Hospice Quality Connection LLC

05/02/2024

So happy to be attending and speaking at the Oregon/Washington Hospice Association Spring Intensive Conference. Great turn out.

03/05/2024

Staffing has always been the bane of managers especially in healthcare. Check out Overture XL. They have automated staffing and credentialing all in one place. Great job Matt and Rich.

02/29/2024

Often with the pain measure on the HIS there is confusion about whether pain should be a care plan problem or if the question was pain management initiated should be marked yes or no. Specifically, in regard to delivery of the comfort pack to the home as a qualifier in answering yes to the initiating pain management question. Some think that the question should only be marked yes if the comfort kit was actually started. I personally disagree. If the patient was using pain medicine and is continuing to use pain medication when the comfort kit is provided then I would answer yes it was initiated and yes pain is a problem area on the care plan. A great tip is if you notice the patient in pain during admission or a visit, pause and go ahead and get them started on the comfort pack during the visit. Below is from the HIS manual:

Comfort kits or pre-printed admission orders alone are insufficient evidence to
determine pain is an active problem. For comfort kits and pre-printed admission
orders, treatment is not considered initiated until the hospice has received the
order and there is documentation that the patient/caregiver was instructed to
begin use of the medication or treatment; thus, proactive education on
medications in a comfort kit in anticipation of symptoms alone is insufficient
evidence to determine pain is an active problem.

02/28/2024

Please check out HospiceWorks when looking for a hospice focused EMR system. Very user friendly and patient info all with 1 click.

Improve the quality of patient care with our hospice and palliative care software. Easily manage clinical processes with AI-powered speech recognition features.

02/28/2024

In this March's blog posted on my website (hospicequalityconnection.com) I share what could have been in relation to the recent passing of my Dad. I felt it was important to share the huge impact hospice can make in the dying of our loved ones as well as what can possibly happen when we don't choose hospice. I hope it helps others.

02/23/2024

If you live in Oregon/Washington or surrounding areas consider attending 2024 “Spring Intensive: Regulatory Update” that the Washington State Hospice & Palliative Care Organization and the Oregon Hospice & Palliative Care Association, is holding May 2-3, 2024 at Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel in Portland, Oregon. You can visit their website for registration and full program details. I have been invited to speak and am pleased to present 2 quality related topics at this conference in my home state of Oregon. Hope to see you there.

02/13/2024

When thinking about the hospice quality role, many think about high level functions and duties when determining effectiveness. Yet something as simple as making sure the quality person is visible can be key. Start with questions such as do line staff know who the quality person is? How is the quality person supported and portrayed in the organization i.e. an after thought making their work more complicated or as a support and resource. Sometimes it really can be this simple to get a quality program ignited and moving forward.

02/12/2024

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/proteins-may-predict-who-will-get-dementia-10-years-later-study-finds-2024-02-12/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

A study of frozen blood samples has turned up a trove of proteins that may predict several forms of dementia more than 10 years before the disease is diagnosed, researchers reported.

02/09/2024

Diabetes may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s. But blood sugar control, exercise and a healthy diet may help

02/09/2024

An area that seems to be emerging is the link between pre-diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. This article from the New Hampshire Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is interesting if you want to learn more.

Diabetes may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s. But blood sugar control, exercise and a healthy diet may help

02/08/2024

If you are new in your Quality role, reach out. I am sure we can help you on your journey.

02/07/2024

As a professional in the area of quality have you ever felt you needed a little extra support? At Hospice Quality Connection LLC we offer retainer services making that support just a quick phone call or email away. Give us a call at 888-539-2799 to learn more.