Imagine a world where your elderly mother could receive quality care at home without bankrupting your family. Now picture that same world, but with a twist: The caregiver isn’t a typical home care worker, but a local college student or a compassionate retiree from your neighborhood.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ recently announced “Medicare at Home” plan brings us tantalizingly close to this reality. As leaders in the caregiving space — Neal runs a fast-growing caregiving startup and David leads the palliative care division of a large health care system — we’ve witnessed firsthand the promise and pitfalls of our current home care system. Harris’ proposal is a step in the right direction, but to truly solve our looming care crisis, the U.S. needs to think bigger and bolder.