldering more than their fair the burden. shar It costs about 4X as much to provide healthcare for a 65-year-old than it does for a 40-year-old* Older Americans account for over one third of all medical spending in this country -- approximately $300 billion a year for their share of the cost. Elderly adults are admitted to the hospital 3X as often as their Older Americans visit a health provider at least twice as often as younger Americans. younger counterparts. 100,000 per bag Older Americans comprise about 13% of the population, but they consume over 30% of all prescription drugs.“ Retirees will need an estimated $635,000 (per couple over age 65) to cover healthcare costs in retirement. This amount is estimated to give a retired couple a 90 percent chance of having enough money to pay for their health expenses beyond what Medicare covers." WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? Scrap purely REACTIVE care models and invest in PREVENTATIVE CARE. But first : What is reactive care? Treating a disease or ailment after it has already begun causing noticeable symptoms and/or dysfunction. Example:removing a cancerous mole and treating the patient with chemotherapy. What is preventative care? Treating a disease or ailment before it begins to cause noticeable symptoms and/or dysfunction. Example:wearing sunscreen and getting regular mole checks to reduce the likelihood of cancer developing. Reactive care costs money, Preventative care saves money Healthcare costs can be reduced 15% by emphasizing preventative over reactive healthcare. Take the two most common senior health concerns, for example: Diabetes One of every five U.S. health care dollars is spent on caring for people with diagnosed diabetes." Why does this matter for seniors? 25.9 percent - or 11.8 million - Americans over 65 are living with diabetes. The takeaway: Diabetes is prevalent and expensive to treat. Preventing diabetes in seniors can save millions. Heart disease A 5 percent reduction in the prevalence of hypertension would save the US $25 billion in healthcare costs over 5 years." Why does this matter for seniors? Over 70 percent of men and women between the ages of 60 and 79 have some type of cardiovascular disease. The takeaway: Preventing heart disease in seniors saves lives and healthcare dollars. A 1 percent reduction in weight, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol risk factors would save $83 to $103 annually in medical costs per person." 10 Why preventative care matters for seniors C With the Affordable Care Act rolling out, there is a big opportunity and challenge to keep people healthy and out of hospitals. I think senior housing communities will be a vital link in that chain - through proper planning, they can bridge the gap between home and the hospital. Proper medication management, physical and occupational therapy, nutrition and hydration, among other health care plans, can help aging adults stay on top of their health and keep them out of a hospital bed." Rob Gillette, American House Preventative care can reduce major senior health issues...like falls: 1 bag - 1 billion In 2013, older adult falls cost the US healthcare system $34 billion. One in three adults aged 65 and older falls each year. 850,000 Medicare costs per fall falls occur annually. averaged from $14,306 to $21,270 30%-35% of falls result in an injury. In pilot studies, advanced fall monitoring technology has been shown to effectively reduce up to 72% of falls in inpatient care. A 72% reduction in falls means the potential to save over $24 billion dollars if preventative fall monitoring technology was used nationally. According to the Brookings Institute, the ability to remotely monitor patients could save the US health care system $197 billion between 2010 and 2035." How can technology provide PREVENTATIVE CARE for seniors? Types of Preventative Technology for Senior Living (Better) electronic health records systems Medication Telehealth management • Allows better coordination of care • Can reduce negative health • Provides increased access to events associated with incorrect dosing • Keeps seniors at recommended doses of life-saving medical care • Better access to medical records • Makes health monitoring easier • Increases health information portability medications Sensor-based, artificial intelligence powered health monitoring technology • Enables true preventative care • Prevents & reduces falls • Prevents & reduces pressure ulcers • Promotes independence • Prevents heart attacks, strokes, UTI's & other negative health events Improves quality of care & enhances quality of life There are lots of opportunities in the world of preventative care for seniors, but many facilities have yet to adopt preventative care technology At a basic level, do facilities have computerized capabilities for recording resident demographics? YES NO 37% 63% Do facilities use Electronic Health Records (computerized version of the resident's health and personal information used in the management of the resident's health care)? YES NO 17% 83% Preventative care technology is gaining popularity in the senior living market, and the best of these solutions have the potential to exponentially increase quality of care and quality of life for seniors. Technology is both a threat to our industry and an opportunity... That means you only have one decision to make as a senior housing operator: that you either will, or will not, address the opportunity. " Andrew Carle, Founder, George Mason University's Senior Housing Administration Program CG We need a more integrated, prevention-centric approach to health and health care if we truly want to help Americans enjoy longer, healthier and more productive lives." - Bill Frist and Alice M. Rivlin CC The demand for health care technology is already here. We're seeing that more and more patients want to be engaged and play an active role in managing their health. As products and services continue to become available that support independent living - such as telehealth and health-monitoring apps - the demand will only continue to grow for new and improved solutions." Kaveh Safavi, M.D., J.D. THE TAKE-HОМЕ: While reactive care can treat symptoms, preventative care for seniors saves lives AND healthcare dollars. Learn more about preventative care, improving seniors' quality of care, and quality of life: FOLLOW KEYSTONE TECHNOLOGIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA f in 8+ www.KEYSTONE-TECHNOLOGIES.COM Sources 1. http://www.healthcareproblems.org/health-care-statistics.htm 2. Kaiser Family Foundation 3. https://www.longtermcarelink.net/eldercare/medicalcare_issues.htm 4. http://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/costs/expriach/ 5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670659/ 6. http://www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com/archive/010508pf.shtml 7. Employee Benefit Research Institute 8. http://www.aetna.com/health-reform-connection/aetnas-vision/facts-about-costs.html 9. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities/prevention/strategy/appendix1.pdf 10. (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities/prevention/strategy/appendix1.pdf) 11. http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/1-29-14-senior-living-expert-2014-predictions/ 12. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/fallcost.html 13. http://healthworkscollective.com/ecaring/155641/3-senior-care-technology-trends-watch 14. http://www.assistedlivingfacilities.org/resources/how-tech-advanced-are-facilities- 15. http://seniorhousingnews.com/2012/02/23/harnessing-the-poten- tial-of-technology-in-senior-living-facilities/ 16. http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2015/05/28-power-of-prevention-rivlin 17. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:w3_gpR- Raf_QJ:seniorhousingnews.com/2015/03/22/why-senior-living-cant-ignore-home-health-care-tec h/-&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Icons made by freepik from www.flaticon.com KEYSTONE TECHNOLOGIES