VHA Support for Home Health Agency Staff and Patients During Natural Disasters.

Abstract

Background: Home health agencies (HHAs) provide vital community-based services for older adults. Under-resourced HHAs that are disconnected from broader community emergency planning efforts may struggle to maintain services during emergencies. As climate-related disasters become more prevalent, HHA services are increasingly at risk, and policymakers have focused on the services they provide to older adults. This study explores the relationships between the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and contracted HHAs to identify opportunities to extend VHA emergency resources to HHAs and staff to assist them during disasters.

Methods: We interviewed 19 stakeholders from 6 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Data were analyzed through rapid qualitative analysis.

Results: VHA and HHA staff focused primarily on their disaster response during emergencies with little knowledge of each other's protocols. VHA emergency managers lacked direct relationships with staff overseeing HHAs but had strong internal partnerships with clinicians and were knowledgeable about the needs of veterans who were disabled and homebound. VHA staff demonstrated an interest in partnering with HHAs to identify resources that could be shared during emergencies.

Conclusions: Creating a pipeline of support through existing relationships and resources has the potential to strengthen VHA protections for older adults during emergencies, help them age safely in place, and provide a model for other health systems to collaborate with community-based practitioners.