Between 2014 and 2017, the emergency department (ED) visit rate for individuals aged 60 and older was alarmingly high—43 visits per 100 people, increasing with age from 34 visits per 100 people aged 60–69 to 86 visits per 100 people aged 90 and older. Although older adults comprise just 14% of the general population, they account for nearly a quarter of all ED visits. Furthermore, they are more than twice as likely to require hospitalization compared to middle-aged adults, with almost 17% of Americans aged 65 and older experiencing at least one hospital stay per year 1,2,3,4 .
Effective care coordination and patient navigation are crucial in modern healthcare, particularly for older adults who often manage multiple chronic conditions. However, many healthcare systems struggle with integration, resulting in delays and challenges in providing timely and appropriate care for elderly patients.
To address these challenges, Rely Health's Senior Care Navigation program has developed advanced methodologies specifically designed for geriatric care navigation. This method focuses on both hospital medicine inpatient lives and ED discharged patients, offering a comprehensive framework for hospitals to design and deploy geriatric care navigation programs. These programs promise substantial ROI and drive cost-effective, cross-functional care coordination.
Rely Health's Senior Care Navigation program is designed to address the unique challenges faced by the aging population in navigating healthcare systems. With an estimated 1 in 4 Americans being 65 years or older by 2060, there is a growing need for tailored healthcare solutions. This case study explores how Rely Health's navigation services provide high-quality patient care, utilizing technology and personalized support to enhance the patient experience.
Program Features
Proactive and Personalized Support: Rely Health's approach includes proactive outreach and personalized care plans, ensuring that treatment plans are effectively carried out and that patients have access to necessary resources.
Empathetic Care Coordination: Navigators serve as empathetic listeners, building trust and loyalty among seniors. They help patients understand their Medicare benefits and coordinate care across various services, reducing readmissions and improving overall health outcomes.
Community Engagement: By deploying teams into the community, Rely Health stays informed about available resources, ensuring that no patient navigates their healthcare journey alone.
Technology Integration: The use of AI and technology enables Rely Health to expand its outreach capabilities by 10-15 times, ensuring efficient care navigation for all patients. This allows navigators to streamline processes and focus on individual patient needs.
Technology
Outcomes
This program is designed to showcase the impact of a dedicated senior care navigation program through measurable improvements and outcomes.
Improve Outcome Measures:
Improve Process Measures:
Inherent System Benefit:
Boost in-network downstream revenue: By enhancing patient retention within the health system through strategic follow-up and in-network referrals.
This solution enhances geriatric patient care without burdening existing case management teams. It provides a scalable model that other hospitals can replicate across inpatient and emergency settings. With a turn-key service requiring no additional overhead or technology implementation, the program's technology-driven scale achieves 10-15x the reach of in-house resources, ensuring comprehensive follow-up for every patient. Real-time analytics, delivered through monthly dashboards, keep hospital leadership informed.
Rely Health is transforming senior care navigation by integrating advanced technology with personalized, proactive support for elderly patients with chronic conditions. This scalable virtual back-office model enhances geriatric care through seamless handoffs and compassionate coordination, improving patient experiences and optimizing healthcare resources. As the senior population is projected to grow significantly, Rely Health's Senior Care Navigation program addresses the complexities of senior healthcare, ensuring high-quality, personalized care that meets the evolving needs of older adults.
