As hospice and palliative care providers seek ways to engage patients and families further upstream, a small but growing cadre of entrepreneurs has been building solutions for needs that emerge downstream — when families are navigating the aftermath of a loved one’s death. Bereaved families must cope not only with grief, but necessary tasks such […]
Hospice inpatient centers have proliferated since the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rebased payment rates in 2020. While reimbursement increases can foster growth, a convergence of factors complicate providers’ ability to balance a healthy margin with the expanded access to care. The 2020 rebasing instituted a 2.7% payment increase in payments for […]
Demand for end-of-life doulas (EOLD) has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the high rates of mortality and increased awareness of their services. In tandem, some hospices have recognized opportunities to collaborate with EOLDs. For one, “death doulas” can help educate patients and families about the benefits of hospice, dispelling some of the misconceptions […]
Hospices are finding the need to be creative and adaptable as they rebuild volunteer programs that were suspended or diminished during the height of the pandemic. Hospices rely on volunteers to organize educational programs, perform back office work, fundraising and to help patients stave off loneliness and social isolation. But need for social distancing and […]
Terminally ill patients suffering from dementia are more likely to receive life-sustaining treatments when children versus spouses were involved as decision-makers, according to recent research. The difference in end-of-life treatment choices suggests that more work needs to be done to ensure that surrogate decision makers and care teams are aware of patient preferences as early […]
A lack of nursing and medical education in hospice and palliative care creates an additional obstacle for providers trying to push back against industry-wide labor shortages. Not only are hospices competing with other health care sectors for new hires, but the vast majority of clinicians entering the workforce are unprepared to provide those services. Most […]
More hospice providers are diversifying their business lines to include adult day services. Some hospices see these programs as an extension of their mission to support aging and chronically ill patients and their caregivers. Adult day service centers are designed to care for individuals who require assistance during the day in the absence of caregivers […]
Delaware-based Bayhealth recently opened a new outpatient palliative care location to address the increasing need for those services within its service regions. The new Bayhealth Palliative Care office is located in Dover, Del. The new center moved from a previous location in the city and will operate with an expanded clinical team. One clinician and […]
California-based Snowline Hospice is entering a collaborative partnership with tech company CareFlash LLC to provide patients and their families with enhanced supportive care. The collaboration is designed to allow for greater connectivity and help patients and families navigate logistical aspects of end-of-life care. Hospices have increasingly leveraged technology to ramp up family and patient support. […]
More than 67% of the 203 hospice care professionals surveyed indicated that staffing was their greatest non-COVID related challenge in 2022, according to the 2022 Hospice News Outlook Survey and Report. This is a rise from 33% the prior year. Staffing shortages have long been a thorn in the side of the hospice industry and […]
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