Train and pay caregivers to make up for the lack of health professionals?

The health sector is in bad shape and the crying lack of professionals is felt. Faced with this situation, American researchers have taken an interest in training and remunerating caregivers in order to provide care to children requiring home care.

External professionals vs trained carers: no difference…

For this study, the experts therefore compared health care data for 861 children cared for at home for a complex pathology, between 2017 and 2019, as part of a Medicaid program in the State of Colorado. They compared the care provided by a home health professional and that provided by a family member trained in care. The researchers also looked at the frequency of hospitalization of these children and the length of their hospital stays.

The results show that children cared for by a family carer were no more likely to be hospitalized than when cared for by an outside health professional. And better: the children even experienced better continuity of care when they were cared for by a family member, who offers a certain stability compared to external health professionals who work on a rotating basis.

A response to the needs of certain children

“Our study provides evidence that paid family caregiving is feasible and can be successfully applied to meet the home care needs of children requiring complex medical care.” explains the lead author of this work, Dr. Carolyn Foster, assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“This family-centered model solves the significant shortage of health workers while providing additional income to parents who are forced to leave work to care for their children. This program may not be suitable for all situations, but it is an interesting option for many children who do not have enough services” she concludes.