We Work With Healthcare Professionals To Provide Improved & Safe Outcomes For Patients
According to an article published by AOTA (2016), CMS spends approximately $26 billion on hospital readmissions, 65% of which are estimated to be preventable. Aside from improving hospital discharge care, a significant focus on reducing patient readmissions is in prevention – this starts in the home.
Thrive For Life works closely with insurance companies to ensure patients are given the right level of care throughout the discharge process. From hospital, to liaising with 3rd party payers and ensuring the home modifications installed support the independence and safety of the patient.
Healthcare Professionals -
Case Managers, Service Coordinators, Discharge Planners, Social Workers
As occupational therapists and home modification specialists, we understand how to ensure patients have their medical and safety needs met first and foremost. We work with other healthcare professionals to ensure patients are given the appropriate level of support from discharge through living in their home. Consider us an extension of your discharge planning process.
Enhancing Outcomes, Decreasing Healthcare Costs
At Thrive For Life, our services extend beyond occupational therapy and home modifications. We work closely with discharge planners, case managers, insurance companies, and social workers to improve health outcomes for all. That means reducing readmissions and getting patients home safely, in less time.
In fact, Medical Care Research and Review (2016) found that “occupational therapy is the only spending category where additional spending has a statistically significant association with lower readmission rates.” This study (click here) demonstrates that occupational therapy can have a direct impact on reducing hospital readmissions through many strategies including home modifications.
Third Party Payers: Medicaid, Workman’s Compensation, Auto Insurance, Disability Trusts, and Healthcare Insurance Companies
Nationwide Accessibility Expertise You Can Depend On
Our expertise in comprehensive approach that includes project management solutions are what position our services so uniquely. From an initial comprehensive accessibility assessment to identifying equipment specifications, re-designing spaces for access; we support the entire home modification process. We also provide virtual accessibility services nationwide.
We can also review and audit reports and recommendations provided by other service providers to ensure they are making accurate recommendations and containing costs based on the clients’ specific medical needs.
Third Party Accessibility Consulting Services
This program are suitable for health insurance companies, state Medicaid waiver programs, disability trusts, auto insurance, and workman’s compensation and insurance plans to include the management of these services, and bid procurement.
Once we have identified your client’s medical needs, we are then able to put together a bid package and have contractors provide estimates on the same scope of work, specifications, and building plans. This ensures that the contractors are bidding apples to apples and not what they individually think is needed for a client. Contractors are simply not able to provide the correct recommendations for clients who have complex medical needs. On occasion, a contractor may under or overestimate the needs and specifications; our involvement can play a vital role in improving outcomes and reducing unnecessary costs.
We Support Safer Outcomes For Patients, This Minimize Costs
Here Are Seven Reasons Insurance Companies Work With Us
Decrease healthcare costs
Our multifaceted approach ensures fall and injury hazards are minimized via thorough assessments and accessible home modifications. As many as 40% of patients following discharge can experience a fall, 15% of those face readmission.
Rising healthcare costs, due to an aging population that relies on Medicare, has put further financial strain on the fee-for-service system. The penalty payment costs to Medicare (related to hospital readmissions) are into the hundreds of millions of dollars each year. A key focus of ours is to help facilitate reducing these unnecessary annual costs related to hospital readmissions.
Greysen, S. R., Harrison, J. D., Kripalani, S., Vasilevskis, E., Robinson, E., Metlay, J., ... & Auerbach, A. D. (2017). Understanding patient-centred readmission factors: a multi-site, mixed-methods study. BMJ quality & safety, 26(1), 33-41.
Ease administrative burden
We are able to manage projects from beginning to end freeing up time and money that would otherwise be put on your employees. Our expertise in both home modifications and understanding the medical needs of patients remove unnecessary additional personnel resources.
Implement evidence-based practice to guide decisions
Our decades long experience working closely with patients, insurance companies and contractors means our process is built on proven systems that work for all parties. Patients return home after being discharged with our support ensuring their medical needs are assessed to support safe, independent living.
One 2015 study found that grab bar variations for optimal COP (center of pressure). The option for two vertical bars was shown to be most favorable for safety, ease of use, helpfulness, comfort and preference for installation. (Kennedy, M. J., Arcelus, A., Guitard, P., Goubran, R. A., & Sveistrup, H. (2015)) The example represents how a patient’s quality of life can be significantly impacted with adjusting home modifications specifically for their needs.
Improve health outcomes
We put safety measures in place first. This means patients who are assessed medically before discharge, in conjunction with how their home is set up, are less likely to face hazards while at home. Caregiver training is provided to ensure the patient receives the best care while making use of the home modifications implemented at home. A review by AOTA’s Evidence-Based Practice Project found that “home modification interventions are effective for high-risk older adults…(where) home assessments helped reduce falls within the first month of discharge.”
Nikolaus, T., & Bach, M. (2003). Preventing falls in community‐dwelling frail older people using a home intervention team (HIT): results from the randomized Falls‐HIT trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 51(3), 300-305.
We are an extension of your case management or discharge planning process
We understand what it takes to manage someone’s care by knowing their diagnosis and specific medical needs; especially during discharge period. We are then able to be the eyes and ears by helping case managers and discharge planners make appropriate decisions regarding the care of their patients. This is beneficial especially when beds are needed in a hospital as patients are discharged more quickly to a home that is safe, set up with modifications and ready.
We bridge the gap between housing and healthcare by maintaining continuity of care
Housing and healthcare do not speak the same language. We are the “bridge” or “interpreters” between the two professions. Miscommunications between contractors and end clients or medical professionals can present costly disruptions and delays. Something we can ensure is avoided altogether.
We help maintain member retention, and ensure support positive community feedback
We have spent decades working with complex medical needs, as a result we understand how to work with all parties involved for a successful project. Communication with any project is absolutely key, and it’s something we do well to improve patients’ quality of life at home.
Thrive For Life can help minimize healthcare costs for all by improving patient safety and independence at home.
A home modifications guide for accessible living
Thrive For Life
Because home is where you want to stay