Webinar: Medicaid Supports for Family Caregivers
Family caregivers play an important role in states’ efforts to help more Medicaid enrollees live in their own homes and communities.
Family caregiver contributions also offset the cost of personal care services and can delay the need for more costly services, such as hospital and nursing facility services.
In this webinar, funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation and hosted by NASHP’s RAISE Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center, experts discuss how family caregiving impacts state Medicaid programs and the role Medicaid plays – and could play – in supporting family caregivers.
The webinar, recorded in November 2020, also provides an update on the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council, findings from the new NASHP report Medicaid Supports for Family Caregivers, which will be incorporated into the RAISE Report to Congress, and features Georgia state policies and innovations to support family caregivers.
Speakers include:
- Moderator: Wendy Fox-Grage, NASHP Project Director, RAISE Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center
- Rani Snyder, Program Vice President, The John A. Hartford Foundation
- Greg Link, Director, Office of Supportive and Caregiver Services, US Administration for Community Living
- Kitty Purington, NASHP Senior Program Director, NASHP
- Catherine Ivy, Deputy Executive Director, Service Delivery and Administration at Georgia Department of Community Health
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
