Jury Out on Cannabis Benefits for Palliative Care Patients

Cancer patients receiving palliative care that recently used cannabis experienced more severe pain and symptoms than those who didn’t, though they overall perceived more positive results, according to a recent study. More than a quarter (26%) of nearly 300 senior palliative care patients perceived benefits for pain and other symptoms after using cannabis during 30 […]

Family Resource Home Care Expands with Companion Care Acquisition

Washington-headquartered Family Resource Home Care recently acquired personal care provider Companion Care, Inc., adding to its growing footprint in its home state. Family Resource provides end-of-life, respite and personal care, along with services such as medication management, meal preparation, housekeeping, companionship and dementia support. The home care agency has been on a growth path in […]

Compassus’ Laura Templeton: Education, Better Reimbursement Needed to Foster Palliative Care Growth

Two barriers interfere with palliative care growth — identifying patients in need and a fragmented reimbursement system, according to Laura Templeton, COO and executive vice president at Compassus. As a nurse, Templeton has leveraged her clinical experiences to help navigate challenges that prevent patients from accessing care. She recently ascended to her current executive role […]

Quality Data, Cost Control: Hospices’ ‘True North’ in Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage plans are connecting the dots between quality scores and care delivery costs. When choosing a hospice to work with, payers in the Medicare Advantage (MA) realm zero in on providers’ quality scores and its patient population growth potential, according to Frontpoint Healthcare CEO Brent Korte. Consequently, those are key data pieces for hospices […]

How Palliative Care Generates Savings, Boosts Hospice Utilization

Past payment model demonstrations that included community-based palliative care offer a window into how these services could generate cost savings and improved quality. Among those demos is the Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM), which ran between 2016 and 2021. The model illustrated palliative care’s potential for driving down health care costs for seriously ill patients, […]

The Pandemic’s Lasting Hospice Referral Impacts

Pandemic-related headwinds that strained hospice referrals may have lingering impacts on how providers are approaching their community outreach and marketing efforts. Referrals from assisted living and skilled nursing facilities represent a large portion of hospice patients, along with hospital and health system referrals. Limited access to facility-based settings during the pandemic caused hospice referral volumes […]

YoloCares Breaks Down Barriers to Equitable Access Among Underserved Tribal, Rural Communities

A community-based research project launched by California-based YoloCares has revealed that a lack of culturally appropriate educational opportunities is fueling hospice disparities among two underserved groups – Native American populations and rural patients. The hospice and palliative care provider launched a three-year community health needs assessment initiative aimed at better understanding the barriers of access […]

‘Progress Has Not Been Fast Enough’: Enhabit Reveals Plans to Launch Strategic Alternatives Process

Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) has announced plans to launch a strategic review process that could result in a potential sale. The consideration marks another move among large home health and hospice providers in the industry. The company is getting ready to explore various transaction options in order to satisfy the terms of its Tax Matters […]

Pennant COO John Gochnour: Valuations in Hospice Are Becoming More Realistic

The Pennant Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PNTG) is on the hunt for hospice acquisitions as previously record-high price tags in the market trend downward. The home health, hospice and senior living company aims to pursue acquisition opportunities across all of its service lines. Higher valuations in home health and hospice have dampened the ability to stretch […]

‘It’s Where We’re at Right Now’: US Prison System Struggling to Keep Up with Growing Need for Palliative Care

Individuals in prison environments often have limited access to palliative care services, making these patients among the hardest to reach for providers. Labor pressures amid growing demand represent the largest barriers in terms of both limited staffing volumes and high workforce costs. Many incarcerated seniors who could benefit from palliative care do not receive adequate […]