- Home-based healthcare reaches millions of Americans. In 2024 alone, about 2.7 million people with traditional Medicare received home health services.
- Many older adults from vulnerable populations are homebound or face significant barriers to receiving care in a clinic setting.
- A generous donation to the Swedish Foundation helps provide tools for Providence Swedish's geriatric home-based care program.
For an older adult recovering from a broken hip, simply getting to a clinic can feel impossible when navigating transportation, stairs, and limited mobility. For another with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, leaving the familiarity of her home can completely disrupt her emotional well-being. For a bedbound patient, the only option to get to a clinic is an expensive and complicated ambulance ride.
Though their circumstances are different, each of these patients faces a common challenge to receiving care. That’s where home-based care comes in.
At Providence Swedish, Carrie Rubenstein, M.D., geriatric medicine fellowship director, leads a home-based care program. Philanthropy funds the home-visit bags clinicians bring when seeing older patients who are homebound or face significant barriers to receiving care in a clinic. 
“Truly, many of the patients we see at home probably just would not have been getting primary care at all,” says Dr. Rubenstein, at top left, with geriatric care fellows in photo at right.
The program currently has three home-visit bags filled with state-of-the-art equipment. They include tools to examine the eyes and ears, basic wound-care supplies, foot-care supplies, vaccines when required, and Pocket Talkers for patients with hearing loss. There are also health self-management tools that are left behind for patients, like blood pressure cuffs and scales to record weight gain and loss.
These tools were purchased with the generous support of donors Kim and Jon Shirley, who have been supporting home-based care for elder patients since 2020. Thanks to their philanthropy, Dr. Rubenstein and her team were able to provide 130 home visits last year, where patients were able to be met with dignity in a comfortable environment.
“I think this is a really tangible way to help some of the most vulnerable people in the community,” Dr. Rubenstein says. These at-home visits are helpful not only to meet a patient where they are, but also to get a clear picture of a patient’s health beyond what can be seen in a clinic. In the comfort of their own home, patients are more likely to discuss sensitive topics such as advanced care planning and concerns they have about their health.
With a patient’s permission, clinicians can also look for potential fall risks, household hazards, and get an intimate view into a patient’s daily routine like how medications are organized and taken. These would not be clear from a clinic visit, which is why home visits help clinicians see a fuller picture of a patient’s health and provide more informed, personalized care.
“We believe in creative approaches to health care for complex older adults,” Dr. Rubenstein says. “However we can get these people cared for is what we do.”
In the future, a more robust team could be the key to expanding the program. Even more than doctors, Dr. Rubenstein says donor support can help expand this program with a nurse or social worker dedicated to this work. Home-based care creates an opportunity to see and care for the whole person, right where they are.
“It’s a great privilege to be invited into people’s homes,” Dr. Rubenstein says. “They often show you pictures of their family. You learn more about who they were, who they are, and who’s important to them.”
Learn more and find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)
Whether you require an in-person visit or want to consult a doctor virtually, Providence Swedish is here for you. Contact Swedish Primary Care to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. You can also connect virtually with your clinician to review your symptoms, provide instruction and follow up as needed. And with Swedish ExpressCare Virtual you can receive treatment in minutes for common conditions such as colds, flu, urinary tract infections, and more. You can use our provider directory to find a specialist or primary care physician near you.
About the Swedish Foundation
Your generous gift helps support a healthy tomorrow for everyone in every community we serve. Learn about more ways to give to the Swedish Foundation or make a direct donation online at swedishfoundation.org. You can also contact the Foundation at 206-368-2738 or email foundation@swedish.org. Thank you for helping us shape the future of health care. We can’t do it without you.
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