Editor’s note: This article is the second of two parts. In the first, the author looked at ways non-medical homecare organizations can partner with home health agencies to deliver value-based care.
As health care rapidly transitions to value-based care (VBC), one thing is clear: home health agencies can’t afford to go it alone. While clinical care is critical, non-medical homecare agencies are playing an increasingly important role in improving patient outcomes, reducing hospital readmissions and driving patient satisfaction.
In fact, non-medical agencies are poised to become some of your most valuable partners in this new era of collaborative, patient-centered care.
The Shifting Landscape of Home Care
Value-based care is reshaping the health care landscape by tying financial incentives to quality outcomes rather than volume. VBC focuses on improving patient outcomes, reducing costs, preventing unnecessary hospital readmissions and enhancing overall satisfaction—goals that align perfectly with the mission of home health agencies.
However, as we move towards more integrated care models, it’s becoming clear that success in VBC is no longer about what you do alone—it’s about what you do together.
Non-medical homecare agencies provide crucial services that fill gaps in care and improve patient outcomes in ways that home health agencies alone can’t always achieve. These services—helping patients with activities of daily living (ADLs), preventing falls, providing social support—are essential for keeping patients safe at home and reducing the risk of rehospitalization.
So, why should home health agencies partner with non-medical home care providers? The answer lies in better patient care and stronger financial performance.
Non-Medical Agencies: Key to Reducing Readmissions
Hospital readmissions are one of the most significant challenges facing health care providers today. VBC models reward home health agencies for reducing unnecessary readmissions, but this requires a holistic, comprehensive approach to patient care—one that goes beyond clinical interventions.
This is where non-medical homecare shines.
Agencies that specialize in personal care, companionship and non-medical support help patients maintain their independence and manage chronic conditions in the home. They assist with ADLs—bathing, dressing, grooming and meal preparation—contributing to preventing readmissions. They also offer valuable socialization, helping combat loneliness and depression, which can also increase the risk of hospitalization.
By partnering with non-medical agencies, home health providers can enhance the care continuum, ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time, in the right setting—their home.
Collaboration Drives Better Patient Outcomes
Home health agencies have long been recognized for their ability to manage medical treatments and recovery in the home. However, for patients to thrive, they need more than just medical care. They need comprehensive, whole-person care—a model that incorporates both clinical and non-clinical elements to improve their overall well-being.
Partnering with non-medical homecare agencies allows home health providers to:
• Reduce functional decline: Non-medical agencies help patients with mobility, personal hygiene and daily routines, preventing the decline of physical and mental health.
• Prevent falls: Fall prevention programs offered by non-medical agencies are crucial in reducing the risk of injury and subsequent hospitalizations.
• Promote social engagement: Companionship services are a major factor in preventing isolation and depression, which can otherwise lead to higher rates of readmission.
• Support caregiver wellbeing: Non-medical agencies help alleviate caregiver stress, giving families the support they need to care for their loved ones without burning out.
All of these elements contribute to a better quality of life for patients, which is what value-based care is all about.
Shared Financial Incentives: a Win-Win for All
One of the key principles of value-based care is the idea of shared financial responsibility for patient outcomes. In VBC models, home health agencies are rewarded for keeping patients healthy and safe at home, reducing hospital readmissions and improving patient satisfaction. But this can’t be done in a vacuum.
By partnering with non-medical homecare providers, home health agencies can achieve:
• Reduced readmissions: By addressing the non-medical needs of patients, non-medical agencies help keep patients out of the hospital, which directly impacts financial performance in VBC models.
• Higher patient satisfaction: Non-medical agencies provide personalized, one-on-one care that improves patient experience—an essential factor in VBC models where patient satisfaction is financially incentivized.
• Lower total costs of care: Coordinating with non-medical agencies helps reduce the need for more expensive interventions, such as emergency room visits or hospital stays, ultimately reducing overall health care costs.
In a VBC framework, everyone benefits financially when patients receive comprehensive care that addresses both medical and non-medical needs. Non-medical agencies, with their ability to manage daily activities and support patients emotionally, are critical partners in helping home health agencies meet their goals.
Data-Driven Partnerships: Proving Value Together
In a value-based care world, data is king. To thrive, home health agencies need to demonstrate measurable outcomes, and data from non-medical homecare agencies can help.
By working with non-medical agencies, home health providers can:
• Track improvements in ADLs and functional outcomes: Non-medical agencies help collect data on patients' ability to perform basic tasks, which directly impacts their quality of life and health outcomes.
• Monitor patient safety: Non-medical providers help track incidents like falls, which can be reported back to home health agencies for better care coordination.
• Improve patient satisfaction: Satisfaction data from non-medical agencies—such as feedback on companionship and quality of life—can contribute to overall performance metrics for home health agencies.
When you collaborate with non-medical homecare agencies, you’re not just improving care—you’re improving the data that drives VBC. Data that demonstrates your ability to reduce costs, improve patient outcomes and enhance patient satisfaction.
The Future of Home Care Is Collaborative
As the health care landscape shifts, collaboration will be the cornerstone of success in value-based care. Home health agencies that partner with non-medical agencies have the opportunity to:
• Improve patient outcomes through holistic care that spans medical and non-medical needs
• Reduce hospital readmissions and associated costs by keeping patients healthy and safe at home
• Enhance patient satisfaction through personalized care that addresses both physical and emotional well-being
• Drive long-term financial success by aligning with VBC goals and delivering value across the continuum of care
Home health agencies that embrace these partnerships today will position themselves as leaders in the evolving health care ecosystem.
In the end, value-based care isn’t just about keeping patients healthy—it’s about doing so together, as part of an integrated, patient-first team. And when home health and non-medical agencies join forces, the results speak for themselves.
“Your organization’s market position can be a predictor of your future sustainability.”
— Remington Report, 2016
As this timeless quote reminds us, agencies that adapt to the new reality of value-based care—and actively seek partnerships—will be the ones that thrive for years to come.