About 80% of family caregiver survey respondents indicated that they would select a hospice based on the providers’ ability to communicate in a timely fashion. Timely communication can also impact the ratings that family’s give hospices in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey, according to new research conducted by Citus Health. […]
Family caregivers for patients in hospice or who are suffering from serious illness tend to see declines in their own health. A study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) found that the stress and pressure of caregiving can contribute to conditions such as high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, as well as increase […]
A majority of patients continue to experience short lengths of stay in hospice, in many cases limiting their ability to receive the full benefits of those services. Confronted with this reality, providers are seeking new ways to connect with patients further upstream in the course of their illness. Nearly 54% Medicare decedents received hospice care […]
A rising number of hospice providers nationwide have diversified services to include palliative care in an effort to engage patients further upstream and open up new lines of revenue. Despite these efforts, palliative care remains widely untapped in many areas throughout the United States, with knowledge gaps about the nature of these services acting as […]
The community in which a patient resides may be a key factor that influences their decision of whether or not to elect hospice care. New research indicates regional variations in patients’ end-of-life decision making. Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) Center for Health Care Delivery Science took a close look at regional patterns […]
Patients who receive hospice earlier saved an average of $14,000 in health care costs during the last three months of life compared to patients who were admitted for a mid-term stay, according to new research from health care data analytics firm Trella Health. Patients who did not elect hospice accrued $27,455 more in health care […]
Public perceptions of advance care planning, as well as a lack of understanding of the nature of hospice and palliative care, have many reluctant to pursue these options, according to a new study in the Journal of Palliative Medicine. Advance care planning has been shown to have a significant impact on the quality and experience […]
The need for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the adverse impacts of isolation on hospice patients’ quality of life. Protecting the seriously ill at highest risk of COVID-19’s impacts has come at the cost of human touch and hands-on care so integral to hospice patients in their final life stages. Hospice and […]
A lack of sufficient family caregiver support can have a negative impact on whether or not a patient receives hospice care. New research shows that patients who are faced with end-of-life decisions may be less likely to choose hospice unless they have a network of friends or family who can serve as home caregivers. The […]
Older adults who suffer from a life-limiting illness or advanced dementia may benefit from cessation of diabetes treatment as they near their final days, new research has found. Prior research on appropriate levels of diabetes is scarce, according to the study’s authors. But their conclusions suggest that continuing diabetes treatment at the end of life […]