Hospices’ public outreach efforts have evolved in recent years, with providers finding new strategies to dispel myths that have long impeded access to care. Nearly half, or 49.1%, of all Medicare decedents utilized hospice services in 2022, reported the National Alliance for Care at Home. National hospice utilization rates have hovered around this vicinity for […]
Category: Operations
Hospice of the Chesapeake has unfurled a new dementia care program aimed at providing improved emotional, educational and practical support for patients and their caregivers as their conditions progress. Demographic trends were among the key factors that drove the program forward, said Monica Escalante, chief strategy and information officer at Hospice of the Chesapeake. The […]
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) has launched a volunteer-based hospice service for terminally ill incarcerated individuals. The program is part of a wider trend to improve end-of-life experiences as swelling aging inmate populations increase demand. Volunteers in NDCS’ hospice program provide bedside companionship, emotional support and assistance with daily activities of life. Participants […]
Prolific health disparities have driven hospices to implement various strategies to improve diversity, equity and inclusion among underserved patient populations. Some providers say the needle has much farther to go toward equitable access. End-of-life care models have increasingly diversified to reach a broader range of patients with different beliefs, values and spiritual outlooks, according to […]
Research has uncovered common threads of quality impacts among the largest hospices nationwide as providers employ a range of initiatives to uproot the underlying causes of staff and family caregiver dissatisfaction. Strong communication, streamlined operational processes and an encouraging organizational culture are three significant drivers of positive end-of-life experiences for families and staff alike, according […]
Without family caregivers, many patients would not be able to receive hospice, palliative or other forms of home-based care. This is the challenge that faces many families of cancer patients, who may be unsure of what to do after their loved one receives a diagnosis. For this reason, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice […]
Today’s hospice leaders need to take a wide view into the range of challenges facing their interdisciplinary care teams, according to Dr. Andrew Mayo, chief medical officer at St. Croix Hospice. Mayo joined St. Croix Hospice in 2014 as an associate medical director. The Minnesota-headquartered hospice provider is a portfolio company of the private equity […]
Stakeholders and policymakers who shape the hospice industry are making connections between a provider’s tax status and quality indicators. Their perceptions could have significant repercussions on the outlook of hospice investments. More private equity (PE) investors have stepped into the hospice and home health space in recent years. This trend extends across the broader health […]
Building an effective compliance program depends heavily on dedicated leadership, open lines of communication and accountability, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In addition to conducting audits and investigations, OIG offers guidance to health care organizations as to how they can develop a compliance program […]
The California-based hospice provider YoloCares has recently received nearly $1.14 million in funding to launch a new residential hospice shelter for homeless populations. Branded as Joshua’s House, the funds were approved by local board officials in Sacramento County, California, and will support the site’s construction. The location is set to open in April 2025 and […]