Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island partners with other entities to support residents who want to live independently

NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH PLAN of Rhode Island is partnering with three different organizations to help its insured members who are elderly or disabled live independently and in their own homes.
NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH PLAN of Rhode Island is partnering with three different organizations to help its insured members who are elderly or disabled live independently and in their own homes.

PROVIDENCE – Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island said Wednesday that it is partnering with three different organizations to empower its insured members who are elderly or disabled to live independently and in their own homes.

One partnership is designed to help NHPRI’s members residing in long-term care facilities avoid needless hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

“This trio of partnerships reflects [NHPRI’s] commitment to partnering with the state to rebalance long-term services and supports,” Alison Croke, NHPRI vice president for Medicare/Medicaid integration, said in the NHPRI statement. “Our investments in programs like those run by The Providence Village of Rhode Island and Catholic Social Services make it easier for people to live independently with the necessary supports. Of course, there are times when a nursing home is the most appropriate place to live. In those instances, our case managers, in partnership with Optum, will work with each member, one-on-one, to keep them mentally and physically well.”

The first partnership is with The Providence Village of Rhode Island, a community-based model connecting Providence senior citizens to one another and a variety of community services to help them age in place. The Providence Village’s small paid staff and volunteers connect seniors to services like transportation and assistance with home maintenance, thereby allowing them to live independently. NHPRI will support The Providence Village’s ongoing efforts to expand its volunteer network and train new volunteers to reach more seniors.

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Recognizing that caregiver supports are essential to keeping people in the community and engaged with support systems, NHPRI, a nonprofit insurance company, is partnering with Catholic Social Services to expand respite programs to those who care for senior citizens and adults with disabilities. By training and recruiting volunteers and educating caregivers about available resources, Catholic Charities and NHPRI will enhance coordination of respite care and other caregiver support services and will increase the capacity for respite care throughout the state.

The third new partnership, a Nurse Practitioner Rounding Program coordinated with Optum, a national health services company, will benefit NHPRI members now living in nursing homes. Optum’s local employees will work one-on-one with those nursing home residents to provide preventive care with the goal of reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

These ongoing efforts complement NHPRI’s continued work in support of the state’s two-phase Integrated Care Initiative, which began in November 2013, that targets people dually-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Phase I of the Integrated Care Initiative addressed Medicaid benefits for NHPRI members. Phase II, which also required a partnership with the federal government, covers NHPRI members’ Medicaid and Medicare benefits.

“We recognize that health care is personal. When one of [NHPRI’s] members makes the choice between living independently or living in a skilled nursing facility, we are there to support them,” NHPRI President and CEO Peter Marino said in the statement. “[NHPRI] is dedicated to developing and supporting an enhanced long-term care continuum in Rhode Island that protects our state’s most vulnerable citizens, at a price taxpayers can afford.”

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