How Community-Based Senior Care Programs Reduce Costs by 3x: A Data-Driven Analysis

Originally published as a full guide at signaturecare.ca If you work in health tech, social services data, or public policy systems — or if you're just a developer with aging parents navigating Quebec's care ecosystem — this breakdown is for you. Recent research on coordinated home care models like Vermont's Support and Services at Home (SASH) program offers a compelling data story: structured, preventative community care consistently outperforms reactive institutional care on both cost and outcome metrics. Let's unpack the numbers, the systems architecture behind these programs, and what it means practically for families in Montreal and beyond. The Core Model: How SASH Works as a System Think of SASH less as a "program" and more as a service orchestration layer for seniors aging at home. It coordinates multiple touchpoints under one care plan: ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SASH Coordination Layer │ ├──────────────┬──────────────┬────────────────────┤ │ Wellness