North Carolina is introducing the Coordinated Caregiving program for caregivers who are caring for loved ones at home. As part of the program, Seniorlink, a leading provider of technology-enabled health services, has been approved to provide remote coaching services and financial support to family caregivers.

Coordinated Caregiving is part of the State’s plan to increase access to community-based, long-term care for growing numbers of older adults and adults with disabilities, including those living in rural communities. Using a proprietary, HIPAA-secure care collaboration app called Vela, Seniorlink’s experienced team of care coaches will complete assessments and develop family-centered plans to provide families with the support they need to manage their loved one’s medical conditions and other caregiving challenges.

As part of the launch, Seniorlink hired Shannon Butler-Greene as Program Manager to lead its operations, based in her hometown of Charlotte. In her new role, Butler-Greene will draw from her experience as a Senior Director of an Assisted Living residence as well as her personal experience as a caregiver.

“Through this new Coordinated Caregiving program, families will develop confidence and peace of mind knowing they have dedicated coaches available to support them, when they need it. Now more than ever, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, families are desperately trying to help loved ones stay safe and healthy at home. We are pleased to help North Carolina deliver on this promise to help family caregivers care for their loved ones at home,” said Butler-Greene.

Family caregiving had been growing prior to COVID-19 and has accelerated since the onset of the pandemic as families seek to provide quality care services for their loved ones from home. More than 1 in 5 Americans are caregivers, totaling about 53 million adults – up from about 43.5 million in 2015. In North Carolina, 59 percent of caregivers are caring for a person age 65 and older, and more than one-third are caring for a person between the ages of 18-64.

North Carolina Medicaid introduced Coordinated Caregiving as part of the Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) Waiver earlier this year. Seniorlink will begin services in 30 counties that include rural and metropolitan areas in the Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte areas.