AgeSpan, in partnership with Lawrence General Hospital, was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the state Hospital to Home Partnership Program, which is designed to build partnerships between private non-profit agencies serving people age 60 and older and hospitals to strengthen communication and coordination.
AgeSpan formerly known as Elder Services, also partnered with Malden-based Mystic Valley Elder Services, which was also awarded a grant for $300,000, in partnership with Tufts Medicine Melrose Wakefield and Lowell General Hospitals.
“This grant provides community-based organizations, such as AgeSpan, an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with hospital systems and assure patients receive a well-coordinated discharge plan that supports their needs in community-based settings”, said AgeSpan CEO Joan Hatem-Roy.
Improved discharge processes from hospitals help ease capacity constraints and support patients returning to their homes, which opens beds for patients who require an acute level of care.
“Our healthcare system remains under significant pressure, and this is a solution that can make a tremendous difference for care access, wait times, and the strain on caregivers,” said Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association President and CEO Steve Walsh.
Grant money comes from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.