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CarePatrol Services Reduced Hospital Medicare Readmission Rate by Over 45%

By: CarePatrol |  5 Shares     127 Reads

National Senior Placement Firm Helps Hospitals Reduce Medicare Penalties Associated with Hospital Readmissions

Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) September 13, 2013 - The Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to establish a Readmission Reduction Program for the nations’ hospitals to reduce the high cost of readmissions that are ultimately paid by Medicare. Currently, about 20% of Medicare patients are readmitted to a hospital within one month of discharge. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has deemed that number unacceptable and believes that readmissions are a direct indicator of quality of care.

CarePatrol, the nation’s largest franchised assisted living placement firm, has instituted a readmission reduction program of their own that has proven to lower Medicare readmission rates by 45% for a hospital that utilized CarePatrol’s services, according to a recent study conducted by an independent research firm in Arizona. CarePatrol helps families find assisted living, independent living and memory care communities that meet a patient’s medical, social, geographical, financial and personal care needs. A care provider qualifies for inclusion in the CarePatrol provider network only upon showing that the provider is in compliance with state regulations and has a clean violation record.

The CarePatrol Medicare Readmission Program is initiated by an Assisted Living Consult with a local CarePatrol representative who is a nationally certified senior care advisor. Once it is determined that a patient is high-risk for readmission and would benefit from a short or long term stay at a qualified assisted living residential home or community, the family is personally escorted by a CarePatrol senior advisor to preview several care options in the CarePatrol’s prescreened network of providers.

After the patient is discharged from the hospital and admitted into a prescreened assisted living community, between day 3 and 5, CarePatrol sends a Registered Nurse to the assisted living community to conduct a patient assessment including medication reconciliation, disease process review, updating personal health records, and evaluating the client’s post discharge progression as well as for potential for pneumonia or site infections. If any conditions exist that indicate a threat of readmission, the Registered Nurse initiates care protocols and recommends immediate intervention.

CarePatrol continues follow up with a pre-designated hospital liaison to monitor the post-30 day discharge period for each patient in the program. Continuous follow up is critical to the success of the program because it evaluates reasons for any hospital readmission and collects data to that can be utilized to predict and prevent future readmissions.

CarePatrol’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Program is provided free of charge to the hospital and patient as CarePatrol is compensated by its participating network care providers. Copies of the study can be received upon request.

Contact:

Chuck Bongiovanni
CarePatrol
480-626-2450

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