Hospices Strategize for Longer Patient Stays

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 […]

Geography a Factor in Palliative Care Awareness

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 […]

Patient’s Geographic Location Influences Hospice Choice

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 […]

Early Hospice Saves $14,000-$27,000 in Health Care Costs Per Patient

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 Perception Limits Expansion of Advance Care Planning

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 […]

Hospices Help Address Social Isolation in Patients

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 […]

Lack of Caregiver Support Adversely Impacts Hospice Utilization

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 […]

Ending Diabetes Treatment for Hospice Patients May Improve Quality of Life

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 […]

Hospice Utilization in Assisted Living Exceeds Private Homes

Hospice utilization among Medicare beneficiaries is greater in assisted living facilities than many other settings, including private residences, according to new research published in Health Affairs.  Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City indicated that this was the first national study to examine the types of residences where […]

Hospice Providers Say ‘Reopening’ States Will Improve Access to Nursing Homes

Many hospice leaders believe that states’ gradual relaxation of COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions will positively impact their businesses, despite concerns about increased risks to staff. Providers expect that increased access to patients living in facilities will drive clinical and financial improvement. More than half of hospice provider respondents to a Hospice News reader survey indicated that […]