As CMS prepares the field for the Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation (HOPE) Model, hospice organizations nationwide are re-examining how they deliver, document, and demonstrate quality. The HOPE Model — a comprehensive assessment and quality framework designed to replace the Hospice Item Set (HIS) — elevates key domains of care that lie at the heart of hospice philosophy. These include pain management, symptom (and behavioral) management, and psychosocial and spiritual needs. 
 
Learn more from CMS here. 

 

Patients with dementia form a fast-increasing proportion of those entering hospice care. Is your staff prepared to compassionately care for the unique needs of people living with dementia?

I saw a postcard once that read, "The last good thing that may happen in a person's life is a hospice volunteer".  For National Volunteer Month help me recognize these special caregivers who are called to the bedside.

Anticipatory grief refers to a grief reaction that occurs before an impending loss. Typically, the impending loss is a death of someone close due to illness but it can also be experienced by dying individuals themselves.

We all know that the only thing certain about our life is that someday it will end.  And yet death continues to be an elusive topic in most families and social circles.  Someone recently shared with me that she felt if she brought up the topic with her parents,  they might feel like she wanted to hurry things along.

With today’s emphasis on person centered care, communication skills are essential. Any senior care or hospice professional regularly interacts with people with communication challenges stemming from brain injury, stroke, hearing loss; Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease.