Operating in a managed healthcare environment gives us direct knowledge and opportunities to reduce the burdens faced by individuals with chronic illness and their caregivers. For example Legacy's Alzheimer's group respite programs are staffed in part by people experienced in the arts and family caregiving. More expensive healthcare personnel are only used when their level of skill is truly needed, saving consumers countless dollars. 1 - Families wait too long to seek help. In too many cases, it seems that caregivers die sooner than the people for whom they have cared.
Caregivers often delay attending to their own health and well being.
3 - Communication between healthcare professionals and caregivers is inadequate. Increasing emphasis on controlling healthcare utilization and cost of care puts a premium on the time spent by health care providers with their patients. Patients are increasingly expected to direct their own care. The challenge is to empower both caregiver and healthcare professional to be more intelligent about caregiving, thus enabling them to bridge the current communication gap. Legacy Caregiver Services - Core Services Legacy Caregiver Services is a social services program located in a hospital, that is part of Legacy Health System.