Paid Family Caregiving for Children with Medical Complexity
Providing care for children with medical complexities pose significant challenges for patients and families alike. Caregiving often entails navigating various issues such as accessing care, financial strains, and managing side effects, which can compound the burden. Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Colorado are investigating ways to mitigate the impact of caregiving for these families by conducting a pilot program where parents or relatives to became certified caregivers for their children at home, rather than relying on non-family members.
Using custom data from the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD), the researchers then compared the health care experiences of children under family caregiver supervision to those under non-family caregivers. By looking at factors such as hospital readmission rates, emergency room visits, and overall health care costs, they hoped to determine whether children with family caregivers saw superior health outcomes and lower health care costs compared to those with non-family caregivers. The results of the comparison could pave the way for similar programs, potentially enhancing care quality and alleviating financial burdens for families with medically fragile children.
