SASH Housing with Services Program Shows Results

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is expected to issue the awards for the Senior Supportive Housing Services Request for Applications (RFA) very soon. Information on the program can be found on the DOH webpage that can be viewed here.

Senior housing providers are interested in exploring innovative housing with service models that assists residents with maintaining their independence.

One housing-plus-services approach is unfolding in Vermont, through the Support and Services at Home (SASH) program. A one-year SASH test project at an 82-unit affordable housing site in Burlington found:

• A 19 percent reduction in residents' hospital admissions;
• A 22 percent decrease in falls;
• Dramatically reduced hospital readmissions among residents who had been previously discharged during the test year;
• A 10 percent drop in the number of residents who were physically inactive;
• A 19 percent reduction in the number of residents at moderate nutritional risk; and
• No bounce-back to nursing homes among residents who had experienced a crisis and had a nursing home stay before returning to their apartments.

"The key is the physical presence of the SASH coordinator who is on top of each resident's needs. The coordinator can tailor support for that individual," says Nancy Eldridge, executive director of Cathedral Square Corporation in South Burlington, VT.

The SASH program was created through the collaboration of organizations, including housing organizations, the Vermont Health Foundation, the State of Vermont, LeadingAge, academic researchers, PACE Vermont, the Area Agency on Aging, hospitals, the Visiting Nurse Association and mental health agencies.

In the SASH model, each housing site has a SASH team, comprising various local service providers, which meets twice a month to review residents' situations and discuss their needs. Anchoring that team are the SASH coordinator and a wellness nurse who work closely with residents at the housing site.

The SASH coordinator keeps tabs on residents' well-being and changing needs. He or she tracks residents discharged from the hospital or nursing home to be sure they get the services they need after returning to their apartments. Plus, the SASH coordinator plays a key role in transforming the facility's culture, so that all staff members-direct caregivers, maintenance workers and so on-understand and support the goal of helping residents remain in their homes as long as possible.

For more information on the SASH program, click here.

Contact: Ken Harris, kharris@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8835