Sat.Jul 09, 2022 - Fri.Jul 15, 2022

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Medicare Home Health Cuts Could Have Ripple Effect on Hospice, Palliative Care

Hospice News

Margin pressures from the proposed cuts to Medicare home health rates could impact palliative care and hospice. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in June released its proposed home health reimbursement rule for 2023, which included a 4.2% reduction in aggregate payments totaling an estimated $810 million. The agency cited budget neutrality requirements to explain the cuts, as well as adjustments related to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), a new payment system

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AlayaCare Launches Built-in Secure Messaging Feature for Home-based Care Providers

AlayaCare

The all-new feature promotes increased collaboration, transparency, and connectivity amongst care staff with end-to-end encryption for data protection and compliance with health information privacy laws. RICHMOND HILL, N.Y. - July 12, 2022 - AlayaCare , leading global home care software, today announced the release of Secure Messaging. Available on both AlayaCare web and mobile applications, the new feature allows back-office staff and care teams to communicate and exchange important information

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5 case studies: When is it time for palliative care versus hospice?

HopeHealth

Many patients with life-limiting illnesses can receive a palliative care consultation even if they aren’t ready for hospice. Understand how palliative care and hospice are similar yet different. The post 5 case studies: When is it time for palliative care versus hospice? appeared first on HopeHealth.

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Celebrating Hospice and Palliative Medicine as the Fifth Largest Medical Subspecialty

Pallimed

by Christian Sinclair ( @ctsinclair ) We have entered a new age! Spread the word! Hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) is the fifth largest medical subspecialty! You may have sensed we have been climbing the ranks, but I bet you are still surprised. A close look at the fellowship match data from Dec 2021, shows that HPM has the fifth highest number of matched applicants, behind the big 4: Cardiovascular, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Hematology and Oncology, and Gastroenterology.

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3 Reasons to Retire Pagers from Healthcare Settings

Let's discuss the trusty pager—an old favorite that’s losing its shine in hospitals and clinics. While once a staple in hospitals and clinics, pagers now present significant limitations that hinder rather than facilitate communication among healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals are constantly on the move, and they need communication tools that can keep up with their fast-paced lives.

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What’s Fueling the Hospice JV Furnace

Hospice News

More hospice and palliative care providers are pursuing joint ventures with hospitals and health systems. Joint ventures offer unique advantages compared to traditional referral streams, according to Aaron Stein, COO of Contessa Health, a subsidiary of Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED). Joint ventures allow providers to develop integrated care models that build improved transitions of care, said Stein.

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AlayaCare Launches Built-in Secure Messaging Feature for Home-based Care Providers

AlayaCare

The all-new feature promotes increased collaboration, transparency, and connectivity amongst care staff with end-to-end encryption for data protection and compliance with health information privacy laws. RICHMOND HILL, N.Y. – July 12, 2022 – AlayaCare , leading global home care software, today announced the release of Secure Messaging. Available on both AlayaCare web and mobile applications, the new feature allows back-office staff and care teams to communicate and exchange important

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Walking for Fitness and Friendship

Chicago Caregiving

8 great Chicago area walking paths for older adults. Exercise contributes to healthy aging — that much everyone can agree on. But you don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to boost your physical activity. All you need is a path and a good pair of sneakers, because walking is one of the best forms of exercise. Walking regularly can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety and depression, according to America Walks , a nonprofit th

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Tech Startup Autumn Launches Death Care Digital Marketplace

Hospice News

Tech startup Autumn has developed a death care digital marketplace to connect bereaved families with services. The company launches today following a $600,000 pre-seed funding round led by the investment firm Bullish Inc. To build its marketplace, Autumn has aggregated more than 500,000 local service providers, the startup reported. These include accountants, appraisers, attorneys, funeral homes, grief specialists, and other organizations that help families address the legal, financial, and logi

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The 12-Hour Nursing Shift: Preferred by Staff, but Good for Patients?

AJN Off the Charts

A new study finds reduced communication skills after consecutive shifts but no clinical deficits. Twelve-hour shifts have been a mainstay of nursing schedules since they began as a staffing strategy in the 1970s, but debate continues about their effect on nurses’ health and ability to safely care for patients. Studies have examined both aspects of the issue.

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What It’s Like… to Work as an ICU Travel Nurse

Daily Nurse

While you may have heard about what it’s like to work as a travel nurse, have you ever thought about travel nurses who work in the ICU? Daisy Award-winner Deji “DJ” Folami, RN is an ICU registered nurse from Oklahoma with Cross Country Healthcare, who specializes in critical care nursing and travel nursing. He told […].

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Real-Life Examples of HIPAA Violations and How to Avoid Them

Speaker: Jack Clough, Chief Growth Officer

Download our 30-minute webinar where we delve into real-life examples of HIPAA violations and preventative measures every organization should know! You will learn: The critical factors that lead to HIPAA violations and how to identify them. Three compelling real-life cases of organizations that faced severe HIPAA penalties. Proven strategies to safeguard YOUR organization against HIPAA violations.

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Study: Black Adults’ High Cardiovascular Disease Risk not Due to Race

Minority Nurse

Findings from a new Northwestern Medicine study rebut the idea that Black individuals’ higher risk of cardiovascular disease is because of biological differences. “The key take-home message is that racial differences in cardiovascular disease are not due to race itself, which is a social concept that is not related to biology.”. Black adults are at significantly higher risk (1.6-2.4 times) for cardiovascular disease than white adults.

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AccentCare CMO Loengard: Palliative Care a ‘Huge Opportunity’

Hospice News

Home-based care provider AccentCare has been busy since its merger with Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, exploring new technologies and care delivery strategies, as well as expanding business lines. The two companies merged in early 2021 with designs on building a seamless care continuum in the home setting and recently unified all of its business lines under the AccentCare brand.

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UV Safety Awareness Month

Freedom Home Care and Medical Staffing

Like clockwork, Summer is here and the sun is hot! While the sun is a good source of Vitamin D and mood-boosting, it is important to enjoy it safely. July is UV Safety Awareness Month to highlight the risks associated with too much sun exposure and how to protect you and your loved ones from the sun’s radiation or UV rays. The Science Behind the Sun’s Radiation.

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AHA Adds Sleep to List of Heart Disease Health Factors

Daily Nurse

In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) defined “Life’s Simple 7TM,” the seven health behaviors and factors people can improve to help achieve optimal cardiovascular health. And now they’re adding an eighth: sleep. “Sleep is related to every single one of the other seven elements—it’s closely tied to weight, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, what we […].

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The Ultimate Guide to Improving Caregiver Engagement & Retention

Want to learn how to retain your caregivers & improve caregiver retention X3? The home care industry is experiencing turnover rates of over 80%. How are you ensuring your agency is retaining caregivers? This FREE eBook from Smartcare Software is packed with industry secrets needed to keep your caregivers happy, engaged, and retained, unlocking the full potential of your agency.

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Health is Wealth… So Manage It Wisely!

Minority Nurse

All my life I have rarely been sick, in fact there have only been two times that I can recall. So, about three months ago when I started feeling bad, it was out of the ordinary. I did not have any obvious symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, runny nose etc. I just had a lack of energy and no appetite. During this time it made me realize that “I would rather have great health, more than any material thing”; not that I do not like nice things or places.

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Sequestration’s Return Creating a ‘Tsunami of Pain Points’ for Hospices

Hospice News

The return of sequestration is adding to the financial storms brewing in hospice, as providers contend with rising costs of delivering patient care, inflation and lackluster reimbursement. Providers are increasingly concerned about their ability to sustain their businesses through choppy waters, calling on regulators to step up support. After a moratorium during the pandemic, Medicare sequestration resumed July 1.

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75 Caregiver Interview Questions to Help You Hire the Right Caregivers

Home Care Pulse

Article Contents: – Introduction. – General Questions to Reveal Character and Compatibility. – Questions About Past Experience to Determine Starting Point. – Skill-Based Questions to Assess Role Competency. – Hypothetical Scenarios to Test Thought Process. – Questions to Help You Understand their Needs as an Employee. – Asking the Right Questions Doesn’t Stop Here.

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ENA Presents Lantern Award to 29 Emergency Depts

Daily Nurse

On Wednesday, the Emergency Nurses Association announced that 29 emergency departments are being honored with the prestigious ENA Lantern Award – the only award dedicated to showcasing EDs for their outstanding work. “These emergency departments are doing so many remarkable improvements and initiatives and they deserve to be honored for their work,” said ENA President Jenn […].

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Best Practices for Sharing Protected Health Information (PHI)

Explore essential topics in this ebook, including what constitutes PHI and how to identify it using 18 indicators. Gain insights into the importance of safeguarding PHI to protect patient privacy and learn about the severe consequences of HIPAA violations. Discover practical strategies for securely exchanging PHI within your healthcare organization, including assessing risks and implementing effective safeguards.

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Top 7 Incontinence Products for the Elderly

Caring Senior Service

As we get older, incontinence becomes more common. The pelvic floor muscles and bladder naturally become weaker. Medications can contribute to incontinence. Additionally, some health conditions, like arthritis, can impact a senior’s ability to get to the bathroom in time. Whatever the reason, incontinence can become a source of frustration and embarrassment.

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Hospices Pursue Home-Base Primary Care Via HCCI Project

Hospice News

A group of 17 Illinois health care organizations is collaborating to expand access to home-based primary care, including a number of hospice and palliative care providers. The providers are participating in the Illinois House Care Project, an initiative by the Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI). The project follows up on a similar HCCI program conducted in Florida in which providers saw a collective 25% increase in home-based primary care patient volume, as well as reductions in facility utiliz

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For Hispanic Californians, Drop in Life Expectancy Was 3 Times Greater than Whites in Pandemic

Minority Nurse

The life expectancy of Californians decreased by about three years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by UCLA researchers and colleagues published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research further shows that life expectancy for Hispanic, Asian and Black Californians decreased more than for white Californians and that the gap in life expectancy between those living in the highest- and lowest-income census tracts increased, from a difference of about

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ICN: Increase in Strike Action by Nurses is a Symptom of Global Healthcare Crisis

Daily Nurse

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) says the alarming rise in the number of nurses taking strike action across the world is a direct response to governments’ failure to tackle the root causes of our fragile, severely weakened, and in some cases collapsing healthcare systems. Across the globe, ICN has identified numerous examples of nurses […].

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The Essential Guide to HIPAA-Compliant Messaging for Home Care Teams

Explore the risks posed by non-compliant consumer apps like Instagram and WhatsApp in healthcare settings. Learn about potential HIPAA penalties and use a self-evaluation flowchart to determine your organization's need for HIPAA-compliant messaging. Discover straightforward steps to implement secure communication solutions efficiently, ensuring compliance and protecting patient data effectively.

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Broken Heart Syndrome and How to Help Those Who are Grieving

Responsive Home Care

In his documentary about grief, George Shelley uses the analogy of glitter. If you toss glitter into the air, it’ll land in all of the cracks and crevices of the room, and it’ll be nearly impossible to fully sweep up and remove. Individuals who have lost a loved one can relate. Yet in some instances, […]. The post Broken Heart Syndrome and How to Help Those Who are Grieving appeared first on Responsive Home Care.

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Hospice Advocacy Groups Ask Congress for Action on Proposed 2023 Medicare Rates

Hospice News

More than a dozen hospice advocacy groups have called on congressional leadership to intervene in a proposed 2.7% bump in Medicare payments, which they say is insufficient in light of COVID-19 and staffing headwinds. The organizations signed a letter to party leaders in both chambers of Congress. Signatories included the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI),

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Long-Term Care Nurse Fired for Not Falsifying Documentation

Nurse.com

A long-term care nurse shared that her facility was accused of negligence in failing to use bed rails properly to prevent residents from falling out of bed. . The report was denied by the organization. As a result, the RN was asked to complete an assessment of the entire facility for bed rail use. The RN did the assessment and documented her results.

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Tips for Differentiating Between Pressure Injuries and Moisture Associated Skin Damage (MASD)

Daily Nurse

When it comes to staging pressure injuries (PI) and identifying moisture-associated skin damage (MASD) it can be challenging. Both types of wounds have similar presentation and show up consistently on the same parts of the body. Pressure Injury Basics Pressure injuries (PI) result when prolonged pressure impairs blood flow to an area by compressing tissues/vessels. […].

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The Cost of Inefficient Communication in Home Care & Beyond

This eBook explores the critical issues of using consumer-grade messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS in healthcare, especially home care. It highlights the negative impacts on patient care quality, data security, and HIPAA compliance and provides practical solutions to enhance communication efficiency! You will learn how to: Consolidate Messaging Platforms: Streamline communication by reducing the use of multiple apps, improving efficiency in patient care.

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Game on, Fraudsters. Game on

Today's Caregiver

Between phishing and Social Security scams, telemarketing fraudsters, and even sweepstake lottery scams, protecting our loved ones financial security is an ongoing battle.

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Closure of Pennsylvania Hospice House Ignites Community Protests

Hospice News

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Somerset health system is halting inpatient services at its Pennsylvania-based hospice facility, effective Aug. 1. Closure of the In Touch Hospice center has inflamed the community, with cries growing louder to urge UPMC to reconsider the move. The health system cited declining patient admissions as the main reason for ending services.

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Go Beyond Gratitude: How to Honor Your Nurse Managers

Nurse.com

Throughout the pandemic surges that ravaged our healthcare system, we at The DAISY Foundation stood in awe of nurses’ commitment to extraordinary care. Their courage, their dedication to their teams, their innovative solutions to caring for such sick patients, and their compassion to patients and families were truly breathtaking. The DAISY Award nominations we read were powerful statements of what was going on at the point of care.

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A Career In Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

Diversity Nursing

While physical health is undoubtedly important, so is Mental Health. Millions of Americans are affected by mental illness each year. Psychiatric Nurses have the specialized knowledge and skills needed to treat these illnesses. According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), Psychiatric Nurses make up the second largest group of behavioral health professionals in the U.S.

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The Secret to Supercharging Your Organizations Communications

Effective collaboration among all care team members is critical to delivering better patient outcomes. A key element to achieving effective collaboration is through the implementation of a clinical communication and collaboration platform. In a fast-paced, high-stress and critical environment, people tend to do whatever gets the job done. Therefore will scramble and use the systems, people, or processes around them to get an outcome more quickly - which can often be at the expense of quality.