Helping Seniors “Stay Healthy at Home”
With health care costs on the rise and with a limited number of long-term care beds, St. Francis Healthcare System’s “Stay Healthy at Home” program is an affordable solution to help Hawaii’s elderly live independently for as long as possible. The program is designed to help seniors age safely in the comfort of their own homes and to help their caregivers, too.
One phone number gives seniors and caregivers access to a full range of services. This includes St. Francis’ existing services and partnerships with organizations that have expertise with other services that seniors need and want.
A Membership Fee-Based Program
Participants in the membership-based program have access to a wide range of services. Cost for a one-year membership is $600 a year for an individual and $900 for a couple. Membership is also available to adult children who serve as caregivers to their parents. Benefits of membership are a home safety evaluation, health screenings, follow-up assessments, chronic disease self-management education, pharmacist medication reviews, information and referral, and financial counseling.
The program was based on feedback that services are fragmented, and caregivers and seniors often don’t know where to begin and whom they can trust for reliable care. Services that are available on a fee-for-service basis are companion services, housekeeping and yard services, transportation, adult day care, home health, respite to family caregivers, shopping and errands, meal planning and preparation, personal medical alert, hospice care (palliative and end-of-life care), and long-term care insurance.
Understanding that people want to remain at home amid familiar surroundings for as long as possible, Stay Healthy at Home meets the needs of people earlier in the health care continuum while they are still independent and active.
Partners to date include Catholic Charities Hawaii, City and City of Honolulu’s Elderly Affairs Division, Hawaii State Department of Health, and National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii. St. Francis’ programs include St. Francis Home Care Services, St. Francis Hospice, St. Francis Lifeline, St. Francis Health Services for Senior Citizens, St. Francis Healthy Lifestyles Program, St. Francis Palliative Care, Spiritual Services, and Franciscan Adult Day Center.
A Successful Pilot Program
St. Francis introduced Stay Healthy at Home as a pilot program in 2008 at the Honuakaha affordable senior apartment complex in Kakaako, providing medication management, weekly health screenings, educational sessions, and more. The program was able to refer 20 individuals for services for pain management, respite care, urgent care, transportation, chore services, shopping and bathing and personal care services. Another outreach project is under way at Kukui Gardens.
For more information about the Stay Healthy at Home program call (808)547-6500 or 1-866-788-6188 toll-free from neighbor islands