Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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Comparative Study
Assessing health status differences between Veterans Affairs home-based primary care and state Medicaid Waiver Program clients.
Comprehensive health care for older adults is complex, involving multiple comorbidities and functional impairments of varying degrees and numbers. In response to this complexity and associated barriers to care, home-based care models have become prevalent. The home-based primary care (HBPC) model, based at a Michigan Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Michigan Waiver Program (MWP) that includes home-based care are 2 of these. Although both models are formatted to address barriers to effective and efficient health care, there are differences in disease prevalence and functional performance between groups. The objective of this study was to explore the differences between the 2 groups, to shed some light on potential trends that could suggest areas for resource allocation by service providers. ⋯ With expanded home care models of service on the horizon, comparisons such as the one presented here could identify more efficient and effective service, with potential for improved client health outcomes.