Hospice Management Advisor articles from January 2009

Hospice Management Advisor archives from January 2009

Regulatory changes top list of 2009 challenges for hospice.
January 1, 2009... Regulatory changes top list of 2009 challenges for hospice PI activities, data collection, frequent surveys new for agencies The year 2009 will represent a year of change for hospices with new conditions of participation, greater...

Behavioral changes might be biggest challenge in '09.
January 1, 2009... Behavioral changes might be biggest challenge in '09 Fiscal responsibility, more scrutiny to affect Change is never easy, but the toughest type of change is behavior or culture change within a hospice, says Susan Levitt, executive...

Hospice community to provide input on reform.
January 1, 2009... Hospice community to provide input on reform President-elect Obama has indicated that health care reform will be a top priority in his administration. Former Sen. Tom Daschle, (D-SD) who has accepted Obama's offer to serve as Health and...

Volunteers preserve memories for families.
January 1, 2009... Volunteers preserve memories for families Storykeepers record patient stories for posterity Asking hospice patients to share and record their stories not only provides enjoyment to the patients as they recall important moments in...

Accusations of theft by employees increase.
January 1, 2009... Accusations of theft by employees increase Proper hiring, supervision reduces risk to agency "Hospice nurse arrested for theft."... "Family accuses hospice nurse of stealing from patient." All hospice managers cringe when they...

Limits, disclosure avoid misunderstandings.
January 1, 2009... Limits, disclosure avoid misunderstandings Employees should never accept cash Hospice nurses, aides, and therapists do a wonderful job caring for their patients, so it is natural that the patients and families want to thank them with...

Background checks, references are important.
January 1, 2009... Background checks, references are important Gather info when former employers won't share Checking a potential employee's background is harder than ever, with previous employers reluctant to give much information about the employee...

Doctors' legal questions might result in patient pain.(Survey)
January 1, 2009... Doctors' legal questions might result in patient pain When treatment options dwindle or are exhausted, terminally ill patients often opt for pain management and comfort over life-extending therapies. However, researchers report that a lack...

Terminal patients given OK to administer lethal drugs.(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Terminal patients given OK to administer lethal drugs Washington state voters recently approved a measure permitting terminally ill adults to request and self-administer lethal medications prescribed by a physician, according to the...

Patient-controlled pain med can increase risk of errors.(Clinical report)
January 1, 2009... Patient-controlled pain med can increase risk of errors Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) allows patients to control their own pain medication, but a new study published in the December 2008 issue of The Joint Commission...

Number of patients grows by 3.8%.
January 1, 2009... Number of patients grows by 3.8% Hospices serve 1.4 million people Recently released data reflecting 2007 usage of hospice indicates that 38.8% of all deaths in the United States were under the care of hospice, up from 35% the...

Advanced certification created for social workers.
January 1, 2009... Advanced certification created for social workers Credential focuses on palliative and hospice care The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) have created the...

Woman who launched first hospice dies.
January 1, 2009... Woman who launched first hospice dies Florence Wald, a former Yale nursing dean whose interest in compassionate care led her to launch the first U.S. hospice program, has died, according to the Associated Press (AP). She was 91. She...

Hospital discharges to post-acute care on rise.
January 1, 2009... Hospital discharges to post-acute care on rise The annual number of patients discharged from U.S. community hospitals to home health care rose 53% between 1997 and 2006, while the number discharged to long-term care and other facilities...

Medicare issues home health PPS notice.
January 1, 2009... Medicare issues home health PPS notice The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a notice to update the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) for calendar year 2009. Medicare payments to home health agencies...