Hospice Management Advisor Archives – June 1, 2005
June 1, 2005
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New Caring Connections program gives consumers advance-directive info
When thousands of Americans suddenly decided last March they needed to think about end-of-life issues because of the publicity paid to Terri Schiavo’s hospice care and death, a new project called Caring Connections was readily available to provide them with the information they sought on advance directives. -
Program leads to innovative outreach and education
Wuesthoff Brevard Hospice and Palliative Care in Viera, FL, handed out 3,000 living wills and gave nearly 30 community presentations during the first six months after implementing the Caring Connections consumer engagement program. -
Pain medication providers face legal scrutiny
Federal regulators and civil litigators are forcing palliative care clinicians to be more vigilant with documentation and more cautious with pain medication prescriptions, a pain management expert says. -
Special-needs patients need care during disasters
While Floridians are relieved to be over the 2004 hurricane season and able to focus on the ongoing cleanup, other parts of the country have been dealing with snow and ice storms and flooding that disrupt transportation and the ability of people, including home health agency staff members, to perform daily duties as normal. One benefit of the unusual hurricane activity in Florida is the visible reminder to all home health agencies to make sure their emergency preparedness plans cover opportunities to help during an emergency. -
Use technology to improve your patients’ health
A recent study conducted by the Pennsylvania Homecare Association in Lemoyne and Penn State University in University Park shows the use of telehealth can increase efficiency as well as improve retention of nurses. -
Telehealth can affect staff retention, job satisfaction
The three-year study conducted by the Pennsylvania Homecare Association and Penn State University is designed to evaluate how telehealth affects not only patient care but also home health’s ability to continue providing care during the nursing shortage.