Literature Review

Improving nursing home care goes beyond helping nursesMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer; 5/30/24An editorial published Monday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society [Quality of care for older adults in nursing homes: It begins with registered nurses but does not end there!] points out flaws in moves to improve nursing home care outlined in a report published in March. Authors of the March report [RNs in nursing homes—It is not always about the numbers] shared a method to move beyond staffing numbers and optimize the workload of registered nurses. The model detailed nurse accountability, decision making, continuity of information and continuity of care. The authors shared the differences between RN work in the nursing home compared with acute care hospitals, and they also emphasized the importance of geriatric nursing knowledge.

St. Vincent Hospital nurses and the MNA file fifth in series of complaints with state and federal agencies about dangerous patient care conditions that continue to compromise the care and safety of patients admitted to the Worcester-based facility Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA); 5/29/24 As patient care conditions continue to deteriorate at St. Vincent Hospital, the registered nurses and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) have filed yet another round of complaints to state and federal agencies seeking immediate intervention to protect patients and staff, a situation so dire the complaints include a direct appeal to the Department of Public Health to assign onsite inspectors on a daily basis to ensure hospital administration is providing the resources needed to ensure the safety of all concerned. In fact, the nurses report that DPH has recently been at the hospital investigating yet another serious patient safety incident. Editor's Note: As reported in numerous articles in our newsletter, patient safety and workplace violence/safety issues continue to be key causes for healthcare professional resignations, unionizations, and strikes (ie., nurses and/or physicians). It's time to review your organization's patient safety and workplace violence Policies and Procedures, staff and volunteer trainings, caregiver resources to ensure patient safety in the home, topics like "Abuse and Neglect," and your community's data on workplace safety concerns and community response resources.

They sacrificed to care for family and ended up on the street Wisconsin Public Radio; by Kat McGowan; 5/29/24 ... A son or sibling or niece gives up their own apartment or full-time job to look after a relative who needs help. They share expenses, maybe living off of a benefits check. But when that family member passes away or moves to a nursing home, the social security or housing subsidy stops coming. The caregiver is in mourning, out of a job and out of a place to live. “These were folks who had left behind something to go care for mom, and then the bottom falls out,” says Margot Kushel, a homelessness researcher and professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. Her team documented this pattern in their intensive surveys and in-depth interviews of older homeless Californians. ... Kushel envisions one brighter possibility. Given the extreme shortage of capable home caregivers, both in California and nationwide, people who have played that role for family could be recruited to do the same job for others, helping to build this essential workforce. “If you’re caregiving for 15 months for your mom, for instance you probably have transferrable skills,” she says.Editor's Note: Pair this with recent articles we posted on 5/30/24, "The real cost of cancer: 49% of patients carry $5K+ in medical debt" and "56 percent willing to dip into retirement savings to be family caregiver: survey."

State Palliative Care Advisory Councils are advancing serious illness care National Academy for State Health Policy; by Ella Taggart; 5/30/24 Twenty-four states have a palliative care advisory council, coalition, or task force created through state legislation or regulation to guide work to support and expand care for those with serious illness. We talked to leaders of active and longstanding councils in Maine, Maryland, and Texas to learn about their creation, impact, and lessons learned for states looking to do the same. ... Learn more about the states that have councils, including their establishment and activity, on NASHP’s Palliative Care Advisory Task Forces Tracker [link provided with the source article].

How businesses should (and should not) use AI: A strategic blueprint Forbes; by Bernard Marr; 5/31/24 Businesses often find themselves at a crossroads in the race to leverage artificial intelligence (AI). The lure of AI's promise is undeniable—from enhancing customer experiences to automating routine tasks. Yet, how a company approaches AI can spell the difference between mere technological flirtation and achieving real, transformative outcomes. Here, I offer a strategic blueprint for businesses keen on not just piloting AI but also scaling it effectively.

Palliative care for cancer patients is found to be as effective given virtually as in personSTAT; by Angus Chen; 6/2/24Comfort can be delivered to patients with advanced cancer virtually just as well as in person, according to a new study presented on Sunday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. That’s welcome news to palliative care experts who have, in many cases, preferred the convenience and efficacy of telehealth sessions for both themselves and their patients since the Covid-19 pandemic forced virtual visits. ... Palliative care experts are also looking at other ways to help more patients get seen. In another abstract presented at ASCO in Chicago and published in JAMA by MGH’s Temel, she showed the frequency of palliative care visits could be stepped down for patients with fewer physical or emotional symptoms — also without any loss in palliative care efficacy.

IntellaTriage and CommonSpirit Health at Home deepen partnership with Homecare Homebase integration KMLK; Press Release; 5/30/24 IntellaTriage, the nation's leading provider of nurse-first hospice and home health triage solutions, and CommonSpirit Health at Home (CSHaH), one of the nation's largest nonprofit healthcare systems, went live with a secure integration between Homecare Homebase and IntellaTriage's triage platform, IntellaHub. Partners since 2022, the companies recognized that a deeper integration of their systems could greatly enhance their shared mission of improving patient and caregiver experiences. Home health and hospice electronic medical records (EMR) often lack interoperability, hindering efficient information exchange and patient care in the field. By breaking down these silos, both companies anticipate improved workflows, eliminated redundancies, and enhanced experiences for patients and field nurses. Editor's Note: This description emphasizes "field nurses." What about field psychosocial team members? Many hospice EMR systems are replicated from medical-centric documentation systems, without relevant fields and practice standards that are user-friendly for your social workers, spiritual care/chaplains, grief counselors, expressive therapists, and more. This editor's statement is not a assessment of this article's deepened partnership and its technology; rather, it is simply an observation and question for hospice leaders, whatever your EMR system.

BetterRX and Hospice Dynamix announce strategic partnership to reduce pharmacy costs for hospice agencies NBC News Channel 8, Salt Lake City, UT; by EIN Presswire; 5/31/24 BetterRX, a leading hospice pharmacy services and technology provider, and Hospice Dynamix, a revolutionary time-on-service predictive analytics platform, today announced a strategic integration partnership. This collaboration will leverage Hospice Dynamix's proprietary Predicted Length of Stay (PLOS) technology to enhance BetterRX's proprietary medication ordering and management platform, enabling hospice providers to make ordering decisions based on the individual patient, creating immediate savings for the hospice.

Tech solutions for better patient care: How modern tools are transforming hospice management NerdBot; by Nerd Voices; 5/30/24 Hospice care, fundamentally centered on providing comfort and support to terminally ill patients, has traditionally been a deeply personal and human-centric field. However, as technology advances, it is clear that modern tools can significantly enhance the quality of care. Integrating technology into hospice revenue management allows caregivers to streamline operations, reduce errors, and focus more on delivering compassionate care.

What AccentCare’s clinicians wanted from the company’s AI implementationHome Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 5/23/24Like many others, AccentCare has embraced artificial intelligence. However, the company wasn’t satisfied with implementing generative AI and looping in its clinicians afterwards. Instead, the company made its nurses a part of this process from the start. “It’s our philosophy at AccentCare that we don’t make changes to clinical practice without having a conversation with the people who are delivering clinical care,” Tracy Dent, vice president of clinical operations at AccentCare, told Home Health Care News. “They’re the people who are delivering care at the bedside. We want to make sure they have a voice in decisions that are going to impact their ability to do so.”Editor's Note: Pair this with another article in today's newsletter, "Three ways to communicate with Gen-Z—and why it’s important."

National Hospice Locator updatedBlog; by Cordt T. Kassner; 5/27/24The National Hospice Locator (NHL) is a free and publicly available online directory of every known hospice location in the US, and default search results have been sorted by a quality matrix for over a year. On 5/22/24, CMS released updated Hospice Care Compare files. Part of the NHL's quality matrix includes Hospice Care Compare information, and the NHL has now been updated. Search your state or city to see how your hospice is listed. For the first time ever, two hospices achieved 100% of possible ranking points - congratulations:

Addus announces sale of its personal care business in New YorkHome Helath Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 5/21/24Addus HomeCare Corporation is selling its New York personal care business, along with its fiscal intermediary services for the state’s consumer-directed care program. The company announced Tuesday that it will offload its New York operations to HCS-Girling, another home-based care provider. The divestment will be worth “up to” $23 million for Addus, the company said, and the transaction is not yet closed. ... Based in Frisco, Texas, Addus provides home care, home health and hospice services to more than 49,000 consumers across 214 locations spanning 22 states.

Avow honors local veterans at 8th Annual Armed Forces CelebrationAvow Cares; Press Release; 5/23/24 Local Veterans from various branches of the military convened at Avow’s 8th Annual Armed Forces Celebration. The event, held on May 17 provided a tribute to those who have served or are currently serving our nation with valor and sacrifice. ... This annual celebration not only serves as a day of deep respect and gratitude but also as a crucial part of Avow’s ongoing commitment to recognizing the heroic service of our Veterans. Throughout the year, Avow distributes approximately 2,000 pins to honor veterans for their service. ... Avow is a Level 5 Partner with We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in collaboration with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). In 2023, nearly 25% of all hospice patients admitted to Avow were identified as Veterans.