Literature Review

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. 

Odds for dementia nearly triple in the year after a strokeHealth Day, by Ernie Mundell; 2/1/24A person's odds for a dementia diagnosis nearly triple in the first year after a stroke, new research shows. This post-stroke spike in dementia risk does subside with time, but it never returns to pre-stroke levels, the same report found. "Our findings reinforce the importance of monitoring people with stroke for cognitive decline," said lead researcher Dr. Raed Joundi. 

Hospice and home health survey perspectives: A conversation with Kim Skehan, VP of Accreditation at CHAPHospice Insights: The Law and Beyond, podcast by Meg Pekarske; 1/31/24In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by friend and industry veteran Kim Skehan. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore not only the recent survey reforms but the ways in which Kim’s decades of work as a survey consultant to hospices and home health agencies shape how she approaches her new role leading accreditation at CHAP.

Hospice fraud back in the spotlight, with new data also raising questions about home health careHome Health Care News, by Robert Holly; 1/30/24The number of hospice providers enrolled in the Medicare program in four states has skyrocketed over the past few years. The jaw-dropping spike, in turn, has triggered increased oversight efforts – some of which may not be having the desired effect. A similar trend could be happening in home health care in one major county, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data suggests. In hospice, the surge of new providers and potentially fraudulent activities has been concentrated in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. In home health care, it’s Los Angeles County.

Your 2024 guide to Joint Commission changes - Becker's Hospital ReviewBecker's Hospital Review, by Ashleigh Hollowell; 1/26/24The Joint Commission is cutting more than 200 standards across its accreditation programs, many of which will take effect July 1. The organization initially announced its plans to scale back standards at this scale in July 2023, describing it as the "second tranche of major standards' reduction" following a first round of cuts in December 2022. ... [Among these], Home Care will receive a 15% reduction in performance elements.

Marshfield Clinic closing Wisconsin hospice centerBecker's Hospital CFO Report, by Madeline Ashley; 1/24/24Phillips, Wis.-based Marshfield Medical Center Park Falls Home Health and Hospice facility, part of Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic, is closing at the end of February due to limited resources. Marshfield Clinic is working with other providers who offer home health and hospice services to provide continued care to patients. 

Pressing questions about rural telehealth access and investments put innovation in dangerMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/22/24Proven healthcare technologies can help improve patient care and boost staff confidence, but in many rural areas, one major impediment remains: lack of high-speed internet.

‘You can complain about it, or lean in’: Top home health leaders brace for 2024Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/19/24With the start of a new year, home health leaders are looking ahead, and identifying their top priorities. Some of these areas of focus will directly address last year’s challenges, and some are proactive measures that will place them ahead. At Bayada Home Health Care, these priorities include focusing on the employee experience, as well as clinical model evolution.

Study shows 'alarming' sharp increase of colon cancer in younger AmericansThe National Desk, by Jamel Valencia; 1/17/24Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second in women under the age of 50, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report on cancer facts and trends. It indicated that colon cancer moved up from being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both younger men and women two decades ago to first in men and second in women. Breast cancer leads in women under 50 with 2,251 deaths in 2021.

Graham Healthcare Group receives top workplaces for 2023

Survey shows 2024 to be a "Year of Efficiency" for Care at Home OrganizationsHomeCare News; 1/16/24To improve their bottom line and operations, care-at-home organizations plan to focus on shoring up operational processes and how they manage staffing and scheduling, according to the just-released 2024 Industry Trends Report. ... The focus on having more efficient operations was reflected in the top concerns from respondents: staffing, and addressing the changing payment dynamics and new regulations and oversight in the care at-home industry.

America's health system isn't ready for the surge of seniors with disabilitiesCalifornia Healthline, by Judith Graham; 1/17/24The number of older adults with disabilities — difficulty with walking, seeing, hearing, memory, cognition, or performing daily tasks such as bathing or using the bathroom — will soar in the decades ahead, as baby boomers enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Hospice of the Western Reserve targeting $75,000 grant to address racial disparitiesCleveland.com Community News, by John Benson; 12/14/23Hospice of the Western Reserve applied for and recently received a Three Arches Foundation grant, with the intent to address healthcare inequity. Providing end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services throughout Northern Ohio, the nonprofit was recently awarded $75,000 to expand outreach and address racial disparity in utilization of in-home, pre-hospice palliative care for patients with advanced serious and progressive illness.Quotes Heidi L. Barham, Hospice of the Western Reserve Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion