How Chronic Care Management (CCM) Supports Families & Caregivers

Chronic illness sufferers should not be forced to go through their health needs alone and fortunately, due to support from relatives or friends, most of them do not have to. The role of family carers in the care of patients with severe or end-stage illnesses is well known and the evidence suggests that even those patients who do not require daily care in the home are helped by support.

A study done by Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan shows that over 60% of adults with diabetes or heart failure have a caregiver in the form of a relative or friend. These people attend doctors’ appointments with sick persons, organize their appointments with different doctors, remind the patients about taking their medicines, assist them in changing their diet, and offer encouragement.

Most of the time, patients will allow particular relatives and friends to get their health information to talk about the treatments and choices. When such people are included in the care plan and involved, care providers can assist them in being able to offer better care at home. For the family supporters and caregivers to effectively assist their loved ones, they require information on the care plan to be implemented, knowledge of the available and relevant information, and information on the care needs of the individual.

As part of the continuous care plan for patients suffering from chronic diseases, Medicare’s Chronic Care Management (CCM) program assists family caregivers in several ways:

1. Comprehensive Care Plan Details with Chronic Care Management

Chronic care management helps family caregivers stay informed by the care suggestions and centralize medical records. Patients and supporters can easily check the history of appointments and medication information using the technology-integrated platform. The care plan involves all the doctors and specialists who have seen the patient and aid in coordinating care across various providers. 

With this information, the family caregivers can help their loved ones as they move around in the health system and ensure that they adhere to the set care plan. This support is so vital to chronically ill patients that researchers have discovered that it can cut down hospitalization rates by 25%.

2. Increased Access to Services Through Chronic Care Management

Having the patient’s records available through the technology portal will allow a caregiver to ask a question or speak with someone regarding a healthcare procedure. At Gen by Gen Health, patients and caregivers will have frequent access to the personal care coordinator who can assist them with all these requirements. Care coordinators help schedule appointments and medicine refills and give answers regarding concerns about the care plan.

3. Tranquility and Assurance

It is not easy to deal with patients suffering from chronic disease, CCM provides caregivers with the availability of tools that they require to provide exceptional care to their loved ones at home. The chronic care management (CCM) program offers:

It also means that the care plan is available to the healthcare provider at any time, at any place.

A Gen by Gen Health Care Coordinator with the ability to listen to changes in the patient’s health.

Integration of care with a focus on the provider in the center.

These resources assist in the incorporation of the family caregiver with the overall plan of care and also aid in keeping track of new or complex data.

A chronic illness can at times require a complicated care plan like being on several medications, having to take care of a wound, using a special device, and seeing several different doctors. CCM assists in simplifying that and makes a positive impact on patient’s overall health as they navigate daily choices impacting their well-being.

Moreover, patients with good family and friends support are more compliant with care plans and are likely to adhere to recommended lifestyle modifications. CCM enables caregivers to offer better informal care to their relatives by making them informed on care plan recommendations.

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