Literature Review

These are the most common jobs in each state in the US USA Today; by Sara Chernikoff; 7/22/24 The most common job in the U.S. is a three-way tie, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Home health care and personal aides, retail workers and fast food counter workers ranked at the top of the list with 3.6 million workers in each occupation. ... The desire for home health and personal care aides is on the rise as the share of the elderly U.S. population grows exponentially. This occupation is the fastest growing among most states, news outlet Stacker, reported. ... Home health care aides typically assist people living with disabilities or with chronic illness. Personal care aides are often hired to care for people in hospice care, according to BLS. Advanced degrees are not required for most home health aides, rather those employed by home health or hospice agencies may need to complete formal training or pass a standardized test.Editor's Note: Federal requirements for nursing aides in hospice care are defined in the CMS Hospice of Conditions Participation §418.76 and for home health in the CMS Home Health Conditions of Participation §484.80. Additionally, extensive state laws exist, with differences between states.

‘I never thought I’d live to see it’: Veterans honored at WTRC’s Hospice of the Big Country thank you dinnerKTAB/KRBC Abilene, TX; by Noah McKinney; 7/19/24 Fellowship and reverence filled the West Texas Rehab’s Hospice of the Big Country boardroom Thursday evening. The organization opened its doors once more to local Veterans for its annual ‘We Honor Veterans’ thank-you dinner. ... Veterans of every branch spanning the decades showed up to sit with each other and break bread. The evening started with the Dyess Honor Guard presenting the flag and the singing of the national anthem. Following that, a POW/MIA or “Missing Man table” was set as a tribute to those who never returned. The attendees were then served dinner, and lively conversations filled the room. Notable Mention: Angie Lane, Director of Hospice Services, Hospice of the Big Country 

Top Projects of 2023: Our Lady of Peace Finance & Commerce, Minnesota Business; by Kate Leibsle; 7/19/24 Jamey Flannery and her team at Flannery Construction took seriously their obligation not just to their client, Our Lady of Peace, but to the patients, their families, and staff to make the construction project at the hospice center as smooth and transparent as possible. Limiting disruptions when you are renovating or adding on to an existing, occupied building is always important, but when the facility you are working on is a hospice center, it becomes paramount. ... The project turned the facility’s 21 double-occupancy rooms into private suites. Each room now is big enough for family and friends to gather in a living area, have a TV and offer more privacy, Flannery said.

Hospice care provider embroiled in federal health care fraud allegationsMarketBeat; by Due.com; 7/18/24A hospice care provider has been at the center of allegations that it may have defrauded federal health care programs. According to court documents, Kindred at Home was accused of knowingly defrauding the U.S. government. The umbrella organization operated out of Atlanta and had multiple splinter branches, including Avalon, Kindred, SouthernCare, and SouthernCare New Beacon. Kindred at Home has now agreed to quash the allegations. The federal watchdogs’ grilling resulted in a financial penalty and closed nine separate lawsuits. ... Kindred has agreed to pay $19.428 million to resolve allegations. The federal government will receive $18,956,151.32, the State of Tennessee will receive $448,800 and the State of Ohio will receive $23,618.68. Editor's Note: This Kindred news story is flooding news circuits, due to the scope and significance of its impact. While we reported this on 7/19/24, we will provide occasional variations, keeping it in your awareness. 

7 arrested in Arizona on hospice, behavioral health fraud charges Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/19/24 Seven individuals in Arizona face federal charges for their alleged roles in defrauding Medicare out of hundreds of millions of dollars in total. The charges for the most part stem from submitting Medicare claims for patients who were not eligible for hospice care, as well as fraud related to behavioral health services. The arrests were the result of a two-week nationwide federal law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges for 193 individuals for a total of more than $2.75 billion in alleged false claims, as well as opioid abuse schemes. ... “These cases involve not just massive fraud to steal public funds, but also exploitation of vulnerable victims and the misappropriation of resources earmarked for Native American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Restaino, in a statement. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners will pursue justice against those who perpetrate these sorts of schemes with the utmost vigor.”

Why are some people happy when they are dying? StudyFinds; by The Conversation, Mattias Tranberg, Lund University; 7/18/24Simon Boas, who wrote a candid account of living with cancer, passed away on July 15 at the age of 47. In a recent BBC interview, the former aid worker told the reporter: “My pain is under control and I’m terribly happy – it sounds weird to say, but I’m as happy as I’ve ever been in my life.” It may seem odd that a person could be happy as the end draws near, but in my experience as a clinical psychologist working with people at the end of their lives, it’s not that uncommon. There is quite a lot of research suggesting that fear of death is at the unconscious center of being human. William James, an American philosopher, called the knowledge that we must die “the worm at the core” of the human condition. But a study in Psychological Science shows that people nearing death use more positive language to describe their experience than those who just imagine death. This suggests that the experience of dying is more pleasant – or, at least, less unpleasant – than we might picture it.

Hospice gets huge response as it finds Tad a new home Beatrice Daily Sun; by Christina Lyons; 7/17/24 When the Cottonwood Hospice team wrote a Facebook post about a patient’s dog that needed to be rehomed, they were not expecting the overwhelming response they received. Owner Anni Paulmeyer said Katie Genrich, a hospice nurse, had come to her with concern for a patient who needed to rehome a dog because of declining health. ... Genrich said her patient had found the white Swiss shepherd when he was a year to 2 years of age. He named him Tad because he always said “the dog was a tad much when he was younger.” The patient cared for Tad for about nine years, but due to declining health and the need to move to a nursing facility, wanted to rehome Tad. Paulmeyer wrote a Facebook post and asked people to share the post. “A day or so later the post had been shared 2,800 times. ..."

Is your organization truly clinically integrated? TCNtalks podcast; host Chris Comeaux; 7/17/24 In this conversation, Chris Comeaux and Dr. Will Faber discuss the importance of clinically integrated networks (CINs) in the Hospice and Palliative Care industry.  They explore the challenges and benefits of creating a CIN, including reducing costs, improving quality of care, and competing with larger organizations. Dr. Faber explains that CINs are legal entities that allow independent providers to come together for group effectiveness, enabling them to negotiate with payers and improve quality while reducing healthcare costs.  They also touch on the concept of the triple aim and the evolving concept of the quintuple aim in healthcare. CINs are attractive to hospice and palliative care organizations because they provide a way to stay independent while being part of something larger. 

Woman radiates joy as she wears a wedding gown for the first time after 77 years of marriage Scoop; by Rima Biswas; 7/16/24When this 97-year-old got married, she didn't have a proper wedding gown. She got to live this dream after 77 years of marriage thanks to a hospice facility. ... On King and her husband's 77th wedding anniversary, her dream of wearing a wedding dress finally came true. The staff of St. Croix Hospice in Iowa helped the then-97-year-old King to get dressed in all white and a veil to walk down the grassy lawn to celebrate her wedding anniversary. The hospice facility made a small but special arrangement to help the veteran couple reenact their wedding memories, getting everyone emotional in the process.

NAHC-NHPCO Alliance comments on Hospice CARE Act HomeCare; 7/16/24 The NAHC-NHPCO Alliance submitted a comment letter to the office of Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) on the discussion draft of the Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement Act (Hospice CARE Act), along with an overview and section-by-section summary. The Hospice CARE Act focuses on hospice payment reform and program integrity. The two trade organizations said they have worked closely with Blumenauer for years on these issues and are committed to continuing the dialogue to secure optimal outcomes for hospice providers and the continued delivery of quality care for patients and their families.

Streamlining financial processes in end-of-life care: The crucial role of revenue cycle management for hospices United Business Journal - UBJ; by Rahul Kumar; 7/16/24In the increasingly complex healthcare landscape, hospices face unique challenges in managing their financial processes. One crucial aspect that significantly impacts their efficiency and sustainability is Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) for hospices. This blog post aims to shed light on the essential role of RCM for hospices in streamlining financial operations, ensuring they can continue to provide compassionate and high-quality end-of-life care.

Wellsboro's hospice home closes Gazette, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania; 7/12/24 After 25 years of providing a home for the dying, The Samaritan House, a mission project of St. Peter’s Church in Wellsboro [PA], has closed. For the past two years, the steering committee has tried to increase its volunteer base, raise funds, complete clearances and maintain the house. Despite meeting many goals and continuing to receive referrals, Samaritan House can no longer welcome guests because it can’t sustain a schedule. The Samaritan House ministry has welcomed guests and families from diverse faiths and backgrounds and cared for them with compassion and dignity for 25 years. Many of the volunteers have made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

Angela Hospice CEO to retire; successor named DBusiness; by Tim Keenan; 7/12/24 Angela Hospice President and CEO Marti Coplai has announced her plan to retire in December and Executive Director Jamie LaLonde has been named to succeed her in December.  Coplai joined Angela Hospice in 2015 as executive director and assumed the position of president and CEO in March 2019. Over the course of Coplai’s tenure, she has led the Angela Hospice team to accomplish a number of initiatives, propelling the organization to where it is today, and ensuring sustainability for the future. The most recent initiative Coplai led is the expansion of Angela Hospice services to north Oakland County. In addition to the 15-bed hospice residence at Lourdes Senior Community, expanded services will benefit the community through grief support groups and educational outreach.