Protecting our nation’s most at-risk populations
by RJ Gilson, Chief Growth Officer, FEI Systems
Claire is 82 years old and lives with her daughter. As a moderately independent woman, she is mostly able to take care of herself with limited help from family, and could be considered the epitome of successful aging in place.
Others, like Claire, are thriving at home and in their communities, thanks to a decades-long national effort to keep aging and disabled populations out of institutional settings. She and her peers are benefitting from millions of dollars of federal funding, incentive programs and a societal willingness to bring health and human services into the home.
While aging at home can bring many benefits – comfort, security and a lower cost of care – there is a potential risk that cannot be ignored. Abuse and neglect of vulnerable people living at home, even at the hands of their caregivers, can and does happen, more often than we want to believe.
The sad reality is:
- Studies show that one in 10 aging adults living in the community have experienced abuse in the prior year.
- Adults with disabilities are 1.5 times more likely to experience abuse. I/DD populations are 1.6 times more likely as compared to those without disabilities.
- Combining risk factors such as aging and intellectual disability put individuals in greater danger for abuse.
- Approximately 65 percent of incidents of abuse against aging adults occur in private residences.
- Caregivers and relatives account for almost 20 percent of adult maltreatment incidents, according to 2020 data from 30 states.
As more and more people are provided care, services and supports in their homes and communities, we must remain vigilant to know and identify the risk factors for critical incidents. Abuse and neglect in the privacy of a home can easily go unnoticed and unaddressed, especially if the reporting of such instances is dependent on victims speaking up. Too many are unlikely to advocate for themselves out of fear of losing independence or their ability to live at home. Of course, the recent COVID-19 lockdowns did little to help this problem.
Millions of family members and friends care for aging and disabled loved ones, like Claire, each day, simply out of love. Across the country, countless caregivers ensure the health and wellbeing of loved ones in their homes or communities, rather than see them moved into an institutional setting.
Many of us at FEI are part of that group of caregivers. Claire’s daughter is a colleague of mine, a dear friend and a former case manager who worked with beneficiaries across the care continuum. Her experiences, and the clinical backgrounds of many others at FEI help inform our work to help those doing the often-thankless job of managing the care and services for low-income aging and disabled populations. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of HCBS for Americans seeking home healthcare, and we will not stop advocating for policies and programs that will protect people in their own homes.
But advocacy alone will not do it. We need a multi-faceted solution that is heavily reliant on increased training and education around the potential for and warning signs of abuse and neglect among aging and disabled populations. Support coordinators, incident investigators, adult protective services staff members and caregivers alike should be aware of the potential for abuse, the signs it might be happening and what to do if they suspect wrongdoing.
Additionally, state Medicaid agencies and Adult Protective Services offices should be equipped with the right tools to not only quickly investigate potential incidents, but also to analyze data that can inform prevention efforts.
I’m proud to be a part of the team that developed our Blue Compass incident management module – an IT platform designed to do just that. FEI’s Blue Compass incident management module meets unique requirements for tracking and reporting critical and non-critical incidents across various programs and departments. It also automates incident management procedures (as defined by our state partners) and helps modify plans of care to accommodate for identified risk factors. Our technology also accounts for known, investigated incidents, to further protect program members from future harm.
I am committed to continuing to advance the work we are doing at FEI to promote the health and safety of those seeking to live and thrive in their homes and communities. I look forward to working with more state agency partners to improve care for those most in need.
