The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing a new assessment tool for hospice providers, referred to as the Hospice Outcome and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool. As hospices anticipate regulatory changes and an increased focus on quality outcomes, it’s important for providers to understand the goals of the... Keep Reading
Checking a patient’s mood and looking for any potential mood disorders can be extremely helpful in determining if the patient will successfully improve their overall health. It’s important for clinicians completing the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) to look for any mood-related concerns, as those may affect other sections... Keep Reading
As the care at home industry prepares for value-based care, organizations must find ways to consistently monitor their quality to ensure a steady revenue stream. Those who are not continually making measurable improvements will fall behind. Therefore, managing data will be a key part of direct patient care, patient outcomes... Keep Reading
As the “Great Resignation” continues across the U.S., companies are looking for ways to retain employees. High staff turnover isn’t only expensive — it’s also demoralizing and could lead to significant problems if employers can’t attract the younger generation.
Importantly, software is a decisive factor in employee retention. Therefore, companies should... Keep Reading
Roughly a quarter million Texans benefit from home health services each year. But now the federal government is threatening the ability of seniors to access this preferred method of care. Unless Medicare works to protect home health, many older Texans may lose their ability to choose where they want to... Keep Reading
There is a misconception within the care at home industry that community-based palliative care will be a loss leader for an organization. This perspective doesn’t take into account the care and positive outcomes that can be achieved through well-defined and organized palliative care delivery. Though profitable revenue models are a... Keep Reading
Only half of home-based care organizations have an established professional development strategy, according to the 2022 Home Care Staffing and Professional Development Survey. Organizations without a formal professional development strategy often cite a lack of internal resources. However, there are ways to integrate career development for staff even when facing... Keep Reading
In the past, the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) has done little to assess the cognitive function of the patient. Now, Section C of the OASIS-E manual includes guidance for that, as well as for signs and symptoms of delirium. This section contains useful tools and guidance for specific... Keep Reading
When clinicians are completing a comprehensive assessment for a new patient, they may notice whether the patient is able to obtain, process and understand basic health information. Section B of the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) covers items related to a patient’s hearing, speech and vision capabilities, which can... Keep Reading
There has been a lot of news over the past few years about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Some impacts include kids being away from friends, the stress of having school online, job loss for many people and less social interaction. While some of these changes... Keep Reading
The Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data elements are designed for home health organizations to integrate into their comprehensive assessment to collect and report quality data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). They can also guide the creation of a patient-specific plan of care. Home health... Keep Reading
Community-based palliative care programs continue to rapidly grow and evolve in the care at home industry. Whether someone has an established community-based palliative program or is starting one from scratch, there are many ways to quantify a program’s return on investment (ROI). The ROI should be the foundation on which... Keep Reading
