Literature Review

Revolutionizing Elderly Care: Palliative Care's growth and integration into Value-Based ModelsBNN, by Olalekan Adigun; 3/5/24Amid the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, palliative care is undergoing a significant transformation, marking a new era in the management and delivery of healthcare services to the elderly. Dr. Jason Black, a seasoned family medicine practitioner with a specialized fellowship in geriatrics, is at the forefront of this change. Working for Gilchrist, a hospice and palliative care organization in Baltimore and central Maryland, Dr. Black embodies the integration of palliative care into the broader healthcare framework, emphasizing value-based care models.

3 predictions for the future of post-acute careBecker's Hospital Review, by Mariah Taylor; 2/28/24Robust in-home care, advances in technology and seamless access to nursing facilities are some of the ways leaders anticipate post-acute care may change in the next 50 years. Here, three leaders give their predictions and hopes for the industry in the future.

Growing palliative care a key priority for Amedisys in 2024 Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/23/24Amedisys is pushing forward on palliative care growth in 2024 through its innovation arm, Contessa. The company acquired Contessa in 2021 for $250 million. ... The company has been making substantial investments in building out its palliative care services, particularly through risk-based contracts.

Chapters CEO Andrew Molosky: Building an ecosystem of care around the seriously illHospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/13/24Going forward, hospice and other post-acute providers are preparing to operate within a value-based ecosystem, and Florida-based nonprofit Chapters Health System is no exception. ... The organization has been hard at work in recent years to position itself for risk-based relationships and build out a continuum of care for chronically and terminally ill patients, while maintaining positive employee engagement.

Petersen Health Care in battle for $50 million share of massive nursing home portfolioMcKnight's Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 2/6/24An operator of nearly 100 Midwest care facilities is now embroiled in a two-front legal battle over more than $50 million in loans. Two lenders say that Petersen Health Care has failed to make payments due at 17 nursing homes across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri and are seeking foreclosure. The Peoria, IL, company is among the largest care providers in the region, employing several thousand care workers at its facilities in suburban and rural Illinois.

Study highlights financial burden of dementia on older adults, familiesGeorgia State University - School of Public Health, by Sam Fahmy; 2/7/24A team of researchers from the Georgia State University School of Public Health, the University of Washington School of Pharmacy and the University of California San Francisco analyzed data from a national sample of more than 4,500 adults aged 70 and older to arrive at what are thought to be the first comparisons of out-of-pocket expenses by dementia status and care setting. The researchers found that the median adult with dementia in residential facilities such as assisted living centers spent 97% of their monthly income on long-term care. People with dementia in nursing homes spent nearly 83% of their monthly income on long-term care.

The doctor will see you … when? Regs, reimbursement delay SNF patient accessMcKnight's Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/31/24Patients seen by a physician or other advanced practice provider within a day of a skilled nursing admission were less likely to be rehospitalized compared to patients seen two days post-admission or later. But various obstacles tend to push those physician visits well beyond the first few days of care, University of Pennsylvania researchers found.

When a spouse goes to the nursing homeThe New York Times, by Paula Span; 2/5/24After moving his partner of 33 years to a memory care residence, Joseph Drolet, a retired lawyer in Atlanta, said his fear of what would happen to her if he died or became disabled has abated.

Alabama agencies get new resources for dementia care amid 'great void' in servicesAlabama Reflector, by Alander Rocha; 1/31/24In a meeting of the Interagency Council for the Prevention of Elder Abuse on Tuesday, Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) Commissioner Jean W. Brown said the department is “awash in money to just go where we’ve never gone before in dementia services and dementia care.” ... According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alabama in 2021 had the second highest mortality rate from Alzheimer’s disease, behind only Mississippi, at 46.8 per 100,000 people. 

CMS must ‘ease burdens’ if it wants more long-stay residents in value-based care: report McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/29/24The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must do more to move states away from an “extremely bifurcated” Medicare and Medicaid system that sometimes leaves dually eligible beneficiaries confused about their care and coverage, analysts said Monday. Roughly 1 million long-stay nursing home residents are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. In its new report, ATI Advisory found that they were more likely to be hospitalized and have a Medicare-covered SNF stay than their community-dwelling peers.

Policymakers, providers must take steps to prevent staff mass turnover, researchers sayMcKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin, 1/29/24Employment levels in the skilled nursing industry are lagging compared with other parts of the healthcare continuum, noted the authors of a study published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ... Employment levels have been offset to some degree by hiring of agency staff, which the authors claim may affect resident/patient care by disrupting the continuity of care and “by diminishing the years of experience of the workforce.”

CMS confirms nursing home staffing ratios to finalize this yearBecker's Hospital Review, by Mariah Taylor; 1/24/24CMS said it will finalize the nursing home minimum staffing proposal in 2024, officials said in a national stakeholder call Jan. 23. The CMS team said they received more than 46,000 comments on the proposal, which was used to inform the final rule.

Don’t stop dreamin’ turns nursing home residents’ dreams into realityiAdvanceSeniorCare, by Paige Cerulli; 1/22/24The nonprofit now works to fulfill dreams for residents of all Quality Life Services homes, as well as for patients of Three Rivers Hospice. “There is one employee at all ten locations, including Three Rivers Hospice, that represents Don’t Stop Dream’ as a Dream Ambassador,” explains [Paula] Elder. “They are responsible for learning about our residents and patients’ needs and dreams, and submitting them for request. Most dreams are typically granted to our residents and patients after research is completed to ensure their safety, travel arrangements (if necessary), and staffing is available.”