Both doctor and hospice nurse are responsible for the patient’s health, but while doctors strive to keep patients alive, the hospice nurse focuses on keeping patients comfortable as they die.

The idea of formalized hospice care was accepted into mainstream medical care in the United States only in the past 20 years.

The term “hospice” was first applied to specialized care for dying patients in 1967. States were given the option of including hospice care in their Medicaid programs in 1986; it became a nationally guaranteed benefit in 1993.

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“I have trouble chewing.” “Food just doesn’t taste the same anymore.” “I can’t get out to go shopping.” “It’s too much trouble to cook for one person.” “I’m just not that hungry.”

Sound familiar? These are a few common reasons some older people don’t eat healthy meals. But, making healthy food choices is a smart thing to do-no matter how old you are!

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Eat many different colors and types of vegetables and fruits.
• Make sure at least half of your grains are whole grains.

Eat only small amounts of solid fats, oils, and foods high in sugars. Limit saturated fat (found mostly in foods that come from animals) or transfats (found in foods like some margarines, shortening, cookies, and crackers).

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The CLASS Act, a federal program created as part of national healthcare reform legislation in 2010, will make about $27,000 per year in assistance available to those who need it, taking a big chunk out of the financial obligation of long term care, according to the Private Duty Homecare Association.

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Training
Education plays a crucial role in any project, but it is especially important when dealing with infection control. Hospitals should conduct training sessions for construction and hospital personnel related to infection control during construction. 

Real-time particulate monitoring
Also encouraged is the use of real-time particulate monitoring and mold/bacterial sampling. It can measure the extent of cleanliness maintained throughout the construction project. By conducting real-time sampling, facilities can ensure the quality of their construction site and patient safety simultaneously. 

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The first step a facility should take is to complete a thorough supply system audit. Every facility is different and all will have unique items/supplies that will be needed to be stocked and ready for use. The staff member in charge of emergency planning should compare information on what supplies are needed, and what does the facility currently have on hand. Does the list comparison match up? Are supplies missing or have they gone beyond any written expiration date? After the basic informational gathering period is complete, the disaster planner then should take the audit results and discuss it with the different department leaders.

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The Ann Arbor region’s long-term and short-term care providers said the federal health care reform law will force them to operate more efficiently, reduce patients’ hospital readmission rates and consider partnerships with major health care systems.

Senior services providers and hospitals have been scrutinizing the 2,000-some pages of the federal health care legislation since it was approved in early 2010.

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HEALTHCARE DESIGN.10 conference attendees will discuss the principal challenges facing the industry, and gain the necessary tools to confront them head on. Don’t miss the premier conference with over 300 exhibitions focused on advancing the future of healthcare facilities, offering attendees an incredible learning and networking experience.

-  Over 95 Educational Sessions
-  Over 40 Roundtable Discussion Groups
-  Eight Pre-Conference Workshops
-  Seven State-of-the-Art Facility Tours

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Cognitive rehabilitation is defined by researchers as a treatment where people with dementia work with health professionals to identify personal goals and develop strategies for achieving them. Goals were tailored to the participants’ specific needs and included things such as remembering details of jobs to be done around the house, maintaining concentration when cooking, learning to use a mobile phone, and remembering the names of people at an exercise class. The cognitive rehabilitation group said they saw an improvement in their ability to carry out all of the chosen activities.

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In this large observational study, we found that during a 14-year period of reduction in hospital length of stay and increased use of skilled nursing facilities after discharge for Medicare patients with HF, 30-day mortality decreased but posthospital readmission and mortality risk increased. From the patient perspective, it is not clear that care in 2006 was markedly better than it was in 1993. The outcome of patients hospitalized for HF measured by short-term mortality has improved, which may be a result of better quality of care. However, because length of stay has substantially decreased, improvement is less than what might be suggested by in-hospital mortality. In contrast with that improvement, rates of readmission and discharge to skilled nursing facilities have increased, suggesting that patient outcomes, although better, have not improved in all areas.

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Discover new, exciting ideas at the forefront of the field, discuss the principal challenges facing the industry, and gain the necessary tools to confront them head on.

• Over 95 Educational Sessions
• Over 40 Roundtable Discussion groups
• Eight Pre-Conference Workshops 

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