Hospice Management Advisor Archives – February 1, 2011
February 1, 2011
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Want to boost revenue by $300,000? Open a hospice consignment shop
Not only has the recession resulted in a 3.6% drop in charitable giving but 62% of Americans say they also have cut back on their spending since the recession began. -
Resale shops require creative approaches
"Location, location, location" is often cited as the key to success in the real estate market, and it is not that different in the retail business, says Debbie Ludvik, manager of the hospice resale shop at Hospice of the Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH. -
Advanced care planning conversations dropped from wellness exam
One of the more controversial components of the health care reform law has been the inclusion of advanced care planning as part of a Medicare annual checkup or wellness visit. -
Oklahoma hospital addresses EOL in facility
When Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City began looking at implementing palliative care and end-of-life services, the case management department was the appropriate place to start, says Anita Bell, RN, MEd CHPN, palliative care coordinator at the 508-bed facility. -
Know end-of-life issues in the Jewish religion
Judaism is practiced in many diverse ways in the United States, yet sometimes even non-practicing Jews still observe Jewish laws at the end of life, suggests Barry Kinzbrunner, MD, chief medical officer for VITAS Innovative Hospice Care in Miami. -
Home health workforce, sharps injuries grow
As the nation's population ages, a growing number of registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, and nurses' aides will be working in patients' homes rather than in hospitals. But many of them will be working without the basic safety devices that most nurses now take for granted, safety experts say. -
Advance directives give patients a voice
Completing advance directives should not be seen as a legal task. While there is a legal component to the document, it is primarily a communication task, says Charlie Sabatino, JD, director of the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Law and Aging in Washington, DC. -
Meds reconciliation becomes simpler
Revisions to The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) on reconciling medication information will provide some relief for hospice and home health providers when the changes become effective on July 1, 2011. -
Enforcement delayed for face-to-face requirement
In a welcome move, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a three-month suspension in enforcement of the hospice and home health face-to-face recertification requirements that were in effect on Jan. 1, 2011. The suspension followed a meeting between National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's (NHPCO) leadership and CMS officials. -
Nursing home residents with dementia use hospice
A study of nursing home records shows more residents with dementia are seeking hospice care and use the benefit for a longer period of time.1 The study, published in American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, used records of more than 3.8 million deceased nursing home residents. -
Will doctor shortage continue for hospices?
A report by a task force appointed by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) to assess the current and future need and availability of hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) physicians shows that an acute shortage exists and current programs do not have the capacity to fill projected needs. -
Bioactive peptides found to promote wound healing
Newly created bioactive peptides promote wound healing through the growth of new blood vessels and epithelial tissue, such as skin.