Internal and government vaccine requirements have hospices walking a fine line between the need to protect staff, patients and their families while also considering employees’ personal choices and medical or religious exemptions. Hospice leaders have shown concern that vaccine mandates could exacerbate long standing industry-wide staffing shortages, which have worsened during the pandemic. Hospice & […]
Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo
Federal health care agencies are developing new Conditions of Participation that would require all staff of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified health care providers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Though the White House used the term “health care facilities” in its announcement, the forthcoming rule would apply to hospice and home health care workers. The U.S. Centers […]
The track record of palliative care providers helping patients avoid hospitalizations and readmissions is a significant driver of their growth. Rising awareness of the nature and availability of palliative care is also promoting utilization of these services, though providers continue to wrestle with the limited avenues for reimbursement. More stakeholders are beginning to realize the […]
The majority of hospice patients are seniors by far, but providers are recognizing and responding to a growing need for pediatric services. As more families learn about the nature of hospice — and as more health care moves into the home setting — demand is escalating. This presents both an opportunity and a challenge for […]
In this episode of the Hospice News “Elevate” podcast, Christopher Kerr, M.D., CEO and chief medical officer of Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, talks about research that examines the death experience from the perspective of the patient, as well as sharing points on financially sustainable palliative care.
The threat of COVID-19 has forced many providers to keep high-risk seriously and terminally ill patients isolated to limit the virus’s exposure and spread. As families become disconnected from loved ones approaching the end of life, hospice providers have sought new ways to offer mental health support during the pandemic. Social isolation during the coronavirus […]
As the health care system strives to care for the legions of patients suffering from COVID-19, hospices have accepted an influx of patients who are infected with the virus. With hospice and palliative care patients among the most vulnerable to coronavirus disease infection, providers have ramped up infection control efforts to protect those at highest […]
Though seniors receive most of the hospice care in the United States, a rising number of hospice and palliative care providers are focusing more of their attention on a very different patient population: children with serious or terminal illness. More than 47% of hospice patients in 2017 were older than 85, according to the National […]