The home care ecosystem is complex; comprised of multiple types of caregivers, different ways in which one can receive and or pay for care, and varying training requirements and preferences. Although the state of Colorado has made many efforts to support caregiving for older adults, significant challenges remain in valuing and supporting paid and unpaid caregiving.

The Home Care Cost Model, which the Bell has developed in conjunction with several partner organizations, will be instrumental in providing adequate support to the home care ecosystem as it estimates the true cost of providing in-home, non-medical care to older adults in Colorado. As opposed to aggregating current costs of care, the true cost of care includes living wages and benefits to paid caregivers, quantifies the health impacts, equipment costs, and lost wages of unpaid caregivers, and accounts for the overhead and turnover costs typically borne by agencies.

By understanding the true cost of care, researchers, advocates, and policymakers can address questions such as the shortfall in Medicaid reimbursement rates or identify the most effective interventions to support unpaid caregivers and reduce their out-of-pocket expenses. 

This brief describes the research basis of the model, the major cost drivers, and provides example scenarios and analysis from the model.