Hospice
New technologies and services unveiled to make aging in place easier
Two of the biggest names in home electronics separately rolled out services and technology Wednesday aimed at helping seniors age in place. Best Buy announced a deal with Amazon that will allow customers to connect to Best Buy’s Lively emergency services through Alexa-enabled devices. By linking the device to the service, seniors can tell Alexa they […]
Read MoreAcknowledging Barriers and Implementing Strategies to Reach Black People with Serious Illness
A growing body of research demonstrates disparities in access to palliative care services, care quality, and outcomes for Black patients living with a serious illness. The need for decisive and sustained action to reduce health care disparities is not new; however, it was elevated in recent years by three high-profile murders and the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black (as well as Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native) communities. In […]
Read MoreA Couples-Focused Approach to Terminal Illness
How does a partner navigate through their loved one’s terminal illness? More specifically, what qualities are needed in a partner when their loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness? Although well-intentioned, I found the framing of these questions lacking. In my estimation, the focus on the individual partner proves inadequate to address the complexity […]
Read MoreConnected Healthcare Takes Huge Leap Forward
For more than a quarter of a century, pundits and prognosticators have said that a revolution was forthcoming for connected healthcare. Yet it wasn’t until early 2020, when the pandemic arrived, that there was a sudden and urgent need to pivot to a connected framework. Suddenly, doctors and other medical professionals began substituting in-person visits […]
Read MoreThe Case for Contract Labor in Home-Based Care
Home-based care agencies have bemoaned contract labor over the past couple of years, especially as COVID-related staffing shortages have forced them to tap into these talent pools. New info commissioned by Boston-based health care staffing solutions platform IntelyCare paints contract labor in a different light, however. According to research put together by Oliver Wyman and […]
Read MoreRetail Overstaffing, Rising Inflation and Disappearing Mandates: What’s Improving the Labor Crisis in Home-Based Care
In mid-May, I stumbled upon a story. I had been talking to providers for other assignments when I heard a few of them mention off hand that the staffing situation for their companies had gotten better. Some had reasons why they believed that was turning, while others didn’t offer anything but gratitude that it was. Once […]
Read MoreACO Partnerships Could Open Doors for Palliative Care Providers
Exploring partnerships with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may help palliative care providers grow and sustain their programs, but they would need to prioritize cost effectiveness and their capacity to receive new patients. ACOs are among the many health care stakeholders that are grappling with the question of how to best serve the burgeoning population of […]
Read MoreMassive Shift in Nursing Tenures Indicate “the New Nurse” is the New Normal
The number of 12-hour shifts filled by nurses new to the organization within the last year rose by 55.5%. In March 2021, the median years at an organization for nurses working 12-hour shifts was 3.6; by March 2022 the median years was 2.78, signifying a 19.5% drop, according to a new study by Epic Research. The […]
Read MoreSupreme Court May Weigh In on Hospice FCA Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court may take up a False Claims Act (FCA) case involving Georgia-Based Bethany Hospice & Palliative Care LLC, despite indications from the U.S. Justice Department that such a review would be unnecessary. The case comes at a time when regulators are intensifying scrutiny on hospice providers, seeking to root out those who […]
Read MoreHospices Need a ’Huge Catapult’ to Replenish Workforce
If enacted, the recently reintroduced Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA) could make a dent in the recruitment barriers that hospices keep hitting. But clinical education will need a much larger boost to ensure a sustainable workforce, according to many providers. The training issue is a serious impediment to hospice recruitment, as very few students […]
Read MoreTerminally Ill Pediatric Patients Need Greater Access to Advance Care Planning
As awareness and acceptance of advance care planning gains ground among health care providers and the general public, children with life-limiting illnesses are sometimes left behind. Some stakeholders have sought to improve access to advance care planning for pediatric patients. Among them is the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recently released a set of guidelines to […]
Read MoreHigher IRS gas mileage rates no quick fix to caregiver crisis, NAHC says
The Internal Revenue Service is giving some relief to home care workers struggling to pay higher prices at the pump. Starting July 1, it is increasing the standard mileage rate for business travel by 4 cents to 62.5 cents. Although National Association for Home Care & Hospice President William Dombi applauded the move, he told McKnight’s Home Care […]
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