March, 2024

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CMS to Sunset Hospice VBID in 2024

Hospice News

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will end the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) as of Dec. 31, 2024. Often called the “hospice carve-in,” the program was designed to test coverage of hospice care through Medicare Advantage, in addition to some coverage of palliative care and transitional care. The hospice component, which launched in 2021, is part of the larger VBID demonstration, which covers a wider breadth of the health care continuum and

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Dying on the Street – Reflections of a Street Nurse, written by Shelley Tysick

Life & Death Matters

In the quiet moments between life and death, I’ve witnessed the raw essence of humanity. It’s not just about symptom management and care planning; it’s about holding space for souls who have lived experience with trauma, substance use disorders, and homelessness—the marginalized, the racialized, the invisible. It is meeting them where they are at and […] The post Dying on the Street – Reflections of a Street Nurse, written by Shelley Tysick appeared first on Life and Death Matters.

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End-of-Life Doulas: A Podcast with Jane Euler, Beth Klint, and John Loughnane

GeriPal

Summary Transcript Summary Please join Eric and Alex in person for the GeriPal pub crawl at the AAHPM/HPNA annual assembly in Phoenix, Thursday night 3/21 8PM. Starting bar is Luckys Indoor/Outdoor. Check out the Pub Crawl GeriPal post for more info, and follow #HPMParty on Twitter to keep us as we crawl! ** In the last several years, I’ve seen more and more articles about end-of-life doulas ( like this NY Times article from 2021 ).

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Tell me how I can help: Meet a hospice social worker

HopeHealth

“What would you like us to know about you, so we can care for you the way you want to be cared for?” Hospice social worker Laura McGuire usually asks patients this first. It’s just the beginning. The post Tell me how I can help: Meet a hospice social worker appeared first on HopeHealth.

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The Ultimate Guide to Improving Caregiver Engagement & Retention

Want to learn how to retain your caregivers & improve caregiver retention X3? The home care industry is experiencing turnover rates of over 80%. How are you ensuring your agency is retaining caregivers? This FREE eBook from Smartcare Software is packed with industry secrets needed to keep your caregivers happy, engaged, and retained, unlocking the full potential of your agency.

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Survey Finds Increase of Loneliness Post Pandemic

Aging Life Care Association

In a recent survey of Aging Life Care Managers®, 86% responded seeing an increase in loneliness among clients post COVID – with 46% seeing this increase within the last two years. Professionals share ways they are combatting loneliness and isolation among their clients. Aging Life Care Managers® Can Help Offset Loneliness and Subsequent Issues … Continue reading Survey Finds Increase of Loneliness Post Pandemic → The post Survey Finds Increase of Loneliness Post Pandemic appeared fi

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Sustainably funded children’s palliative care no closer despite ‘long-term decisions’ Budget

Together for Short Lives

The UK Government’s Spring Budget provides no clarity on future funding for seriously ill children. Despite some positive news, Budget 2024 was a missed opportunity for the Chancellor to provide sustainable, long-term funding to fill gaps in underfunded and understaffed children’s palliative care services across the UK. With the annual NHS funding gap for children’s […] The post Sustainably funded children’s palliative care no closer despite ‘long-term decisions’ Budget appeared first on T

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WWII Navy Nurse Alice Darrow Celebrates 105th Birthday, Honored as One of the Last Links to Pearl Harbor

Daily Nurse

Alice Darrow, a former Navy nurse , was honored for her love of life and patriotic commitment to our country as one of the last living links to Pearl Harbor when she celebrated her 105th birthday in Danville, California, surrounded by family, friends, and community members. Darrow was born in 1919 in Paso Robles and enrolled in nursing school after finishing high school.

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#HPMParty is returning to Phoenix during the 2024 AAHPM/HPNA meeting

GeriPal

The #HPMParty is returning to Phoenix during the 2024 AAHPM/HPNA meeting. We will be doing our traditional Pub Crawl, this time in the Roosevelt Row Arts District just north of the convention center. We’ll start our annual tour of local establishments at Luckys Indoor/Outdoor (817 N. 2nd Street) at 8pm on Thursday, March 21st (we moved it up from our traditional 9pm start to give a little extra time for those coming from the east coast.

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A Pediatric ICU Nurse Finds Relief in Not Compartmentalizing Hard Emotions Like Grief

AJN Off the Charts

Editor’s note: Hui-wen Sato is a pediatric ICU nurse in California and a regular writer for this blog who has gone deeply into the topic of grief, her own and that of patients and their families. Her insights reverse our usual ways of understanding grief, finding a generative energy instead of a wasteland. Here is a key passage from a TED-style talk (see video below) she gave at the last End Well Project conference in November 2023.

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Crafting Care: Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits for Seniors

Community Home Health Care

Join Us in the Celebration of National Craft Month with Springtime Creativity March is not only a month that welcomes new beginnings and the vibrancy of spring, but it also marks National Craft Month ! This is the perfect time to celebrate creativity and self-expression. Did you know that crafting is beneficial to seniors? Benefits of Crafting for Seniors Mental Stimulation : Engaging in crafts stimulates the brain, promoting cognitive function and memory retention.

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Our reaction to the Parliamentary report on assisted dying

Together for Short Lives

Yesterday (Thursday 29 February) the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee published its inquiry report on assisted dying and assisted suicide This is an extremely complex issue with many ethical and moral questions at its heart, not to mention the understandably strong emotions it evokes across all parts of society. As the […] The post Our reaction to the Parliamentary report on assisted dying appeared first on Together for Short Lives.

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Hospices Stepping Up Performance on Visits-in-Last-Days-of-Life Measure

Hospice News

Hospices, in aggregate, are showing improvement on the quality measure for visits in the last days of life. The number of registered nurse and social worker visits during a patient’s final week is one of the seven quality measures that CMS uses to evaluate providers. In Calendar Year 2021, the share of hospice care days with nurse visits in the last seven days of life rose to 63%, up from 62% year over year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

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Parkinson's vs Parkinsonism: What's the Difference?

Caring Senior Service

Like the distinction between dementia and Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease are related terms, but they refer to different concepts. Parkinsonism is an umbrella term that describes a number of conditions with movement symptoms. Parkinson's disease is one of those conditions and is the most common form of Parkinsonism.

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Dysphagia Revisited: A Podcast with Raele Donetha Robison and Nicole Rogus-Pulia

GeriPal

Summary Transcript Summary Almost a decade ago, our hospice and palliative care team decided to do a “Thickened Liquid Challenge.” This simple challenge was focused on putting ourselves in the shoes of our patients with dysphagia who are prescribed thickened liquids. The rules of the challenge were simple: fluids must be thickened to “honey consistency” using a beverage thickener for a 12-hour contiguous period.

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Recognizing GI Nurses and Associates’ Work

Minority Nurse

This week honors GI Nurses and Associates Week , the annual tribute to GI nurses that the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA) has celebrated for more than a decade. Gastroenterology (GI) nurses treat and often diagnose patients who have symptoms and conditions related to the entire digestive tract. The spectrum of GI symptoms is nuanced and can have a big impact on quality of life for patients, so GI nurses listen carefully to help patients most effectively.

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Nursing Certification: Achieving Excellence and Professionalism

Daily Nurse

In the world of nursing, certifications and their corresponding designations carry with them the concepts of excellence, professionalism, and focused dedication to career growth. Not all nurses pursue certification during their years of service in healthcare, but many hear the call and take inspired action to achieve such a goal. Making an effort to become certified in your nursing specialty is like doubling down on your skills and knowledge.

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Seriously ill children not getting right care at the end of their life, new research finds

Together for Short Lives

A new report from Together for Short Lives, the UK’s children’s palliative care charity, shows that in many places across the UK, families caring for seriously ill child cannot access the palliative and end of life care they need: Only a third of local areas in England are meeting the required standard for 24/7 end […] The post Seriously ill children not getting right care at the end of their life, new research finds appeared first on Together for Short Lives.

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CMS 2025 Proposed Rule Signals Changes to Quality Measurement, Omits Program Integrity Actions

Hospice News

The 2025 proposed hospice rule is raising some questions along with payment rates. In a proposed rule released yesterday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 2.6% increase in hospice per diems for 2025. The agency also proposed two new quality measures and 2025 implementation of the Hospice Outcome and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool to replace the Hospice Item Set.

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In pursuit of excellence: the career vacation

The Nurse Break

More from In Pursuit of Excellence here Express interest in writing for us here When I initially started to write this piece, I was on a career vacation. I was on long service leave for the first time in my life. When I first wrote those words, I was stunned I had been around long enough for that, and as I look in the mirror today, I have had to face facts, I am a little greyer (okay a lot), a little wrinklier (just a little) but hopefully a little bit smarter than I was all those years ago

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Traditions Health of Park Hill, OK Awarded Home Health Accreditation

Traditions Health

Nashville, TN – Traditions Health of Park Hill, OK has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Home Health Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. The Park Hill home health branch underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review.

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Meet a Champion of Nursing Diversity: Barbara Bosah

Minority Nurse

Barbara Bosah, MS, RN, PCCN, is a highly skilled nurse manager in the thoracic and surgical intermediate care unit and vascular progressive care unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), downtown campus in Baltimore, MD. With over 14 years of experience leading care teams for patients with complex medical conditions, she is passionate nursing leader who fosters dynamic and supportive work environments that encourage continuous learning and professional growth.

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Meet Kate Veenstra: From Bedside Nurse to Top Spot at UM Health-West

Daily Nurse

Kate Veenstra, DNP, MSN, RN, CNL, CMSRN, ACM, NEA-BC, was recently appointed as the new chief nursing officer at the University of Michigan Health-West. Her more than 18 years of experience also tells quite a story. Veenstra started as a bedside nurse at the hospital in 2006 and has held many roles, from associate chief nursing officer to the most recent interim chief nursing officer.

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Programme supporting seriously ill children across the North West reaches one-year milestone

Together for Short Lives

The Kentown Children’s Palliative Care Programme in North West England has reached its one-year milestone, supporting over 128 families across Lancashire and South Cumbria. Launched with the needs of children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses – and their families – at its core, families have described the initiative as ‘transformative’.

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M&A Volume May Shift From Hospice to Home Health

Hospice News

Though many expect a hospice M&A rebound in 2024, the scales are tipping in favor of home health companies among buyers. Generally, signs point to heightened buyer activity this year, particularly among private equity as interest rates start to come down. After 2023’s slump, PE firms have been sitting on more than $800 million in dry powder, according to data shared with Hospice News by The Braff Group.

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Involving Nurses in Hospital Staffing Decision-Making

AJN Off the Charts

A qualitative study that looks at the experiences of nurses who have served on staffing committees. When I am faced with challenging situations and issues that involve multiple stakeholders, I seek guidance or information from others to make the most informed decisions. This is a practice many health professionals and researchers emulate, and it makes sense to do this, yet when it comes to the topic of nurse staffing in hospital settings, nurses are not usually involved in the process.

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Traditions Health of Poteau, OK Awarded Home Health Accreditation

Traditions Health

Nashville, TN – Traditions Health of Poteau, OK has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Home Health Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. The Poteau home health branch underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review.

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On Being Caregiver Friendly

Today's Caregiver

We are celebrating more than twenty years of honoring inventors, designers, tinkerers, writers, creators and companies who are working tirelessly on behalf of family caregivers with a call for entries.

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Mastering the Art of Creating a Sustainable Routine Beyond Nursing

Daily Nurse

Creating a routine looks different for everyone and isn’t always what people see on social media. It certainly doesn’t have to look perfect, and most people make mistakes before finding what helps them manage their everyday lives. You might want to eat healthier, take a walk after work , or remember to do a particular chore. Whatever it is, maintaining a dependable routine can be tricky with a busy work schedule, but not impossible.

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How to Explain Death to a Child

Changing Lives Podcast

Death can sometimes be a difficult concept to understand, especially for a child. Given there are instances where adults can sometimes reject or avoid the death of someone close to them, it can be challenging for a child to fully grasp the concept. In this episode of Changing Lives, we will go over how to best explain death to a child in a way they can understand.

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Many Hospices Need to Step Up Disaster Planning

Hospice News

Many hospices may be unprepared to cope with a large-scale disaster or a future pandemic. Operators need to be prepared to deliver care and support their communities’ responses to catastrophic events. Increasingly, this factors into compliance. In 2017, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded a Condition of Participation pertaining to disaster preparedness planning.

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Daylight Savings Time: How It Affects Seniors & How To Cope

Accessible Home Health Care

Remembering when to set our clocks an hour ahead or an hour behind is difficult enough for the average person. Making such changes in the lives of seniors, especially those who already face the challenges of memory disorders, can have adverse effects. When a senior relies on routine to get through the day, disrupting that routine in any way might create undue stress to their system.

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Traditions Health of Red Oak, OK Awarded Home Health Accreditation

Traditions Health

Nashville, TN – Traditions Health of Red Oak, OK has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Home Health Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care. The Red Oak home health branch underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review.

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Dementia and Incontinence Treatment

Today's Caregiver

Caregivers of dementia patients should understand that incontinence may be an inevitable part of the overall cognitive decline. It is often sited as one of the major reasons why a person with dementia is is moved to a long-term care facility.

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Top Nursing Certifications: More Than CPR

Daily Nurse

Nursing is among the most demanding and critical jobs in the healthcare industry. To provide the best care to patients, nurses must continuously enhance their skills and expand their knowledge. While CPR is a vital credential for all healthcare professionals, there are other certifications you can obtain as a nurse to further your expertise. Today, we will look at ten certifications that can help your career.

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Advance Care Planning Seminar

Changing Lives Podcast

Click here to Register! Did you know health care decisions can be planned in advance? An advance care plan prepares you for unexpected events. What health care decisions are made when you are no longer capable of making them yourself? Who acts as your Representative or Substitute Decision Maker? What are your values, wishes and beliefs? Learn about these terms, what they mean, and how to answer them in the seminar.

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7 Nonprofit Hospices Form Integrity Care Partners Palliative Care Venture

Hospice News

A group of seven nonprofit hospices has launched a palliative care organization branded as Integrity Care Partners. The founding organizations are each members of the Texas Nonprofit Hospice Alliance, a regional collaborative of which Integrity Care Partners is an extension. The partnerships’ seven initial members include Community Healthcare of Texas, Hospice Austin, Home Hospice of Grayson County, the Hospice of East Texas, Hospice of El Paso, Hospice in the Pines and Hospice of Wichita Falls.