Sat.Sep 02, 2023 - Fri.Sep 08, 2023

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Palliative Care a ‘Natural Fit’ for Home Health Agencies

Hospice News

Though relatively few home health agencies provide palliative care, those providers and their patients can benefit from more integration of those services. Currently, the palliative care space is dominated by hospices and health systems. Only 7% of community-based palliative care programs are operated by home health organizations, compared to about 50% for hospices and 7%, according to 2019 data from the Center to Advance Palliative Care.

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Time for Geriatric Assessments in Cancer Care: William Dale, Mazie Tsang, and John Simmons

GeriPal

Summary Transcript Summary The comprehensive geriatric assessment is one of the cornerstones of geriatrics. But does the geriatric assessment do anything? Does it improve outcomes that patients, caregivers, and clinicians care about? Evidence has been mounting about the importance of the geriatric assessment for older adults with cancer, the subject of today’s podcast.

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5 Ways an End-of-Life Doula Can Help Families Navigate the Journey

Life & Death Matters

Imagine that you have a loved one who is moving closer to death – it could be weeks, days, or hours. You don’t know. You are not certain of what is happening, and how long before the person dies. Or perhaps you are the only family member in town with the loved one, and have […] The post 5 Ways an End-of-Life Doula Can Help Families Navigate the Journey appeared first on Life and Death Matters.

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Telemedicine and Virtual Consultations: Expanding Nursing Roles in Rural Healthcare

Daily Nurse

We’ve all heard the statistics about the growing need for trained healthcare professionals, especially nurses, within our society. Federal estimates indicate that not nearly enough people are entering the field to meet the projected healthcare needs of the coming decades. Although the overall need is concerning, the issue is particularly acute in rural communities.

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3 Reasons to Retire Pagers from Healthcare Settings

Let's discuss the trusty pager—an old favorite that’s losing its shine in hospitals and clinics. While once a staple in hospitals and clinics, pagers now present significant limitations that hinder rather than facilitate communication among healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals are constantly on the move, and they need communication tools that can keep up with their fast-paced lives.

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Payers to Hospices: Don’t Wait to Start Working with MA Plans

Hospice News

Over time, Medicare Advantage plans will likely have a greater presence as hospice payers, and now is the time for providers to build relationships those organizations. Originally slated to end in 2024, CMS recently extended the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) to 2023. Though the demo’s ultimate outcome remains uncertain, many stakeholders believe that, in the long term, hospices can expect more interaction with Medicare Advantage plans, according to Dr.

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What Exactly is Workplace Culture Anyway? 

Minority Nurse

Every organization or workplace in healthcare or any other industry has a workplace culture , whether those working there are conscious of it or not. The best workplace cultures are consciously and proactively created by everyone involved, and the worst cultures exist without a shred of intention. But what exactly is workplace culture, and how do you know your organization’s culture?

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Georgia Hospital Improves Organ Donation Process

Daily Nurse

Improved organ donation practices and greater program visibility led to a sustained increase in referrals, donors, and transplanted organs at a Georgia hospital, thanks to a focus on enhanced staff education and family communication. “ Collaborative Approach to Organ Donation in a Level II Trauma Center “ details the steps taken at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s hospital campus in Gainesville as part of a multidisciplinary initiative to increase its organ donation rate.

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Global Partners in Care Program Fosters International Collaboration on Palliative Care

Hospice News

The Indiana-based palliative care provider Center for Hospice Care (CHC) is looking beyond its immediate community and has developed networks that impact palliative care on a global scale. The organization’s program, Global Partners in Care, collaborates with more than 100 hospice and palliative care organizations around the world to improve access to those services among underserved communities that often lack resources.

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SWAT RNs: Supporting Bedside Leaders with Clinical Judgment

Minority Nurse

SWAT RNs serve as expert consultants and mentors to nurses working as bedside leaders in various clinical settings. With clinical practice experience of five or more years in the areas of critical care, emergency nursing, and flight nursing, these nurses enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with quickly assessing patients at risk for condition deterioration.

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Unseen Struggles: When the Pain of Chronic Illness Meets Disbelief

AJN Off the Charts

A friend’s desperation. Photo by Ben Blennerhassett on Unsplash It was early in the morning when I received a call from my best friend, who was crying and distraught. She frantically rattled off her symptoms: “My stomach is on fire, I can’t sleep, nothing is relieving the discomfort, and I’m in excruciating pain.” Although she’d been feeling discomfort for the previous two weeks, at first she’d thought the intensity of her current symptoms might be from food poisoni

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Real-Life Examples of HIPAA Violations and How to Avoid Them

Speaker: Jack Clough, Chief Growth Officer

Download our 30-minute webinar where we delve into real-life examples of HIPAA violations and preventative measures every organization should know! You will learn: The critical factors that lead to HIPAA violations and how to identify them. Three compelling real-life cases of organizations that faced severe HIPAA penalties. Proven strategies to safeguard YOUR organization against HIPAA violations.

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DNP Jean Andres Assists Doctor with a Special Delivery

Daily Nurse

When Jean Andres, DNP, RN, arrived at the parking garage at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland, she instantly heard the “very distinct scream” delivery room teams recognize. As the hospital’s labor and delivery director, she leaped into action. Dr. Janelle Cooper, an OB/GYN, was delivering Elsa Artunez’s baby in the backseat of a truck.

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How Contessa’s Palliative Care Business Factored Into the Amedisys-Optum Transaction

Hospice News

Negotiations around Amedisys Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AMED) Contessa subsidiary were a significant contributor to the pendulum swing that led to the company’s acquisition by UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) Optum rather than Option Care Health (NASDAQ: OPCH). Optum in June penned its agreement to acquire Amedisys in an all-cash transaction of $101 per share, or about $3.3 billion.

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Driving Safety and Alzheimer's Disease

Today's Caregiver

In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, some people are able to continue driving. However, as their memory and decision-making skills get worse, at some point it will no longer be safe for them to be behind the wheel.

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When waiting is no longer acceptable.

Evidence-Based Nursing - BMJ blogs

This week’s blog is written by Barbara Kombe (@KombeBarbara), Neurodevelopment Clinical Nurse Specialist/Health Visitor, affiliated to Guys and St Thomas NHS trust. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Article 25, reinforces the right of persons to attain the highest standard of healthcare without discrimination. It is also documented that people with a disability tend to have poorer health outcomes, low education achievements and less economic participation and h

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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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Nurses are Not Inherently Good at Writing, Yet are Invaluable to Content Creation

Daily Nurse

Speaking from personal experience, many terms (antecedent, parallelism, noun absolutes, etc.) used in perfecting the writings of the proper English language are foreign to nurses. Granted, as advanced practice nurses, we have practically written a novel of information by the time we graduate from our master’s program and are still unfamiliar with many English language terms other than APA writing style.

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Executive Shifts at Amedisys, AMOREM, VITAS; Compassus, Hospice of the Chesapeake Appoint New Clinical Leaders

Hospice News

Amedisys’ New Chief Accounting Officer The forthcoming acquisition of Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum has sparked executive shifts. The home health and hospice provider recently announced the leadership changes in a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Allyson Guidroz was recently appointed as its chief accounting officer and principal accounting officer for purposes of the rules and regulations of the SEC, according to

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How Caregivers Can Prioritize Privacy

Responsive Home Care

Reflect back to your teenage years. Remember how important it was to find a safe place to be on your own, to shut out the world, turn the music up, and write your most secret thoughts in your diary? The desire for privacy that began then can become overshadowed when providing care for someone else. […] The post How Caregivers Can Prioritize Privacy appeared first on Responsive Home Care.

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Healthy Aging Month

AT Home Care & Hospice

Healthy Aging Month: Promoting Healthy Aging for Seniors Healthy Aging Month is an annual observance, dedicated to promoting healthy aging for seniors. The month of September was chosen for this observance because it is the month that marks the beginning of the fall season, a time when many seniors begin to think about their health The post Healthy Aging Month appeared first on AT Home Care & Hospice.

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Best Practices for Sharing Protected Health Information (PHI)

Explore essential topics in this ebook, including what constitutes PHI and how to identify it using 18 indicators. Gain insights into the importance of safeguarding PHI to protect patient privacy and learn about the severe consequences of HIPAA violations. Discover practical strategies for securely exchanging PHI within your healthcare organization, including assessing risks and implementing effective safeguards.

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Nurse’s Side Gig: Teaching Nursing Students Dosage Calculations

Daily Nurse

Have you ever seen a problem in the nursing field at work or in nursing school and thought, “I know just what to do to fix that?” Latoya Smith did. She’s an RN who works with critically ill patients in a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH). She teaches nursing students at the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Health and Safety Education Training Center. (She was recognized as “Nurse of the Day” in both houses of the Oklahoma Congress in 2020.

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Amedisys Shareholders Approve Sale to Optum

Hospice News

Shareholders of Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) have voted in favor of the company’s pending acquisition by the UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum. Optum in June penned a deal to acquire Amedisys in an all-cash transaction of $101 per share, or about $3.3 billion. The transaction followed a previous offer to acquire Amedisys by the home infusion company Option Care Health (NASDAQ: OPCH) for $3.6 billion.

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Best Apps for Nurses

Nurse.com

Several new apps are hitting the market to relieve some pressure for nurses. Whether it’s an app to help nursing students study for the NCLEX or a community app to foster relationships between nurses nationwide, here are some of the best apps for nurses. The Nurse.com App Cost: Free Nurse.com’s app is the first of its kind — the only social networking app exclusively for nurses.

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Elder Care in Pasco County, Pinellas County, Tampa, Clearwater, Largo and Nearby Cities

Bayshore Care Home

5 things to be careful about while hiring help for elder care Bayshore Home Care provides elder care in Pasco County, Pinellas County, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Clearwater, Largo, FL and. The post Elder Care in Pasco County, Pinellas County, Tampa, Clearwater, Largo and Nearby Cities first appeared on Bayshore Home Care.

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The Essential Guide to HIPAA-Compliant Messaging for Home Care Teams

Explore the risks posed by non-compliant consumer apps like Instagram and WhatsApp in healthcare settings. Learn about potential HIPAA penalties and use a self-evaluation flowchart to determine your organization's need for HIPAA-compliant messaging. Discover straightforward steps to implement secure communication solutions efficiently, ensuring compliance and protecting patient data effectively.

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Telehealth requires improved evidence to achieve its full potential in palliative care

SAGE Palliative Medicine & Chronic Care podcast

This episode features Dr Amara Nwosu (Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK; Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK; and Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool, Liverpool, UK). The podcast is an overview of a published editorial on telehealth in palliative care. Dr Nwosu highlights the unrealised potential of palliative care telehealth, and discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with telehealth.

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2 Ways New CMS Rules Could Impact Hospice Providers

Hospice News

Both opportunities and challenges exist for hospice providers as regulators zero in on program integrity. Hospices stand to grow their census by taking on patients left behind by “bad actors” in certain markets. However, some fear that regulators’ responses could put a drain on employee retention and margins. Widespread reports of fraud and abuse in hospice have led to intensified regulatory oversight during 2023.

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Establishing Boundaries as a Caregiver: Making Room for Privacy

Home Sweet Home In-Home Care

Maintain your privacy to create great boundaries as a caregiver. As a teen, do you remember how important it was to have time and space for yourself – having a safe space to call your own, shutting out the world, writing your thoughts down in your diary? The need for privacy that began then may become overshadowed when providing care for someone else.

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Why We Collect

Chicago Caregiving

No matter which items collectors choose to gather and save, the pastime offers many benefits. These days, collecting is a pleasurable pastime. But in the past, it served vastly different purposes. Today’s hobby — which can span anything from shoes to stamps — might actually be a former survival strategy. Our ancient ancestors used these strategies in order to successfully hunt and gather food in the wild.

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The Cost of Inefficient Communication in Home Care & Beyond

This eBook explores the critical issues of using consumer-grade messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS in healthcare, especially home care. It highlights the negative impacts on patient care quality, data security, and HIPAA compliance and provides practical solutions to enhance communication efficiency! You will learn how to: Consolidate Messaging Platforms: Streamline communication by reducing the use of multiple apps, improving efficiency in patient care.

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Nursing Tip of the Day! - Psychiatric Nursing

Nurse Nacole

Category: Psychiatric Nursing The major adverse events of benzodiazepines are drowsiness and psychomotor impairment. Mild, transitory cognitive and memory impairments are seen occasionally. This is more significant in elderly people.

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How Hospices Can Adapt to a Changing Competitive Landscape

Hospice News

Hospices are operating in a changing competitive environment, and some are rolling with the punches better than others. Several forces are driving the change. One is value-based payment models, coupled with the entry of new types of organizations in the home-based care space and the rise of more educated, health-literate consumers. With these trends stirring the pot, hospices must find ways to adapt, according to Kara Justis, vice president of strategic consulting for Trella Health.

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Heather Hightower’s Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing Journey

Minority Nurse

Like many nurses, Heather Hightower, MSEd, RN, CPHON, didn’t plan to become a nurse. But they’ve found a career in pediatric hematology/oncology nursing that fulfills their passions for science and for working with an adolescent and young adult population. For today’s celebration of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day , Hightower shared some thoughts on this career path.

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Moving Back Home

Today's Caregiver

So, you’re moving back in with your parents?” my co-workers asked with trepidation upon learning I would be returning to my home city. “No, just with my mom. My dad is in assisted living.” I clarified.

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The Secret to Supercharging Your Organizations Communications

Effective collaboration among all care team members is critical to delivering better patient outcomes. A key element to achieving effective collaboration is through the implementation of a clinical communication and collaboration platform. In a fast-paced, high-stress and critical environment, people tend to do whatever gets the job done. Therefore will scramble and use the systems, people, or processes around them to get an outcome more quickly - which can often be at the expense of quality.