Role of Hospitals: Community Memorial Health System
According to a 2020 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, more than 50 million Americans are the primary unpaid caregivers for their loved ones. That number will rise as the baby boomers age. The study also shows that the health of caregivers is significantly declining compared to just five years ago, which negatively impacts their ability to care for others.
Community Memorial Health System located in Ventura, California, partnered with Channel Islands University to create a caregiver navigator program. The goal is to support and integrate family caregivers as part of the health care team. It provides resources and easy access to programs that ease the burden of caregiving and let caregivers know they are not alone. Through this Initiative, the hope is to reduce hospital readmissions, while showing positive outcomes for family caregivers.
Since August 2020, CMHS’s free caregiver navigator has supported more than 200 caregivers in Ventura County.
Read more about the Community Memorial Health System Caregiver Navigator.