Vermont is trying a unique experiment to offset rising managed-care costs: paying friends, family members and neighbors an hourly wage to check on the elderly.
Patrick Flood, commissioner of the state's Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living Department, said the Choices in Care program is having good results.
"We have served twice as many people as we could have served under the old system," he told Family News in Focus. "The waiting list that we had for services has gone down by 80 percent, and we still came in under budget."
Flood says the plan is so successful, other states are looking to implement similar measures.
The plan allows seniors to choose their caretaker, then pays that person a modest hourly wage to check in, help with medical issues and other day-to-day needs.
"People are definitely happier in their own homes," Flood said. "For most people, we believe that they can stay at home a lot longer than they do today, and, for many people, they can completely stay out of the nursing homes."
Valerie VanBooven, president of Senior Care Solutions, said the U.S. will see a "tsunami of silver" flooding the healthcare system in coming years. As for critics who question whether a family member should get paid to take care of a relative, she said many people just can't afford to give up their income to do it.
"If we can replace a portion of that income by being able to pay a loved one to take care of us, I don't think that should be seen as a bad thing," she said. "That should be seen as a positive."
