New data released at 2020 NIC Spring Conference shows senior housing-healthcare collaborations may improve health, promote savings
SAN DIEGO (March 4, 2020)—Integrating healthcare services, like primary care and nurse practitioners, into senior housing can reduce costly emergency room (ER) visits and inpatient hospital stays, according to new data from ATI Advisory released today at the 2020 NIC Spring Conference.
Comparing an assisted living facility that incorporates healthcare services to facilities that do not provide healthcare, ATI researchers found utilization rates plummeted by more than 50 percent in the integrated care model.
| UTILIZATION RATES FOR HOSPITAL SERVICES | ||
| Assisted living facility | Integrated care model* | |
| Inpatient hospital admissions (per person, per year) |
430 / 1,000 residents |
300 / 1,000 residents |
| ER visits (per person, per year) |
1.34
|
.52
|
Source: 2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, fee-for-service Medicare only
*Based on results from Juniper Communities’ Connect 4 Life model
“The data reveal a tremendous opportunity to reduce hospital-based healthcare services that put seniors’ health at risk and drive costs upward,” said Anne Tumlinson, founder and CEO of ATI Advisory. “Putting housing and healthcare under the same roof promises better coordination and results.”
The researchers found that incorporating a nurse practitioner and case manager into a senior living facility’s operation can reduce the number of inpatient hospital admissions, from 430 admissions to 300 admissions per 1,000 residents.
“This is a powerful message for the senior housing community. If you aren’t considering how to engage insurers and hospital systems to integrate healthcare services into your housing model, owners and operators forgo an opportunity to improve care outcomes,” said Brian Jurutka, president and CEO of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). “Owners and operators need to take steps that support the improvements in health and healthcare spending that patients, taxpayers and governments continue to demand.”
NIC also announced a new Actual Rates Software Partner in Medtelligent—the Chicago-based maker of ALIS (pronounced “Alice”) software for assisted living, memory care, and behavioral health communities. This marks the fourth software partnership for NIC in its mission to improve transparency in the senior housing industry.
The 2020 NIC Spring Conference takes place today through Friday, March 6 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.
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CONTACT: Sarah Schmidt, 860-227-8216, SSchmidt@MessagePartnersPR.com
About the National Investment Center for Senior Housing & Care
The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) is a 501(c)3 organization established in 1991 whose mission is to enable access and choice for America’s elders by providing data, analytics, and connections that bring together investors and providers. For more information, visit natinvcenterdv.wpengine.com, and follow NIC on Twitter.