Hospital Home Health Archives – May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
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News not all bad for home health during tough economy
No industry is completely recession proof and home health agencies are facing challenges as the country deals with the current economic crisis. But there is a silver lining in this economy for home health. -
Staff members choose to stay to preserve seniority
Job cuts, company closures, and salary reductions are in all of the headlines today, but an uncertain job market can be a good thing for home health agencies. -
New approach to budgeting can improve bottom line
You've just finished reviewing the monthly financial statement for your agency, and you're pleased to see little variance in the projected expenses compared to actual expense. Does this mean your agency did well this month? -
A simple benchmarking project for hospice
Keep it simple. Start with one study. Pick an event or symptom that is easy to monitor. -
Ask nurses for input when designing form
Inclusion of all nursing staff members in the development of the falls risk assessment tool for Hernando Pasco Hospice in Hudson, FL, improved acceptance of the program and resulted in decreases in falls in the care centers using the tool -
List interventions to use after assessment
Assessing a patient's risk level for falls is an important part of any falls reduction program, but having a policy or guidelines that describe appropriate interventions also is essential. -
Quality of data is more important than quantity
The only way a hospice manager can know why patients are falling is to gather the correct information on incident or occurrence reports -
Does your documentation program stop short?
If your documentation assurance program focuses on reimbursement alone, you're not going far enough. With pay-for-performance initiatives on the rise and increasing mandates for public reporting of hospital data, it's critical that the medical record accurately reflect the severity of illness and the services provided to your patients. -
News Brief: Should the government fund evacuation plans?
A recent report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) suggests that the federal government should help fund a national system for moving and tracking patients during a disaster.