Letter: Seniors should have the option to choose home
A recent poll found that 94% of Medicare beneficiaries would prefer to receive post-hospital short-term health care at home, and 85% of adults say it should be a high priority for the federal government to expand Medicare coverage for home health care.
Fortunately, bipartisan lawmakers in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are taking action to help meet the growing demand for home-based care options. The Choose Home Care Act would establish an additional patient-centered home health option called Choose Home to help meet seniors’ comprehensive care needs.
Choose Home would offer extended care services in the comfort, safety, and convenience of a patient’s home after hospitalization versus a skilled nursing facility, following a physician’s recommendation. It would also provide support, training, and education for family caregivers.
As support grows among the public for this new program, I urge our states’ lawmakers in Congress to support the Choose Home Care Act.
Maria Sheehan
Salt Lake City