Literature Review

OIG’s Audit of Nursing Home Workers in Louisiana Finds Flaws in Background Check ProcessSkilled Nursing NewsDecember 6, 2023A federally commissioned report released Wednesday found that nursing homes in Louisiana failed to complete background checks on a portion of their non-licensed employees. In conducting the audit to examine whether Louisiana nursing homes complied with federal requirements for backgrounds checks, the Office of Inspector General chose a sample of 9 Louisiana nursing homes out of a total of 276 licensed facilities in the state, basing its sample size on a variety of risk factors and on the need to select nursing homes in urban and rural settings, the agency said. ... The OIG report states. “Although Federal requirements do not specify the methods or types of information that should be considered for a background check to be regarded as having been satisfactorily completed, we identified potential limitations in the nursing homes’ background check searches and adjudication methods for 49 of the 209 non-licensed employees we reviewed.” In response to OIG’s findings and recommendations, Louisiana has agreed to update its standard survey process to ensure routine monitoring of nursing homes’ compliance with background check requirements by reviewing a sample of 5% of current non-licensed staff and by directing nursing homes to conduct self-audits of current personnel files. ... Among the findings, some disturbing practices emerged. Of the 9 nursing homes closely investigated, six nursing homes, and some of the staffing companies with which they contracted, had employee background check searches conducted that did not include a statewide search of State police records.

Nurses seeking work in U.S. on the rise despite visa pauseModern HealthcareDecember 6, 2023A record number of occupational visa certificates were issued this year to nurses and other healthcare workers by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. The nonprofit, which helps foreign-educated nurses work in other countries by verifying their credentials for federal and state agencies, said it issued almost 27,000 visa certificates this year—85% of which were for registered nurses—twice as many as in 2022. The number of certificates has quadrupled since 2017. The commission’s report also found that 78% of those who applied for a visa certificate intended to apply for a permanent green card, an increase from 64% in 2022.

In key home care victory, House passes Elizabeth Dole Home Care ActMcKnight’s Home Care DailyDecember 7, 2023Providers, industry organizations and advocates applauded the House’s passage of the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act on Tuesday evening. “It’s a good recognition, especially on the House’s part, that reinforces home care as an industry,” Jason Lee, chief executive officer of the Home Care Association of America, said in an interview on Wednesday with McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “They see the value in the services, and that is so critically important.” The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act would introduce various provisions to make home care more accessible for veterans. Among the key ones: The cost of providing veterans noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home services, such as home care, may not exceed 100% of the cost that would have been incurred if they had received Department of Veterans Affairs nursing home care. ... Of course, the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act still has to win Senate approval.

Rosalynn Carter advocated for caregivers before the term was widely used. I’m so grateful.By Mitul DesaiUSA TodayDecember 6, 2023It started with a story. When asked about her lifelong commitment to improving mental health services and support for caregivers, former first lady Rosalynn Carter would share her experience on the campaign trail: Exhausted caregivers urgently reaching to grab her hand. Families pleading for resources. Americans bravely sharing their stories of hurdles and heartache. From these anecdotes emerge a legacy marked by courage and compassion. A woman ahead of her time, fighting for caregivers before the term was even widely used. ... I fiscovered the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers as a vibrant resource in an otherwise desolate landscape of caregiver support. I participated in a series of workshops that RCI facilitated aimed at helping streamline the diverse experiences of caregiving into nine distinct stages. Our hope is that this new approach—which moves beyond diagnosis-driven categorization to focus instead on the types of support needed at each phase of the experience—will inform policy and practice for health practitioners, employers, policymakers and organizations serving caregiver needs.

Here’s why you can’t die peacefully in Oklahoma.By Abby RemmingThe OklahomanDecember 6, 2023... Having Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan would cover hospice, but many people have private insurance from work or state Medicaid plans. Private insurance and Medicaid Advantage plans at times can have a hospice benefit but limit which companies can be used. Applying for Medicare will ensure you are covered for hospice. ... I currently work as a hospital social worker and assist many people who need hospice. Many times, I have had to share with patients and their families that, while they may be ready to peacefully pass away, hospice coverage is not included in the patient’s current insurance plan. Providing end-of-life care is extremely difficult without the added burden of worrying whether insurance will cover the benefit. Those without the benefit and who need the service are then reliant upon the generosity of the companies to absorb the cost. If the Medicaid Advantage plan is picked, a person would need to decide if they wanted the benefit to either cover nursing home care or in-home hospice care. A Medicaid Advantage plan might not cover hospice even when the policyholder believes they have the benefit. 

South Hill hospital to cease in-home hospice, home health services Dec. 31News & Record (South Boston, VA)December 6, 2023South Hill, VA—VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill will no longer provide in-home community health and hospice services starting Dec. 31, hospital officials announced Monday. ... Kristy Fowler, marketing and communications specialist for VCU Health CMH, said the hospital will continue to provide these services on “an inpatient and outpatient basis, [but] they will no longer be available in the home.” ...  Fowler explained that home health and hospice services declined throughout the pandemic and are no longer part of VCU Health CMH’s core business. 

HopeWest accepting cryptocurrency donationsKREX-TV (Grand Junction, CO)December 6, 2023Grand Junction, CO—HopeWest, a nonprofit hospice care organization on the Western Slope, is moving ahead with the times and now accepting cryptocurrency donations. ... As of November 2022, HopeWest started accepting cryptocurrency donations and accepts around 100 different cryptocurrencies. HopeWest’s Debbie Horwitz tells WesternSlopeNow crypto donations benefit HopeWest donors by helping them avoid capital gains tax. Plus, crypto donations are tax deductible.

Gentiva Hospice Opens New BranchGreeneville (TN) SunDecember 6, 2023Greeneville, TN—Gentiva Hospice held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location Dec. 1. ... The new branch in Greeneville will provide support to patients, families and facilities in Greene and Cocke counties, according to information provided by the Greene County Partnership.

Care Advantage Acquires Nova Home Health Care, Delivers On 18th Acquisition Since 2018Home Health Care NewsDecember 6, 2023Care Advantage announced Tuesday that it has acquired Nova Home Health Care. The acquisition expands Care Advantage’s Northern Virginia footprint—a market that CEO Tim Hanold believes is an important one for current and future growth. ... Hanold told Home Health Care News, “... Northern Virginia is part of the Metropolitan D.C. area, and is a very diverse market. We want to make sure that we’re approaching that in a smart and culturally sensitive way.” Richmond, Virginia-based Care Advantage is a home-based care company that has more than 45 locations throughout Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. The company offers both personal care and home health care services. On its end, Nova Home Health Care is a personal care company that serves the Medicaid population. The company has ties to a number of different communities that make up the diverse population in the area. “They have real deep market penetration with the Vietnamese community, as well as the Hispanic and African American communities,” Hanold said.

How PE Firms Are Adjusting Hospice Exit Strategies in a Shifting MarketHospice NewsDecember 6, 2023Private equity firms typically turn around and sell an asset within three to five years post-acquisition. However, some may slow that cycle down in today’s economic environment. The presence of private equity firms in the hospice arena has expanded exponentially during the past several years. But this year, deal volume slowed across the board. While the slowdown applies to all buyers, the decline in private equity transactions is particularly noteworthy because they were among the most aggressive acquirers in the space between 2019 and 2022. 

Prineville Hospice Auction raises $180,000Central Oregonian (Prineville, OR)December 6, 2023Prineville, OR—St. Charles Foundation’s annual Prineville Hospice Auction was a tremendous success, with more than 550 individuals in attendance and raising more than $180,000 to support hospice programs. The dollar amount smashed the stated goal of $110,000 prior to the event. The annual event, hosted at the Crook County Fairgrounds Indoor Arena included a dinner, silent auction, raffle and a lively live auction of handmade quilts and elaborately decorated Christmas trees. 

Marilu Henner, actress of ‘Taxi’ fame, to speak at Sarasota-Bradenton Tidewell eventBradenton (FL) HeraldDecember 6, 2023Sarasota, FL—Marilu Henner, who came to fame as Elaine O’Connor-Nardo in the sitcom “Taxi,” had only just begun her remarkable career when the series premiered in the late 1970s. She went on to star in 72 films, seven Broadway shows and a second hit sitcom, “Evening Shade.” Henner, 71, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for Tidewell Foundation’s 15th Annual Signature Luncheon on March 1 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. ... Henner is a spokesperson for Alzheimer’s disease awareness. She has been an advocate for hospice care, and in 2019 she became a spokesperson for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Proceeds from the luncheon help the Tidewell Foundation fund charity care, grief support services, specialized veterans care, music therapy, telehealth and other programs.