Intermountain and Lifesprk Partner to Launch New Life Care Model for Seniors

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Jodi Boyne

Intermountain Healthcare in Utah has entered into a partnership with Minneapolis-based Lifesprk to launch Homespire, a new life care model for seniors that is designed to keep them healthy and living fuller, more independent lives while significantly reducing emergency room and hospital visits. 

Homespire will include private-pay home care options like non-medical services that are essential to daily living outside of a care facility. Homespire became available in Salt Lake Valley starting May 1 and will expand throughout Utah over the next year. It will be one of the only private-pay providers in the nation measuring outcomes and providing proven results that are transforming the field.

“As the total number of seniors in our area increases significantly and the number of family members that are care givers continues to shrink, we’re anticipating a gap in the care we’re able to provide our aging population,” said Kim Henrichsen, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Executive, Intermountain Healthcare. “Lifesprk, which is a 14-year old company that’s served more than 14,000 clients in Minnesota, has a proven model that delivers on our mutual vision of enabling seniors to remain in their homes longer by living healthy, independent lives.”  

Lifesprk has proven to reduce emergency room visits by 47.8 percent and hospital visits by 56.8 percent, which translates into significant cost savings for each senior over their lifetime. See more about reduced ER and hospital visits.

“What we have statistically proven is that providing care that encompasses the whole person, not just their medical condition, is the key to helping them achieve their healthiest self,” said Joel Theisen, founder and CEO of Lifesprk and President and CEO for Homespire. “It’s shifting the health care paradigm from sick care to well care. This model is about rethinking the overall delivery of care for our aging population and surrounding them with a community of people who advocate and anticipate their needs, so we can prevent or minimize health crisis.” 

The New Model of Well Care
Homespire will execute the Lifesprk model that assigns each client a Homespire Life Care Manager who is a registered nurse and serves as a trusted advocate in the home for the individual. The Life Care Manager, who offers 24/7 on-call coverage, works closely with the client, the family, and with Intermountain care management teams to develop and execute a Life Plan that consists of the seven essential elements of wellbeing: Health and wellness; Social Supports; Purpose and Passion; Thinking and Memory; Home and Safety; Finances; and Identity. 

“Data shows that 90 percent of the factors that cause a re-hospitalization are outside of the scope of the medical model,” Theisen said. “There’s really no source in the community anymore that helps address those outside factors on an ongoing basis. That’s why our Life Care Manager role is so important and has been critical to driving the successful outcomes for our clients. Our Life Care Managers are highly trained in developing a Life Plan that tackles life challenges and adds purpose and passion, so each person can live what we call a sparked life.”

To learn more, watch this video introduction to Homespire.