Evolve Takes on New California Partners

Photo by dietcheese, Pixabay

California’s state health care system is rapidly changing, and now Evolve is a larger part of that change.

Evolve has penned five contracts within the CalAIM program and will provide more services in California in coordination with California Health & Wellness, Health Net, CalViva, Kaiser Permanente, and Health Plan of San Joaquin. These new contracts represent a major expansion of Evolve’s service area and mean that more seniors and disabled people across California will get home modifications and other services that increase accessibility and safety and allow people to live independently at home.

“We are excited for our expansion into California to assist members with home modifications and asthma remediation services,” said Spike Cheever, director of business development for Evolve. “As California’s Medicaid-based healthcare system develops, this partnership should help them serve people whose needs go beyond the strictly medical to challenges related to independent living.”

As of 2020, about 15.6 percent of California’s population is aged 65 or older. That may seem like a low percentage—in Florida and Maine, for example, more than 21 percent of residents are seniors—but it represents nearly 6 million people. And like their peers nationwide, most Californians want to continue to live at home while they age. However, many may need certain supports to do so, ranging from in-home medical and homemaking services to home modifications that improve safety and accessibility.

Many of these environmental adaptations are simple and can be installed even in rental properties, Cheever noted: installing grab bars and wheelchair ramps can be done in a variety of residential settings. Other common modifications include widening doorways, replacing a tip with a walk-in or roll-in shower, and installing smart home technology that increases home security and that can be programmed with reminders that help seniors prepare for visits and appointments or take medication.

“Doing a small or large home modification can not only increase safety and potentially reduce the costs related to falls, but it can also improve an individual’s activities of daily living (ADLs), like bathing, toileting, brushing teeth and getting dressed,” Cheever said.

“We look forward to helping more California seniors get the help they need to live at home for as long as possible.”