Hospital Home Health articles from August 2008

Hospital Home Health archives from August 2008

HHA managers face difficult decisions in financial crises.
August 1, 2008... HHA managers face difficult decisions in financial crises Closing or changing services may be best move to stay in business It's a tough time to be a home health manager. For years, you've implemented new processes and new services...

Communicate clearly when closing a service.
August 1, 2008... Communicate clearly when closing a service Closing a home health agency branch office or an entire service line is more than just a business decision. The action affects a wide range of people with whom close relationships have developed...

How many "sacred cows" are still in your pasture?
August 1, 2008... How many "sacred cows" are still in your pasture? Catheters to prevent leaks are not best practices [Editor's note: This is the second article of a two-part series on how to reduce the risk of infection for patients with indwelling...

States expanding CD-PAS programs to offer flexibility.
August 1, 2008... States expanding CD-PAS programs to offer flexibility Consumer direction of personal assistance services (CD-PAS) can offer Medicaid beneficiaries flexibility and independence to individualize their services. Analysts recognize that having...

Comfort Pack reduces anxiety, improves care.
August 1, 2008... Comfort Pack reduces anxiety, improves care Emergency meds decrease visits to the ED An overnight delivery of pain medication that took four days and a charge of $125 for eight pills from a hospital pharmacy are two of the reasons that...

Case management starts at ICU, goes through discharge.
August 1, 2008... Case management starts at ICU, goes through discharge Seriously injured patients require long-term care Anna Gibson, RN, CDMS, a case manager specializing in catastrophic injuries and rehabilitation, typically gets a call when a...

News Briefs.
August 1, 2008... Hospice wage index for 2009 proposed The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released proposed changes to the Medi-are hospice wage index for FY 2009. The proposed rule would phase out over three years a payment adjustment...

CNE Objectives/Questions.
August 1, 2008... CNE Objectives After reading each issue of Hospital Home Health, the reader will be able to do the following: 1. Identify particular clinical, ethical, legal, or social issues pertinent to home health care. 2. Describe how those...