Hospice
Nurse shortfall could approach half million in three years: research
The U.S. could face a labor gap of up to 450,000 nurses by 2025, according to new research out Wednesday. An analysis from McKinsey & Company specifically found a potential shortage of between 200,000 and 450,000 nurses who are available for direct patient care. To correct this, the U.S. would “need to more than double […]
Read MoreMore than 90% of healthcare workers have experienced violence
A whopping 92% of healthcare workers say they’ve experienced or been close to violence on the job. That’s according to a new survey from Perceptyx, which noted the violence came from a patient or a patient’s caregiver in the past month for 9 in 10 survey respondents. Another 3 in 4 respondents have encountered both verbal […]
Read MoreHome-Based Care Providers See Staffing Tailwinds from Inflation, Travel Nursing Decrease
The staffing situation has been dire in home-based care for a long time, but there could finally be tailwinds slowly gaining momentum at providers’ backs. There is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting that the home health and home care labor markets could get a boost from two somewhat unexpected types of workers: sidelined ones […]
Read MoreHospice Regulations May Be Adversely Affecting Dementia Patients
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 […]
Read MoreHospices Have High Hopes for PCHETA, But Is It Enough?
Stakeholders in the hospice space are optimistic that Congress will pass the recently reintroduced Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA). While some see the bill as a beacon of hope, sustainable change will likely require more than a single piece of legislation. The legislation has percolated for the past five years without passing, but COVID […]
Read MoreContract Nurse Utilization Normalizing, But Hospice Staffing Situation Remains Dire
With hospice providers reporting fewer staff in quarantine, many hope to reduce their utilization of temp nursing services — as well as the higher labor costs that come with them. But the reality won’t be that simple. Indicators suggest that demand for temp nurses is dipping slightly, and rates may be starting to fall. However, […]
Read MoreHome-Based Care Leaders Discuss Staffing-Woe Mitigation, ‘Ghosting’ in Recruiting
Though staffing remains the top challenge for the home-based care industry, providers agree that there isn’t one universal panacea. Instead, there are various approaches that have yielded results for different agencies across the country. One of these approaches is making sure that potential clinicians and caregivers know about the job opportunities that exist within home-based […]
Read MoreHome-Based Care Stakeholders Echo US Surgeon General’s Health Care Workforce Shortage Concerns
Home-based care stakeholders agree with the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy that burnout among the nation’s health care staff could lead to an even more severe worker shortage. The ongoing staffing crisis in home-based care and other health care sectors was the topic of discussion this week as Vice President Kamala Harris visited the […]
Read MorePalliative Perspective: Aligning Melanoma Treatment with Patient Goals
There is room for improvement in dermatology palliative care; training can help providers raise that standard. Patients with serious dermatologic illnesses such as melanoma need more palliative care than they presently receive, according to a recent editorial in JAMA Dermatology. And dermatologists are already well-positioned to deliver such care, authors add.1 “While dermatology and palliative care […]
Read MoreLung Cancer Care: How to Improve Quality of Life
Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer.1 Currently, it is estimated that 541,000 people living in the United States have been diagnosed with lung cancer.2 As a result, many people are going through lung cancer treatment or care at any one time. Compared to some other types of cancer, there is considerable […]
Read MoreWalking Speed Helps Predict Future Dementia
A combined drop in both walking speed and cognitive function was tied to an increased risk of dementia, a study of nearly 17,000 older adults showed. Dual decline in gait speed and cognition carried a higher risk of dementia than either gait-only decline or cognitive-only decline, reported Taya Collyer, PhD, of Monash University in Victoria, […]
Read MoreHHS takes on climate change, and home care and hospice leaders cheer
Leaders in the home care and hospice industry are hailing the Department of Health and Human Services’ new Office of Environmental Justice. Louisiana Home Care Association CEO Warren Hebert told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse the effort to protect vulnerable communities against climate change is “a very prudent move,” as hurricane season approaches and destruction from last year’s Hurricane […]
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