Family Caregivers Get Lonely and Depressed
Posted on 05. May, 2010 by jan.mater in Did You Know?.
Interventions to avoid breakdowns remain ineffective, study shows.
Family caregivers of patients with dementia usually get depressed due to stress. And they are often left alone to deal with their depression, according to a study conducted by Penn State and…
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Death, TV-Style: Correcting Misperceptions in Palliative Care
Posted on 05. May, 2010 by jan.mater in Did You Know?.
Support group plays a big role in calming a dying patient.
Death is usually neither sudden nor painful — contrary to what many people think, says a palliative care specialist in Canada.
Romayne Gallagher, head of palliative care for Providence…
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Licensure & Accreditation Documentation Hits More Home Health Agencies
Posted on 05. May, 2010 by jan.mater in Breaking News.
Get the latest on add-on payments, diabetic supplies and more in this home health industry news round-up.
Home health agencies served by Palmetto GBA were first out of the chute for a new licensure and accreditation check, but Cahaba GBA…
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OASIS C Education: Clearly Indicate Your Patients’ Pain
Posted on 05. May, 2010 by jan.mater in Hot Topics.
Follow this expert advice to ensure you correctly assess pain.
Just because an item in OASIS C asks about pain doesn’t mean your response should note how much pain your patient experiences. Sometimes, the point is simply whether you’ve asked…
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New Technology Connects Family, Elderly Patients
Posted on 28. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater in Did You Know?.
1 in 4 chronically-ill older Americans lives alone.
It’s a lonely world out there for sick, aged Americans. About four out of 10 chronically ill older people live alone and rely on others for caregiving. Such findings from a new…
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Palliative Radiotherapy Scores Low on Dying Cancer Patients
Posted on 28. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater in Hot Topics.
Physicians often overestimate survival.
Palliative radiotherapy can ease pain for last-stage cancer patients, and help them maintain a good life despite their often slow and agonizing battle with the disease. However, most of the patients do not benefit from getting…
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Face-To-Face Physician Requirement Applies To Hospices Only, CMS Clarifies
Posted on 28. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater in Hot Topics.
Hospices are in for more medical review under health care reform package.
The new health care reform package is throwing a lot of new requirements at home care providers, and the result can sometimes be confusion.
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Sneak a Peek at New 2011 ICD-9 Codes for Home Care
Posted on 28. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater in Breaking News.
Welcome new pneumonia, fluencey disorder, and cystostomy complication codes.
It’s that time of year — the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has unveiled the proposed changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment systems, giving us the first look at…
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Older Cancer Patients Need More Attention
Posted on 21. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater in Breaking News.
Nurses play a key role on identifying issues for better treatment and management.
How do we best care for older cancer patients? The National Cancer Institute (NCI) reports in a bulletin that there are very few resources available today to…
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Bone Up on OASIS C To Boost Your Home Health Coding Career
Posted on 21. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater in Money Matters.
Combine correct coding with OASIS C accuracy for maximum payoff.
With all the focus on OASIS C process measures and communication requirements, accurate coding can get lost in the shuffle. Now more than ever, it’s important to accurately document all…
