-
Hospice services substantially improved the provision of care and support for nursing home patients dying of dementia and their families, according to an analysis of survey responses from hundreds of bereaved family members. The research comes as hospice funding has received particular scrutiny in the debate over Medicare spending.
-
Hospitalized patients who had conversations about religion and spirituality with the health care team were the most satisfied with their overall care. However, 20% of patients who would have valued these discussions say their desires went unmet, according to a new study by Joshua Williams from the University of Chicago and his colleagues.1 Their work appears on-line in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
-
Advance directives do have an impact on health care at the end of life, especially in regions of the country with high spending on end-of-life care, according to a University of Michigan study.
-
Successful partnerships in health care occur when both organizations have the same high standards of care and philosophy. It is also important to stay in touch with your community and understand what information they want and need to make good decisions about care, points out Flint Besecker, chief executive officer of the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Cheektowaga, NY.
-
Discussing and documenting patients' preferences for care at the end of life does not cause them any harm, contrary to recent claims. A new study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine found that patients who talk with their physicians about end-of-life care and have an advance directive in their medical record have similar survival rates as patients who do not have these discussions and documents.
-
This is the first of a two-part series that looks at effective media relations. This month, we look at proven strategies that result in media coverage of hospice events, services, and announcements. Next month, tips and strategies for handling media relations during a crisis are described.
-
Although there are many different ways to present information to reporters and editors to obtain media coverage, the key to each of them is to know your audience, according to experts interviewed by Hospice Management Advisor.
-
Medicaid patients facing serious or life-threatening illnesses incurred $6,900 less in hospital costs if they received palliative care, compared with a similar group of patients who received usual care, according to a new study.
-
Palliative care isn't just for hospice patients it is also used to manage the symptoms of those with chronic or advanced illnesses.
-
Language and cultural beliefs can affect the accuracy of pain assessment tools regularly used by hospice staff members, says Hank Willner, MD, medical consultant for Hospice Foundation of America and hospice medical director and palliative care consultant for Capital Caring in Falls Church, VA. Interpretation of visual and numeric scales may differ according to culture, he explains.
