Harvard Pilgrim Launches Telehealth Program to Support Caregivers

A Massachusetts health plan is launching a new telehealth platform to help family caregivers get the help they need to care for loved ones at home.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is partnering with California-based Ceresti Health, which develops connected health services for seniors with cognitive impairment, to create an education, coaching and support program for caregivers. The no-cost program will first be made available to select members in parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

“Being a caregiver can be both rewarding and overwhelming,” Bill Graham, senior vice president of Harvard Pilgrim’s Medicare business, said in a press release. “Supporting caregivers with personalized education, coaching and resources is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing requires caregivers to be more self-sufficient in caring for a high-risk family member.”

The program addresses a sometimes overlooked pain point in healthcare: The caregiver. Statistics show that a greater number of Americans are providing care for a close friend or family member, and they’re struggling to provide that care while trying to maintain a stable home and work life. Add the COVID-19 crisis to the mix, and the challenges are ever more acute.

The development of telehealth and mHealth tools and platforms, ranging from smart devices to remote patient monitoring services, is giving both healthcare providers and caregivers new opportunities to collaborate on care and support. Health systems are now building resources into their virtual care programs that assist caregivers.

Harvard Pilgrim’s partnership with Ceresti Health will give caregivers access to personalized information and other resources through an mHealth device, such as a tablet, or an mHealth app loaded onto their own personal device or computer. The content is organized to address how to take care of children, adults, spouses and those with certain chronic conditions.

Earlier this year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announced a partnership with Ceresti Health to make those resources available to caregivers in in SecureBlue, the health plan’s Blue Plus senior health offering. That followed a six-month pilot in which caregivers reported higher satisfaction, strong engagement and a reduction in feelings of loneliness and sense of burden.