Literature Review

Alliance, Aetna & MissionCare collective unite to strengthen direct care workforce HomeCare, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 5/19/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (The Alliance), Aetna Medicaid, a CVS Health company, and MissionCare Collective have begun a collaborative effort to increase access to home health care for older adults and those with disabilities, and increase supports for direct care workers in Illinois, Louisiana and North Carolina. Initially launching in Illinois, Louisiana and North Carolina, the pilot program is funded by Aetna and brings together two national providers committed to transforming care delivery at home. The Alliance represents providers across homecare, home health, hospice and palliative services, serving as an advocate for care delivered where people live. MissionCare Collective, a workforce innovation provider, offers a suite of solutions designed to build, retain and support the care workforce at scale.

Home health use remains high among beneficiaries with dementia, study findsMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/19/25Medicare beneficiaries who have dementia increasingly are using home healthcare, according to a new study published Friday in JAMA Network Open... Home health utilization increased by roughly 17% among beneficiaries with dementia between 2010 and 2019 and decreased slightly between 2020 and 2022, the study found. Beneficiaries with dementia were also more likely to initiate home healthcare from community-dwelling settings, rather than from post-acute care settings.

Restructuring for risk: How home-based care providers build frameworks that boost profits Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 5/14/25 In the home-based care world, building a business that is equipped to take on risk-based reimbursement arrangements can be easier said than done. While no simple feat, taking on risk is an attractive option that allows home-based care providers to align incentives between their organizations, payer sources and patients. Providers that have found success with risk-based agreements have done so by addressing retention challenges, investing in data and more.

Roughly 40 percent of nurses plan to leave profession within 5 years, survey finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/13/25 The nursing workforce today is more stable than it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a significant share of nurses still plan to leave the profession behind in the next five years, according to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation. ... Approximately 40% of RNs, LPNs and LVNs surveyed said that they planned to leave nursing sometime in the next five years. In 2022, roughly 26% of nurses said the same. The most common reasons nurses cited for wanting to leave their jobs included retirement, stress or burnout, workloads and pressures caused by understaffing, the report noted.

Dombi: At-home care providers must overcome ‘self-inflicted challenge’ to flourish Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 5/2/25 Despite operating on razor-thin margins and facing persistent reimbursement challenges, some home-based care providers are setting themselves apart by leaning into innovation. By embracing alternative payment models, virtual health and opportunities like hospital-at-home programs, providers can save themselves from home-based care’s “self-inflicted challenge” of not capitalizing on the industry’s evolving opportunities, according to Bill Dombi, senior counsel for Arnall Golden Gregory law firm. He also formerly led the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), which following a merger is now the National Alliance for Care at Home. While workforce shortages, potential Medicaid cuts and unsustainable payment rates threaten the industry, opportunity awaits those willing to evolve, Dombi said.

How a Butler University and Community Health Network partnership helped save 420 lives and $4.3 million Butler Stories, Indianapolis, IN; by Katie Palmer Wharton; 4/30/25 For healthcare professionals, data is more than just numbers—it is the foundation of better patient care, smarter decisions, and more efficient hospitals. But for many, data can feel overwhelming and difficult to use effectively. That’s why Butler University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education teamed up with Community Health Network to create a hands-on professional development course that demystifies data and equips healthcare workers with practical analytics skills. Since launching in spring 2022, the program has empowered 185 Community Health Network professionals to break down data barriers, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change in their organization. ... Armed with new data skills, Community Health Network employees built a dashboard to streamline the process. The results were nothing short of remarkable:

Understanding Conservatory Care Services: A comprehensive overview Articlescad.com; by Jonassen Randall; 4/27/25 As the population ages and healthcare requires evolve, conservatory care services have become a crucial part of the continuum of care for numerous individuals. Unlike standard medical treatment environments, conservatory care services focus on supporting people with persistent conditions or impairments, providing a holistic technique that promotes self-respect and quality of life. This short article will explore what conservatory care services entail, who can benefit from these services, and the various kinds they can take.

7-year-old Clayton girl battling stage 4 cancer enters hospice care at her home CBS-17 News, Raleigh/Clayton, NC; by Matthew Sockol, Maggie Newland, Greg Funderburg; 4/18/25 A seven-year-old girl battling an aggressive cancer has returned to her home in Clayton, her family said Friday. Noelle Franklin was diagnosed with stage four osteosarcoma less than a year ago and received treatment at UNC Children’s Hospital. In a video post on the Noelle Strong Facebook page, her mother Toni said Noelle is entering hospice care at their home. “The staff of UNC went above and beyond,” Toni Franklin said in a statement. “The care Noelle had was more than we could ask for. “Noelle has touched so many people, not just in our community, but in the hospital too,” she continued in her statement. “Seeing how many people came to celebrate Noelle breaking out overwhelmed me with joy. We paraded three different floors, wouldn’t expect anything less for Noelle. “We are home. We are at peace.”

HHS proposal slashes Medicare SHIP funds MSN; by Mary Helen Gillespie; 4/22/25 The Trump administration is proposing federal budget cuts to Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) and seven additional elder health care safety net programs that assist older Americans. ... SHIP programs have been under the umbrella of the Health and Human Services agency Administration for Community Living. The pre-decisional budget lists funds for seven other ACL programs that would be eliminated are:

Jury convicts home health agency executive of fixing wages and fraudulently concealing criminal investigation U.S. Department of Justice - Office of Public Affairs; Press Release; 4/14/25 A federal jury convicted a Nevada man today for participating in a three-year conspiracy to fix the wages for home healthcare nurses in Las Vegas and for fraudulently failing to disclose the criminal antitrust investigation during the sale of his home healthcare staffing company.  According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Eduardo “Eddie” Lopez of Las Vegas, Nevada conspired to artificially cap the wages of home healthcare nurses in the Las Vegas area between March 2016 and May 2019. The three-year conspiracy affected the wages of hundreds of Las Vegas registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who provide care to patients in their homes. During the pendency of the government’s investigation, Lopez then sold his home healthcare staffing company for over $10 million while fraudulently concealing the government’s criminal investigation from the buyer.  

Death matters: Is there really no place like home when it comes to dying? Sequim Gazette, Sequim, WA; by Jeanette Stehr-Green Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County; 4/16/25 While not everyone has the chance to decide where they will die, most Americans say that given the choice, they would prefer to die at home. For most people, home is familiar and comfortable. It is more private than a room in a hospital or nursing facility, and more likely to allow intimate gatherings with family and friends. In the home, the dying person and their caregivers are more in control, deciding when to have visitors, eat, drink, or take medications. ... Planning, realistic expectations, and adequate support are key to keeping a dying person at home. Consider the following steps: ... Home might not be best ...

HHS cuts pose threat to older Americans' health and safety Newsweek; by Kristin Lees Haggerty and Scott Bane - The National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment at Education Development Center (EDC); The John A. Hartford Foundation; 4/17/2 On March 27, 2025, the federal government announced major cuts to the department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ... Sounding the Alarm for Elder Justice: The population of older adults is rapidly growing, and one in 10 experience abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation—a risk that is even higher for those living with dementia. ... Cutting services to older adults will increase these risks and costs. Moreover, ... 11.5 million family and friend caregivers provide over 80 percent of help needed for people living with dementia in the U.S. Without access to services like Meal on Wheels, adult day care, and respite care, we can expect caregiver burden and strain to increase significantly and with it, rates of elder abuse, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and nursing home placements. We know this because of the abuse spike seen clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which doubled to over 20 percent of older adults, as services were limited, and older adults were socially isolated. HHS cuts are also likely to result in loss of specialized expertise in identifying and addressing elder mistreatment, so that when elder abuse does occur, we won't have the services to stop it and make sure it won't happen again.

CMS halts spending for nonmedical in-home Medicaid services, likely affecting providers McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/13/25 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told states last week that it would not approve future federal matching funds for designated state health programs (DSHPs) and designated state investment programs (DSIPs). These programs are widely used to help Medicaid beneficiaries remain at home and in their communities.