2022

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Social Workers Leaving Hospice, Health Care in Record Numbers

Hospice News

Hospice have lost social worker employees at a faster rate than any health care setting in the care continuum. . Social workers have left the health care field at record-high rates during the pandemic, according to data from the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker. As of October 2021, attrition rates exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 35%.

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3 Types of Caregiver Anxiety

Sustainable Caregiving

It is helpful to understand the type of caregiver anxiety we are experiencing so that we use the proper techniques to counter the effects. For example, mental anxiety can be aggravated by trying to problem-solve with thoughts. Calming our thoughts is the key to relieving anxiety, which is very challenging when thoughts are swirling, and … 3 Types of Caregiver Anxiety Read More ยป.

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Why Vulnerability Is a Powerful Tool for Caregivers

Caregiver Warrior

Vulnerability is a powerful tool for caregivers that offers a chance to get help, support and relief. The post Why Vulnerability Is a Powerful Tool for Caregivers appeared first on Caregiver Warrior.

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Hospice pioneers

Hospice Volunteering

This is a lovely piece about Margaret Anderson, who founded Ian Anderson House, a hospice in Oakville Ontario 25 years ago. She had cared for her husband when he was dying and wanted to make sure that others could have the same kind of care. Iโ€™d heard of the hospice but never knew the story behind it. [link].

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The Evolution of Communication in Healthcare Settings

Healthcare communication has evolved from handwritten notes and paper charts to digital tools like EHRs, telemedicine, and AI-powered platforms. This blog explores how these advancements improve patient outcomes, streamline care delivery, and enhance provider collaboration. Learn about the role of mobile health (mHealth) apps, secure messaging, and social media in bridging communication gaps.

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How the U.S. Will Revamp Family Caregiver Support

Hospice News

Without family caregivers, many hospice patients would be unable to receive care in their homes. To help keep patients at home โ€” the lowest-cost setting of care โ€” the federal government recently unveiled a National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, which has more than two decadeโ€™s worth of advocacy behind it. . The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the strategy late last month.

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Caregiving: Embrace Your Journey

Sustainable Caregiving

“Stress is caused by being here but wanting to be there. Or being in the present but wanting to be … Caregiving: Embrace Your Journey Read More ยป. The post Caregiving: Embrace Your Journey appeared first on Sustainable Caregivingโ„ข.

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Calm Your Nervous System: Building Emotional Health for PSWs and Nurses

Life & Death Matters

Guest Blog developed in collaboration with Jessica Knox, A Balanced Body. โ€œIf my body can learn dysregulated ways of coping, it could also learn healthy routes to recovery.โ€ Dr. Nicole LePera December is here. We are at the end of another difficult year where healthcare providers and communities wrestled with the ongoing pandemic issues and […].

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The Case for Integrating Social Determinants Into Palliative Care

Hospice News

Individually, palliative care and social determinants programs both have the potential to improve quality of life and reduce costs โ€” but that potential may be greater when the two are combined. Social determinants are non-medical needs that can have a significant impact on the trajectory of patientsโ€™ health, such as nutrition, transportation, social or caregiver support, and housing, among others.

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Construct Your Caregiver Support System

Sustainable Caregiving

When we experience a significant life change, our support network often changes. Therefore, it isnโ€™t surprising that we will want to rethink and recreate our support system when we step or fall headfirst into a caregiving role. When we think of a support system, we often think of people. While people can be an essential … Construct Your Caregiver Support System Read More ยป.

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Comics and Humor in Palliative Care: A Podcast with Nathan Gray

GeriPal

Summary Transcript Summary. Comics. Cartoons. Graphic Novels. Graphic Medicine. Iโ€™m not sure what to title this podcast but Iโ€™ve been looking forward to it for some time. Heck, Iโ€™m not even sure to call it a podcast, as I think to get the most out of it you should watch it on YouTube. Why, because today we have Nathan Gray joining us. Nathan is a Palliative Care doctor and an assistant professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins.

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3 Reasons to Retire Pagers from Healthcare Settings

Let's discuss the trusty pagerโ€”an old favorite thatโ€™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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The Basics of Medical Alert Systems

Aging Life Care Association

Thinking about using a Medical Alert System / Personal Emergency Response System? ALCA Corporate Partner David Michaels shares the basics of Medical Alert Systems to help determine the best system for you or your aging loved one. What You Need to Know Before Choosing a Medical Alert System by David Michaels, Aging Life Care Associationยฎ … Continue reading The Basics of Medical Alert Systems → The post The Basics of Medical Alert Systems appeared first on Aging Life Care Association.

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5 opportunities where technology can help home care agencies grow

AlayaCare

For the home care industry, the next couple of decades are clear: the need for services will rise in step with the population of older adults. People ages 65 years and above is projected to rise to 86.7 million by 2050 accounting for approximately 20% of the U.S. population. Governments are increasingly turning to home care providers as a means of alleviating strapped hospital resources and a shortage of long-term care facilities.

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More Medical Schools Investing in Palliative Care Education

Hospice News

Palliative care education programs are gaining speed regionally, leading some to hope for a โ€œdomino effectโ€ that would spur further growth. Without widespread change, demand for palliative care in the United States is projected to outstrip the supply of the clinicians trained to provide it during the next decade. A key barrier to building that workforce is that most clinicians receive little to no exposure to those types of care during their training.

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Hospice Regulations May Be Adversely Affecting Dementia Patients

Hospice News

Regulators have been zeroing in on longer lengths of stay in hospice, but patients with dementia may be caught in the crossfire. . Two policy changes have corresponded with reductions in hospice enrollment among dementia patients, a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found. These include the audit system created by Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014, and the two-tiered reimbursement for routine home care that reduced payment amoun

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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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Medication Shortages Imperil Hospice Access, Quality

Hospice News

Hospice providers and patients are having difficulty procuring medications due to nationwide drug shortages, threatening quality of care and patientsโ€™ access to hospice. These include essential drugs for pain and symptom management. The scope of the shortages seems to be widening. Slightly more than 240 medications were in short supply at the close of Q1 2022, compared to 195 during the same period in 2016, according to data from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

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CMS Final Rule Gives Hospice 3.8% Pay Raise for 2023

Hospice News

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will give hospices a 3.8% bump in their per diem payments for 2023, according to a final rule published today. The reimbursement increase is larger than the 2.7% the agency initially proposed for next year. A number of providers and industry organizations voiced concerns that proposed amount was too low to account for COVID-19 headwinds, rising labor costs, and inflation.

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Some Families May Not Access Hospice Without Caregiver Support

Hospice News

The nationโ€™s health care system is lacking in support for caregivers of the terminally ill, who are often left with a heavy financial and logistical burden. Without assistance or relief, these difficulties can impede access to hospice. Research has shown that patients who are faced with end-of-life decisions may be less likely to choose hospice unless they have a network of friends or family who can serve as home caregivers.

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Serious Illness Care Quality, Communications Lacking for Black Hospice Patients

Hospice News

When it comes to communication and quality of care for Black patients, recent data reinforces the notion that hospices have room to grow. The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) recently released key findings in its research review aimed at uncovering disparities in serious illness care quality and patient experiences among underserved populations.

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The Role of Technology in Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is transforming healthcare by enabling providers to track patient health outside traditional clinical settings. This blog explores the role of technology in RPM, including wearable devices, mobile apps, and connected medical tools that collect and share real-time data. Discover how RPM expands care access, improves outcomes, enhances patient engagement, and reduces costs by shifting from reactive to proactive care.

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Congress Takes Up Bill to Expand Advance Care Planning

Hospice News

U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced a bill designed to foster greater access to advance care planning (ACP) among Medicare beneficiaries. In enacted, the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act would permit social workers to conduct ACP services, remove co-pays and patient fees, and promote provider education about associated billing codes.

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Hospices Leverage Partnerships to Scale Palliative Care Programs

Hospice News

Limited pathways to reimbursement and workforce shortages are the largest hurdles for growth among community-based palliative care programs. Building partnerships with other providers can help mitigate these barriers, according to Dr. Nathan Goldstein, professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Some providers have a learning curve around the complex process of working out payer contracts and sustainable business models for their community-bas

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CMS Report: Concurrent Hospice, Curative Care a Winning Proposition

Hospice News

The Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in has been the focus of much attention among providers, and many are watching closely for the demonstrationโ€™s outcomes. But for the past four years, a lesser-known payment model demo, the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM), has been hitting every target โ€” reducing costs, improving quality and family satisfaction and keeping patients in their homes.

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CMS: Hospice Recertification Via Telehealth Ends With COVID PHE

Hospice News

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reiterated that the agency will not allow hospices to recertify patients after the COVID-19 public health emergency expires. . CMS published a blog and a series of fact sheets today that the agency described as a โ€œ roadmap โ€ for health care providers to navigate the regulatory changes that will come when the PHE ends.

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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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Hospice Market to Nearly Double by 2030; Palliative Care to See Large Gains

Hospice News

Rising demand and demographic tailwinds are propelling rapid growth in both the hospice and palliative care markets. But ongoing labor pressures remain a risk point. A large concern is whether there will be enough hospice and palliative care providers to keep pace with demand, according to Brian Tanquilut, equity analyst in health care services at investment banking company Jeffries LLC.

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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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The Rise of Tech-Enabled Grief Care

Hospice News

A proliferating number of startups is developing tech solutions and services to support bereaved families, employing a range of business models โ€” including partnerships with hospices. This budding industry includes a number of rapidly expanding companies of varying size and scale. Some, such as the tech firms Empathy and Betteleave, have secured millions in investor backing.

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CMMI Working on Payment Models That Include Palliative Care

Hospice News

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is developing new reimbursement pathways for palliative care. As part of that process, CMMI is applying elements of its Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) demonstration, which ended Dec. 31, 2021, according to a new CMMI white paper. MCCM was designed to test the impact of concurrent hospice and curative care. “Aspects of MCCM are being used in the development of new CMS Innovation Center models related to palliative care,” the

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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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M&A Buyers Scour Hospice Financials for Compliance Risks

Hospice News

Buyers in a hot hospice M&A market are bringing compliance under a microscope as regulators keep a tight watch. All hospice transactions undergo some type of compliance review. But thereโ€™s nothing routine about these reviews in todayโ€™s current hospice regulatory environment. Combing through a hospiceโ€™s referral streams and financial or claims data can help identify potential compliance issues.

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U.S. Senators Call on CMS to Boost Palliative Care Resources

Hospice News

A bipartisan group of nine U.S. Senators have written to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, calling for a payment model demonstration designed to support greater access to palliative care. The lawmakers urged the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to develop a dedicated community-based palliative care benefit, which has been a longstanding goal for providers and industry advocacy groups.

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HHS Unveils National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers

Hospice News

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers to assist those who care for seriously ill loved ones. The strategy contains close to 350 actions that the federal government plans to take to support caregivers in the company year, as well as 150 recommendations that could be adopted at the state or local levels or in the private sector.

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Hospices Pay a High Price For Physician Burnout

Hospice News

Physician burnout costs hospices โ€” both literally and figuratively โ€” whether it occurs among their own medical staff or with their referral partners. One of the most damaging effects is higher turnover. Burnout causes a sizable contingent of physicians to leave their jobs and has only grown more prevalent during the pandemic. This not only contributes to hospicesโ€™ own labor shortages, but disrupts relationships with other providers.

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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.