Hospice Management Advisor articles from August 2002

Hospice Management Advisor archives from August 2002

HHS is spreading the word to bolster the use of hospice; agency clarifies Medicare hospice benefit for reluctant physicians.
August 1, 2002... One of the roadblocks to appropriate hospice admission has always been the six-month terminal illness diagnosis. Physicians complain that making such a prognostication amounts to fortune-telling and that patients can often live longer than six...

Liaisons can smooth out communication with docs; follow-up surveys also can improve performance.(communicating hospice information to physicians)
August 1, 2002... The need to pass on advice from the Department of Health and Human Services about interpretation of the six-month rule accentuates a basic challenge that hospices face constantly: communication with physicians. At Methodist Alliance Hospice...

MedPAC: payment evaluation needed; report paints a `rosy' picture of patient access.(Medicare payments for hospice care)
August 1, 2002... MedPAC, the congressional advisory panel on health care delivery and financing, has called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to evaluate the adequacy of Medicare's payments to hospices for providing end-of-life care to...

Massage therapy can have emotional benefit; power of touch is often understated.
August 1, 2002... Most people know massage therapy for its relaxation benefits, but its application to hospice care goes well beyond the physical. The power of therapeutic bodywork can help dying patients release pent-up emotions, such as fear and anger. ...

Patients kneading a massage? Here's a primer; find therapists trained in `informed touch'.
August 1, 2002... Massage therapy is a broad term that describes a discipline encompassing a number of techniques, says Adela Basayne, LMT, a private practice massage therapist in Portland, OR. The type of massage therapy most commonly used to treat anxiety...

Consortium helps members provide grief support; challenges of meeting grief needs. (Guest Column).
August 1, 2002... One of the challenges faced by hospices is a community expectation of hospice as a resource to address grief issues related to life transitions. Individuals facing their own or a loved one's serious illness, death, and grief frequently contact...

Home health patients expect less care. (News From the End of Life).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Elderly people receiving home care may lower their standards of acceptability for meal preparation, bathing, and housekeeping when faced with their available resources, according to a study conducted by a group of researchers from Washington...

Pocket-sized infection control handbook available. (News From the End of Life).(Home Care Handbook of Infection Control)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Home Care Handbook of Infection Control, a home care-specific quick reference, is now available from the Washington, DC-based Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). The comprehensive, pocket-sized...