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The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in Alexandria, VA, has received funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to launch a program improving access to quality hospice and palliative care to veterans, with a specific focus on reaching homeless veterans and those living in rural areas.
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The Joint Commission's revised standards, rationales and elements of performance for 2009 for home care, which includes hospice, now are available online.
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Nurses, therapists, home care aides, and others who serve elderly and disabled patients in their own homes drive nearly 5 billion miles each year.
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Case conferences can be an excellent way to improve communications between staff members and ensure that the plan of care is up to date. The challenge presented by case conferences for hospice and home health agencies is the staff's perception that time spent in meetings is not time well spent for patient care.
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Fifteen percent of Medicare home health agencies were cited for the same certification deficiency on three consecutive surveys, according to a report issued by the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services.
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Hospice staff members in areas directly affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike knew to prepare for gasoline shortages or inability to access gasoline due to power outages. However, when you are 800 miles away from the hurricane's landfall, your emergency plans don't typically plan for gasoline shortages.
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Winds that exceeded 80 miles per hour, storm surges that covered major streets, and power outages that lasted more than a week for many people were just a few of the effects of Hurricane Ike. The good news for Texas hospice and home health organizations is that their emergency plans worked well.
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There are two strategies that states can use to address the problem of low-income adults who can't afford health care, according to Jonathan Seib, a policy advisor to Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire in Olympia.
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Little changes can make a big difference. Although that message still is seen as counterintuitive by some health care experts, Trust for America's Health (TFAH) has concluded that an investment of $10 per person per year in proven community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking and other tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion a year within five years, or a return of $5.60 for every $1 invested.
