Literature Review
Central Oregon hospice sues feds over challenged Medicare claims
04/15/24 at 03:00 AMCentral Oregon hospice sues feds over challenged Medicare claims The Lund Report, by Nick Budnick; 4/11/24 One of a declining number of nonprofit hospice providers, Partners In Care leaders have successfully defended the vast majority of disputed claims, but have sued to erase the rest while challenging government methods. The case could have 'huge ramifications' and will be closely watched.
Today's Encouragement: Who said ... ?
04/15/24 at 03:00 AMWho said, "In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes"?Answer: Benjamin FranklinHappy April 15th!
AHA seeks federal probe of MultiPlan, insurers
04/15/24 at 03:00 AMAHA seeks federal probe of MultiPlan, insurers Modern Healthcare, by Michael McAuliff; 4/9/24 The American Hospital Association wants the Labor Department to investigate the analytics company MultiPlan and its large insurer clients to determine whether they engage in business practices that disadvantage patients and providers. According to a New York Times investigation published Sunday, MultiPlan and customers such as UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and Cigna boost their finances by dispensing low payments to out-of-network providers and burdening patients with large bills.
Former nursing home CEO gets 2.5 years, must pay $11 million restitution for neglecting payroll taxes
04/15/24 at 03:00 AMFormer nursing home CEO gets 2.5 years, must pay $11 million restitution for neglecting payroll taxes McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 4/9/24The former CEO of a healthcare administrative services company was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for failing to pay more than $10 million in payroll taxes at companies he owned. Josef Neuman had been CEO of a Lakewood, NJ, company that provided services to nursing homes and other healthcare providers, including around 20 that Neuman also co-owned.
3 ways advance care planning empowers people
04/15/24 at 02:15 AM3 ways advance care planning empowers people TCPalm, Visiting Nurse Association, by Lauren Gruber; 4/10/24 ... National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16th, which seeks to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers on the importance of health planning, is a prime opportunity to consider enrolling in an advance care plan. Identifying the right caregiving plans may seem daunting at first, but it’s important that patients solidify an advance care plan for the security and peace of mind of themselves and their loved ones. ... Here are three ways why choosing an advance care plan through the VNA can empower patients to ensure the best care possible during their health care journey:
AMA, AHIP, NAACOS outline value-based care best practices
04/15/24 at 02:00 AMAMA, AHIP, NAACOS outline value-based care best practices Modern Healthcare, by Nona Tepper; 4/10/24 Health insurers, physicians and accountable care organizations issued recommendations Wednesday outlining what they see as the best ways to boost value-based care initiatives. The report from the health insurance trade group AHIP, the American Medical Association and the National Association of ACOs focuses on total-cost-of-care contracts, ACOs that typically span three to five years and have demonstrated success improving quality and reducing costs, according to the organizations.
No nightmares and no light at the end of the tunnel. This dream most often repeats itself before death
04/15/24 at 02:00 AMNo nightmares and no light at the end of the tunnel. This dream most often repeats itself before death 247 News Agency; 4/12/24 Does our subconscious know that death is inevitably approaching? Taking into account the latest research, this is quite possible. It turns out that at the end of life many people have the same dream. It’s not a nightmare at all. The topic fascinates many people. For scientists, it is still a mystery that they try to solve by talking to people who survived clinical death or were on the verge of life and death. The best example is Dr. Christopher Kerr, a cardiologist and director of Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Buffalo, ... [who researched] the dreams of patients at the end of life.
Association of frailty and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcomes in older U.S. Veterans
04/14/24 at 04:00 AMAssociation of frailty and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcomes in older U.S. VeteransAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, by Dominique M Tosi, MD; Marlena C Fernandez, MD; Shivaan Oomrigar, MD; Lorena P Burton, MD; Iriana S Hammel, MD; Andrew Quartin, MD; Jorge G Ruiz, MD; 4/24CPR outcomes were not different depending on frailty status in our Veteran population. With these results, we cannot use frailty - as measured by the VA-FI - as a prognosticator of CPR outcomes in Veterans.
‘We’re the telescope looking forward’: Medical ethicists ask tough questions as part of $66 million research project
04/14/24 at 03:55 AM‘We’re the telescope looking forward’: Medical ethicists ask tough questions as part of $66 million research project CU Department of Medicine, by Mark Harden; 4/5/24 In the original “Jurassic Park” movie, after the process of bringing dinosaurs back to life is explained to a team of consultants, one of them voices a warning: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” University of Colorado Department of Medicine faculty members will be asking the “should” question years before there’s an answer to “could.” They’ve joined in a nationwide study of whether tiny, battery-powered electric devices and genetic material, swallowed in capsule form, could one day replace surgery or injections as treatments for metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
Where you begin is not necessarily where you end: the mental and physical health trajectories of cancer caregivers over time
04/14/24 at 03:50 AMWhere you begin is not necessarily where you end: the mental and physical health trajectories of cancer caregivers over timeSupportive Care in Cancer, by Maureen Wilson Genderson, Maria D. Thomson, Laura A. Siminoff; 10/23Cancer caregiving, a critical component in the cancer-care model, has deleterious effects on the caregiver’s physical and mental health. The degree to which these negative effects are uniformly experienced by caregivers is unclear; effects may be exacerbated at the end of life when caregiving is intensified. Not all caregivers have the support of an additional involved support person (secondary caregiver). The impact of the secondary caregiver’s absence on the primary caregiver’s well-being is understudied.
Do end-of-life outcomes differ by assisted living memory-care designation?
04/14/24 at 03:45 AMDo end-of-life outcomes differ by assisted living memory-care designation?Journal of the American Geriatric Society, by Xiao Joyce Wang, Portia Y Cornell, Emmanuelle Belanger, Kali S Thomas; 4/24Residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) is an increasingly common place of end-of-life care for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD), who have unique care needs as their health declines. Approximately 22% of RC/ALs provide specialized memory care (memory-care RC/AL). Understanding how end-of-life outcomes differ by memory care among residents with ADRD could facilitate aging/dying in place for this population. The objective of this paper is to examine if end-of-life outcomes (i.e., mortality, hospice use, and number of days receiving hospice in the last month of life) differ between residents with ADRD who moved to memory-care RC/AL, compared with residents with ADRD who moved to RC/AL without memory care (general RC/AL).
[Psychology Today] Facing Mortality Honestly
04/14/24 at 03:40 AM[Psychology Today] Facing Mortality Honestly Psychology today, by Patricia Prijatel; 4/6/24 Personal Perspective: Being Mortal, by Atul Gawander, explores end-of-life-care. I read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande when it was first published in 2014 and haven’t stopped talking about it. It shot to the top of my list as one of the most important books I’ve ever read. After 10 years, I read it again to see if it held up. It did. I was as entranced the second time as the first—even more so because, as it happens, I am also now 10 years older.
Neuropsychiatric effects associated with opioid-based management for palliative care patients
04/14/24 at 03:35 AMNeuropsychiatric effects associated with opioid-based management for palliative care patientsCurrent Pain and Headache Reports, by Alan D Kaye, Kylie Dufrene, Jada Cooley, Madeline Walker, Shivam Shah, Alex Hollander, Sahar Shekoohi, Christopher L Robinson; 4/24The abundance of opioids administered in the palliative care setting that was once considered a standard of care is at present necessitating that providers evaluate patients for unintentional and deleterious symptomology related to aberrant opioid use and addiction. ... By having an increased understanding and awareness of potential opioid neuropsychiatric effects, patient quality of life can be improved, healthcare system costs can be decreased, and patient outcomes can be met and exceeded.
I work with dying Trump supporters. It's ... confusing
04/14/24 at 03:25 AMI work with dying Trump supporters. It's ... confusingDaily Kos, by Scott Janssen; 4/6/24I’m driving down a gravel road in rural North Carolina, looking at mailbox numbers. A hospice social worker, I’m headed to meet Petey, a patient dying of metastatic cancer. ... A few homes down I see a ranch style house with a Trump flag hanging limp from what looks like a homemade flagpole. ...Publisher's Note: In our advocacy, we often say "death and hospice are bipartisan." This (inflammatory) opinion piece challenges us to ethically wrestle with our biases (political or otherwise) to professionally provide excellent end-of-life care to all the people we have the privilege to serve.Editor's Note: In day-to-day care--no matter political, religious, or other beliefs--what can you support, within the appropriate scope of your professional role? What is untenable; you cannot support? Examine the term "moral distress."
Lutheran Senior Services/Diakon agreement forms one of largest US nonprofit LTC organizations
04/14/24 at 03:20 AMLutheran Senior Services/Diakon agreement forms one of largest US nonprofit LTC organizations McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 3/29/24 Diakon Senior Living operations and its four continuing care retirement / life plan communities will become part of Lutheran Senior Services under an agreement ... that the organizations say will create one of the largest nonprofit senior living and care organizations in the country. The transaction is pending regulatory approvals and is expected to close this summer.
Bereaved Parent Support Study: Seeking Participants
04/14/24 at 03:20 AMBereaved Parent Support Study: Seeking Participants Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Cancer, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; 4/2/24This program is offered as a research study examining three types of support for bereaved parents who have lost a child to cancer. This is a National Institutes of Health-funded trial taking place at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; however, families need not have received care from one of these institutions. ... For those assigned to receive counseling, services will be provided through videoconferencing, and all study activities can be completed from the participant’s home. ... There will be no charge for any support offered through the study. ... [Click on the title's link for more information.] Editor's Note: If your hospice does not have bereavement services tailored to the needs of parents who have lost a child, consider this opportunity for free support from these reputable sources. Click on the title's link for eligibility requirements and descriptions.
Fostering respect and appreciation seen as keys to retaining direct care workers
04/14/24 at 03:15 AMFostering respect and appreciation seen as keys to retaining direct care workersMcKnights Online Forum, by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 3/27/24 Expressions of appreciation and respect can go a long way in addressing senior living’s direct care workforce crisis, according to a panel of direct workers and employers who addressed what makes employees want to stay — or go. ... Nate Hamme, president and executive director of the Ceca Foundation, ... said that the most important part of employee recognition is listening to people. ... He added that there is a science to recognition backed by research into what motivates people and implementing programs around that. ... Recognition programs, Hamme added, should focus on IMPACT: inclusive, mission-aligned, public, authentic, consistent and timely.
What home health providers need to know about the Medicare TPE Audit Process
04/14/24 at 03:10 AMWhat home health providers need to know about the Medicare TPE Audit ProcessHome Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/2/24... TPE is a medical review program that began for the home health and hospice settings in December 2017. The goal of the program is to weed out improper payments by zeroing-in on providers with high claims denial rates or unusual billing practices. ... TPE has three pillars. Target refers to errors or mistakes that are identified through data in comparison to providers or peers. Probe is the examination of 20 to 40 claims. ... Education means helping providers reduce claim denials and appeals through one-on-one individualized education.
Sunday newsletters
04/14/24 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
Today's Encouragement
04/14/24 at 03:00 AMThe greatest teacher is not the one who imparts knowledge, but the one who inspires curiosity. ~Timotheus of Miletus
Mortality, hospice use rates differ in assisted living communities depending on whether memory care is offered
04/14/24 at 03:00 AMMortality, hospice use rates differ in assisted living communities depending on whether memory care is offeredMcKnights Senior Living, by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 4/4/24Assisted living communities that provide memory care services may attract residents closer to the end of life or promote hospice use at the end of life compared with assisted living communities without such services, according to the findings of a new study. ... Researchers from the Brown University School of Public Health, the University of Melbourne and the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing examined whether end-of-life outcomes — mortality and hospice use — differed between assisted living facilities with and without memory care services among 15,152 residents who moved into larger communities between 2016 and 2018.Editor's Note: Click here for the source article, "Do end-of-life outcomes differ by assisted living memory-care designation?"
Exploring parent experiences with early palliative care practices in the NICU
04/13/24 at 03:00 AMExploring parent experiences with early palliative care practices in the NICUAdvances in Neonatal Care, by Megan Quinn, Sheila Gephart, Janice Crist; 4/24Parents' descriptions of decision-making were contextualized in gathering information to make a decision, the emotional impact of the decision, and influences on their decision-making. In experiences with care planning, parents described learning to advocate, having a spectator versus participant role, and experiencing care planning as communication. Key themes expressed regarding parental coping were exposure to trauma, survival mode, and a changing support network.
Addressing challenges with sedation in end-of-life care
04/13/24 at 03:00 AMAddressing challenges with sedation in end-of-life careJournal of Pain and Symptom Management, by Columba Thomas, MD; Yesne Alici, MD; William Breitbart, MD; Eduardo Bruera, MD; Liz Blackler, MBE, LCSW-R; Daniel P. Sulmasy, MD, PhD; 4/24Unfortunately, little is known about actual sedation practices at the end of life in the United States. This may be due in part to a lack of conceptual clarity about sedation in end-of-life care. We argue that, until more is known about what sedation practices occur at the end of life, and how practices can be improved by research and more specific guidelines, “palliative sedation” will remain more misunderstood and controversial than it might otherwise be.
The challenges of advance care planning for acute care registered nurses
04/13/24 at 03:00 AMThe challenges of advance care planning for acute care registered nursesCanadian Journal of Nursing Research, by Lori L Rietze, Kelli I Stajduhar, Mary Ellen Purkis, Denise Cloutier; 4/24Nurses were challenged to meet multiple competing demands, leaving them to scramble to manage complex and critically ill acute care patients while also fulfilling organizational tasks aligned with funding metrics, accreditation, and strategic planning priorities. Such factors limited nurses' capacity to engage their patients in ACP. ... Acute care settings that align patient values and medical treatment need to foster ACP practices by revising organizational policies and processes to support this outcome, analyzing the tasks of healthcare providers to determine who might best address it, and budgeting how to support it with additional resources.