The vision for this blog is to create a community of harmonious professionals across the care continuum who encourage each other in exploring digital media as a way to support businesses and families dealing with elder care.
Written on December 1st, 2010 by tasha
People who have known me for a long time will remember that the original name of my business was “Let’s Collaborate!” Collaboration has long been a theme of my work, and so I was excited to learn of an article by Ellen Surburg, Director of Bloomington Hospital Home Health and Hospice concerning ways home health and hospice can collaborate more effectively for their own benefits and for the benefit of patients and families.
Ellen’s insights are drawn from research and analysis of quality and payment metrics from the point of view of both providers. I found her explanation of the pressures faced by the two services instructive, as it led to an understanding of how to build a win:win relationship. Read the rest of this entry »
Written on November 16th, 2010 by tasha
The “health reform” bill is probably more appropriately named “health reimbursement reform.” The emphasis is on changing how we pay for care. But the payment structure has plenty to do with quality, especially as it relates to continuity. For example, Medicare and Medicaid drive the health delivery system as their eligibility and reimbursement requirements shape the services that are offered (or not) and what happens (or doesn’t) when people fall between the cracks.
Our current system of reimbursement has resulted in disconnected silos of providers clustered around billable events.
While it makes perfect sense for the providers, woe be it to the patients (and families) who fall between the silos. Fortunately, there are geriatric care managers who can provide continuity from one silo to the other, but these professionals are not funded by Medicare or Medicaid. So unless a family has funds to pay privately, there are few options to serve as a safety net when a situation does not neatly fit eligibility criteria.
The family caregiver often becomes the care coordinator AND the care provider, stretching for weeks or months to provide continuity between one silo and the next.
The up-coming changes in reimbursement are geared to shift the incentives so that this burden falls less on the family and is shared instead by providers who are rewarded for collaborating. This new structure is called “Accountable Care Organizations” (ACOs) and preparations are taking place now to be ready for funding in 2012.
Accountable Care Organizations are new legal entities that can bill Medicare and accept payment. They are created to bring physicians (primary care and specialists) and hospitals together—with the potential of collaborating with long-term care and community-based providers—to offer integrated services.
Understanding ACOs will help you position your business in the market of the future.
Written on October 5th, 2010 by tasha
My own nearby city of San Francisco is the host to the National PACE Association conference this year. I am currently writing from the gorgeous Hyatt Regency with a twinkly city view before me. Exhausting day, as it often is at a conference. So much information and so many inspired people to learn from! But this one gives me a special kind of optimism because the PACE model is so, well, all-inclusive.
PACE stands for Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly. One way to describe it is hospice for frail elders who are not terminally ill, but who meet the criteria for nursing home placement.
Like hospice, the PACE model revolves around an inter-disciplinary team (IDT) and includes family members in their services. The professional side of the team involves doctors, nurses, social workers, physical therapists—even dentists! Some PACE programs have chaplains as well. Read the rest of this entry »
Written on August 17th, 2010 by tasha
For me, the most exciting session at the Boston NHPCO care continuum conference was on telehealth. (That’s saying a lot, because the conference included presentations on some truly innovative programs. You could see the creative sparks flying between presenters and members of the audience. I go to several conferences a year and have to say these were really fun sessions!)
What struck me in particular about the telehealth session was the discussion of video conferencing. New regulations and cheaper technologies make this medium worthy of a second look, even in the high touch sectors of hospice and geriatric care management.
Certainly as we strive to increase access (especially in rural areas) and discover greener ways to deliver care (less travel time) responsible leaders will need to consider how to leverage technology to meet these goals. (P.S. I am also getting the very strong feeling that productivity goes up with telemedicine because staff do not need to spend so much time in transit. Staff cost per patient goes down, making this also a worthy option to consider financially.) Read the rest of this entry »
Written on August 4th, 2010 by tasha
Smooth transitions of care require a solid understanding of medication needs and changes. Often the management of new regimens falls to family members. How to be sure they understand what the new medications are, when to take what, and any special instructions?
In this blog post I’m excited to share a free service available to families at MyMedSchedule.com. (I receive no financial compensation for my description, by the way. I’m just impressed by what they offer.)
