Research has shown that the general population, and Medicare beneficiaries in particular, rely primarily on friends and families for information about and assistance with health plan choices. And while the 1997 Balanced Budget Act which provided beneficiaries with a greater array of new health plan choices also charged HCFA to engage in a variety of educational efforts to explain the new program, assessments of these efforts show that beneficiaries overwhelmingly prefer to talk to someone they know and trust about their options. Thus, while legislative efforts press elders to take greater responsibility for health plan choices, beneficiaries are more dependent than ever on friends and relatives for guidance about complex health plan decisions. Despite the extensive literature on caregivers, no studies have focused on the critical informational support they give to their elders concerning health plans. This paper will report the main findings from several exploratory focus groups which include Hispanic, Caucasian and African-American caregivers, asking them about the provision of such support, including the nature and extent of their relationship with the elders they assist, the kind and frequency of help they provide, the level of knowledge they have, and the sources of information they use. Further, by integrating information from the caregiving and social support literature, the paper will categorize the informational activities described into a coherent scheme that will shed light on such issues as the match between beneficiaries’ needs and helpers’ assistance, who is most likely to help and who is most likely to seek such help.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to: 1. Articulate several kinds of decision support that relatives provide to elders 2. Identify the critical informational support that friends and families need in order to better assist their elders. 3. Describe the specific strategies that HCFA might undertake to meet the needs of these caregivers to better aid their elders
Keywords: Caregivers, Family/Consumer Perspective
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Health Care Financing Administration
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.