Hospice Management Advisor articles from June 2004

Hospice Management Advisor archives from June 2004

Michigan hospice shows how to bridge gaps between hospice, nursing homes; conflicting policies cause opportunities to be lost.
June 1, 2004... There are strong indications that hospices are making progress in improving the plight of end-of-life patients in the nation's nursing homes. Even so, experts say, substantial regulatory and cultural barriers remain to make it a daunting task....

Study: use curative and palliative care for children; author urges taking palliative care mainstream.
June 1, 2004... People caring for profoundly ill children must meet their patients social, psychological, and spiritual needs as well as their medical needs, say the authors of an article published in the April 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine....

Counseling, support aid Alzheimer's caregivers; relieving harmful stress is the goal.
June 1, 2004... A combination of counseling and support services may reduce the risk of depression in people caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease, a new study says. The study, published in the May 1 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry,...

Changes may be coming for Medicare termination: notices may now be required in all instances.(Guest Column)
June 1, 2004... A recent court ruling in a lawsuit may mean that home health agencies will be required to provide notice to Medicare patients whenever services are reduced or discontinued. The suit in question, Healey v. Thompson, was filed in 1998, just...

Should dying patients be research subjects? Ethicists worry research would erode respect.(Guest Column)
June 1, 2004... An experimental blood oxygenation device has the potential to help thousands of patients with severe emphysema or other lung conditions. The device has been thoroughly tested in laboratory animals, but human trials would involve major invasive...

More flu vaccines urged for health care workers; recommendation for health care worker vaccination.(Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)
June 1, 2004... In response to unacceptably low influenza immunization rates among health care workers, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has issued specific recommendations to health care facilities to develop and...

NHPCO observes National Volunteer Week.(National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in Alexandria, VA, has recognized volunteers as integral members of hospice's interdisciplinary care team, providing comfort and compassion to those facing a life-limiting illness....

NHPCO, Aetna collaborate on training.(National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in Alexandria, VA, will provide information and educational assistance to help train case managers working on Aetna's Compassionate Care program. Aetna, one of the nation's...

Common senior health care mistakes identified.(Institute for Healthcare Advancement)
June 1, 2004... Based upon information gathered for educational courses and books, the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) in La Habra, CA has identified the 10 most common health care mistakes made by seniors. "Seniors are enjoying themselves and...

Improved outcomes in pain management.(News From the End of Life)
June 1, 2004... Kathleen Rose, RN, MSHSA, president and CEO of Vineyard Nursing Association in Oak Bluffs, MA, and Sandi Corr-Dolby, RN, clinical director of Vineyard Nursing Association, will present "How to Integrate Pain Standards and Palliative Care...