Assisted living pilot program: utilization and cost findings.
Objective. The Department of Veterans Affairs funded assisted living, adult family home, and adult residential care for the first time in the Assisted Living Pilot Program (ALPP). This article compares the use and cost for individuals that entered ALPP and a comparison group. Method. This was a nonrandomized study. The comparison group consisted of VA patients who were eligible but did not enter an ALPP facility. The ALPP (n = 393) and comparison (n = 259) groups were followed for 12 months to assess ALPP facility, case management, and health care costs. Results. ALPP facility and ALPP case management costs were respectively $5,560 and $2,830 per individual. Total health care costs, including ALPP costs, were $11,533 higher for the ALPP group compared to the comparison group after adjusting for baseline differences. Discussion. Although ALPP successfully helped individuals transition to longer term care in these facilities, it was more costly than the comparison group.
Chapko
Michael K
MK
VA Puget Sound Health Care System and University of Washington, 1100 Olive Way, Suite 1400, Seattle, WA 98101 USA. chapko@u.washington.edu
Manheim
Larry M
LM
Guihan
Marylou
M
Sullivan
Jean H
JH
Zhou
Xiao-Hua Andrew
XH
Wang
Li
L
Mambourg
Floss J
FJ
Hedrick
Susan C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities / Q000191:economics*; D019090:Case Management; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans