Healthcare

Houston Hospice Virtual Tour

Established in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Houston Hospice’s mission is to provide uncompromising, compassionate, end-of-life care to patients and families in our community. Join us in the Houston Hospice Virtual Tour.

As a member of the prestigious Texas Medical Center, we work closely with doctors, hospitals, and assisted living facilities to provide a holistic approach to hospice care. We are proud to say that we care for the whole patient and their families across 10 Texas counties. In addition to our specialized approach, you will have opportunities to be with your loved one when they truly need you the most. Take a virtual tour of our facility, located at 1905 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas 77030. Here, you will see our private rooms, serene chapel, and The Garden at Houston Hospice, maintained by The Garden Club of Houston. We also provide care for patients at home or their facility of choice. To find out more, give us a call 24/7 at 713-468-2441 , or visit our website at www.houstonhospice.org.

About Houston Hospice
Houston Hospice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides compassionate, end-of-life care to all patients and families across 10 counties in the Greater Houston Area. Established in 1980, we are the oldest, largest, independent, nonprofit hospice in Houston and a member of the Texas Medical Center.

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Nurses Week 2020

Houston Hospice ‘s  Our Nurses

 

National Nurses Week starts with National Nurses Day on May 6, 2020 and concludes on May 12, 2020 with International Nurses Day, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is credited with founding modern nursing. The week-long celebration has been established as a recognized, annual event for appreciating health care workers, but you already knew this long-established, nursing-history fact. I bet you didn’t know that nurses make up over 50% of the global healthcare workforce, and on January 31, 2019, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed a call for 2020 to be officially recognized as the ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’. Finally, a whole year dedicated to nurses, and it’s about time. Wouldn’t you say?

Presenting! WHO International Year of the Nurse and Midwife

 

Today’s modern nurses are Frontline Heroes, from all walks of life, and with more strength and courage than you can shake a stethoscope at.  “Houston Hospice places tremendous value in our nursing team,” says Jim Faucett, President and CEO, Houston Hospice. “Our highly skilled RN’s, LVN’s, and Nurse’s Aides epitomize hospice care excellence and are the cornerstone of Houston Hospice. Without them, we would not be able to provide the team-oriented, medical care that our patients deserve. For their faithful compassion and commitment to the needs of our patients and their families, I want to extend my deep appreciation and a Thank You to our entire Nursing Team,” continued Jim.

People of TMC

The Texas Medical Center interviewed our very own, Gabrielle Staten, RN, BSN, associate patient care manager, IPU. “We’ve been able to allow family members to visit their dying loved one when hospitals couldn’t,” stated Gabrielle. Click here to read the entire piece, highlighted on the TMC website.

Employee Committee Lights the Way


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Helping Veterans age well after military service

Published in Military Times by Sherman Gillums Jr. and Andrew Greene

When you think of hearing aids, canes, knee pain, memory issues, and heart problems, you might envision a grandparent or elderly person. But these indicators of aging may also describe a military veteran in their late 30s or early 40s who served on numerous deployments, worked on a flight line, or parachuted from aircraft for a living.

While new military inductees are typically some of the healthiest people in our society, many find themselves anything but healthy by the time they end their careers. In fact, many find themselves coping with an accelerated aging process that combines natural aging with the service-related wear and tear on their bodies and minds.

There has always been a national interest in ensuring that veterans receive retirement benefits for serving their country. What hasn’t been emphasized are the specific challenges veterans face as they age. A 2019 study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that Persian Gulf War veterans suffered chronic conditions — such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes, stroke, and arthritis — about 10 years sooner than non-veterans the same age. This results in lower quality of life, higher mortality rates, and shorter life expectancies, especially for women veterans.

Compared to the overall population, veterans are more likely to be male, older, retired, widowed, educated, and living in the South, according to a report prepared by the LTSS Center in Boston. They also are more likely to report fair or poor health, limitations with activities of daily living, obesity, depression, and chronic conditions. This is despite the fact that there are not stark differences in financial wealth, and veterans pay less out-of-pocket for health care than civilians.

This raises the question: What is the best way to serve aging veterans who report a higher number of health and daily living issues during a greater portion of their lives than civilians?
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Asset Expert Explains What Long-Term Insurance Covers

Published in SmartAsset by Ashley Chorpenning

While Medicare and Medicaid both help aging adults afford some of their medical expenses, they may not cover the cost of an extended illness or disability. That’s where long-term care insurance comes into play. Long-term care insurance helps policyholders pay for their long-term care needs such as nursing home care. We’ll explain what long-term care insurance covers and whether or not such coverage is something you or your loved ones should consider.

Long-Term Care Insurance Explained

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Ask an Attorney: Understanding Medicare’s hospice benefit in cases of terminal illness

Published in The Middletown Press By Robert Scalise
Caring for a loved one during the final stages of life is difficult both physically and emotionally. Thankfully, Medicare can help ease the burden.

Medicare’s hospice benefit covers any care that is reasonable and necessary for easing the course of a terminal illness. It is one of Medicare’s most comprehensive benefits, and can be extremely helpful to both a terminally ill individual and his or her family, but it is little understood and underutilized. Understanding what is offered ahead of time may help Medicare beneficiaries and their families make the difficult decision to choose hospice if the time comes.

The focus of hospice is palliative care, which helps people who are terminally ill and their families maintain their quality of life. Palliative care addresses physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs while supporting the terminally ill individual’s independence, access to information, and ability to make choices about health care.

To qualify for Medicare’s hospice benefit, a beneficiary must be entitled to Medicare Part A, and a doctor must certify that the beneficiary has a life expectancy of six months or less. If the beneficiary lives longer than six months, the doctor can continue to certify the patient for hospice care indefinitely.


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VA launches mobile app to streamline veterans’ access to health records, resources

Published in Becker’s Healthcare by Jackie Drees
Department of Veterans Affairs released a new mobile application that aims to simplify veterans’ and caregivers’ access to healthcare information by storing it on a single platform.
Four things to know:
1. The new app, called Launchpad, organizes more than 20 VA health apps into five categories: health management, healthcare team communication, vital health information sharing, mental health improvement and quality of life improvement.
2. Users will be able to view and share their VA EHR data, schedule VA appointments and refill prescriptions, among other functions, on the app.
3. The app also includes free mental healthcare tools for individuals who are not enrolled in VA healthcare services.
4. Launchpad is available for download on Apple and Google devices.

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National Nurses Week Spotlights Most Trusted Profession

Published in nurse.com by Eileen Williamson, MSN, RN

You are celebrated during National Nurses Week for the many contributions you make to the nursing profession and the healthcare of our nation. The word “excellence,” in fact, is one we hear more than any other during Nurses Week.


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New Year is a good time for Veterans to review benefits

The New Year is a time for resolutions and fresh starts. For veterans it’s also a good time to review their benefits with a professional to ensure they are receiving the benefits they have earned through their service and sacrifice.

“All veterans should occasionally check with a Veterans Service Officer to see if changes in a veteran’s circumstances or changes to benefit policies may have modified the programs a veteran may be eligible to receive,” said Brian Natali, chief, Division of Veterans Services and Programs with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). “Veterans should take these important steps to secure their benefits, and there are numerous accredited Veterans Service Officers and organizations eager to help.”

Natali said safeguarding military paperwork, especially the DD-214, which is used to verify military service, is an important first step.

The easiest way to manage military documents is to make sure they are filed in a safe place immediately upon leaving the military. Veterans often find that filing their documents for free at their county courthouse of record is an easy way to secure them until needed, which can often be decades into the future.

Another key step, says Natali, is for veterans to apply for federal health care and state benefits by visiting their local county director of veterans affairs or area accredited service organizations to take a look at what benefits they may be eligible for and to get help applying for those benefits.

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How to Plan, Prepare, and Realistically Pay for Long-Term Care

Published in caringfromafar.com

When you plan for your future, do you include any plans for long-term care? It’s an aspect of life that too many adults fail to properly plan for, and that can leave seniors and family members struggling to find a solution. So, if you really want to prepare beforehand, you need to make some smart plans to cope with and pay for long-term care.

Focus on Your Long-Term Care Strategy First

Use Medicare to Your Advantage

Before you begin setting aside funds for long-term care, it’s important to have a good idea of what that situation may look like for you or a loved one. For many older adults, this means taking a look at how Medicare will offset any long-term care needs. While Medicare and Medicaid offer little long-term care assistance, the former can offer peace of mind through Medicare Advantage plans. These supplemental plans cover more of your future care, but it’s important to know the enrollment dates so you don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Know What Factors Put You at Risk

Another smart way to plan for long-term care is to examine your family history and lifestyle choices. For example, seniors with Alzheimer’s are likely to need progressive long-term care, and this is a condition which tends to be passed on from one generation to the next. But knowing you have a risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s also allows you to make changes in your life to potentially halt the impact of these illnesses. You can exercise more, change your diet, and even use puzzles and games to help decrease your need for long-term care in the near future. Cognitive decline is a major risk factor for long-term care, but serious falls can be a culprit as well. Also, dedicate some time to making your home a safe spot to age in place.

Put Together Your Plan to Pay for Care

Photo by Pixabay

Assess Your Insurance Coverage Options

You know that Medicare Advantage plans can help seniors stay better prepared for the future, but do you know how Medicare or health insurance covers long-term care costs? This may be a shock, but Medicare and Medicaid offer minimal long-term care coverage. In fact, the only aspects most health insurance plans will pay for are actions directly related to your health. So, the more routine care that most long-term care seniors need likely won’t be included in your average healthcare coverage. For many seniors, this is where options like long-term care insurance come in handy. If you plan ahead, this supplemental coverage is not as expensive and can offset some of the financial burdens. Understanding this kind of coverage can be a challenge, so make sure you carefully read through and research policies before you commit.

Research Other Viable Ways to Pay for Care

Medicare may not help, and long-term care insurance is not the perfect option for everyone. So, how can seniors find other ways to make sure they get the long-term help needed? Thankfully, there are some smart solutions to help give seniors and their families financial peace of mind. If you have served in the military, you may be eligible for more comprehensive VA coverage for your future care needs. It’s a benefit many veterans and loved ones forget, but this assistance is priceless for those struggling to find ways to afford long-term care. For adults who are not veterans, there may still be tools to help with costs. Financial assistance is available for seniors and family caregivers, but you can also reduce the expenses of care by carefully researching facilities and care providers. In essence, you can cut down your expenses by planning ahead.

Long-term care doesn’t have to be stressful, expensive, or, most importantly, an afterthought. It’s an essential step most adults will likely face at some point in the future. So, you should plan for long-term care just like you do any other important aspect of life and give yourself and your family some needed peace of mind in the process.

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Hospice month celebrates success of nation’s first coordinated care model

Published in The Hill by Edo Banach, Opinion Contributor

While there’s no shortage of partisan disagreements on Capitol Hill, one hopes the combative environment that’s become the norm in Washington might take a brief pause now that midterm elections are behind us. At a time when unity and common ground are sorely needed in our politics and our policymaking, one health care program stands out as a reminder of how bipartisanship works at its best: the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

This extraordinary policy achievement was made possible by lawmakers who put aside their differences in the interest of the Americans they served. Enacted as a demonstration in 1978 and a Medicare benefit in 1982, hospice programs have served millions of Americans and their families with compassionate care to relieve pain, manage symptoms, supported beneficiaries and their family caregivers, and provided bereavement services for individuals following the death of a loved one. The benefit has been invaluable to patients and lifesaving for families. And it never would have happened without lawmakers who were committed to the concept, and to working together.

Democrats, including Sens. John Glenn (Ohio) and Bill Bradley (N.J.), joined with Republican senators like Bob Dole (Kan.) and Chuck Grassley(Iowa) to pass what then-Rep. Leon Panetta (D-Calif.) called a “political miracle.” Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.) personally collected commitments from 68 senators to pass the Heinz-Dole-Packwood amendment to provide hospice services to terminally ill Medicare patients.

Not only did this bipartisan act show how a diverse group of legislators could come together for the good of the country but the hospice benefit itself has become an example of how our fragmented health care system can – and should – work together for the betterment of patients. As America’s original coordinated care model, hospice brings together a multidisciplinary team of providers to meet all aspects of a dying patient’s physical, spiritual and emotional needs. No other health care sector is required to address all aspects of a patient’s, and their family’s, health and wellbeing.

Those elected to serve in the upcoming Congress should know that hospice is a program that works and a Medicare benefit that matters to their constituents. As seasoned and novice legislators alike consider health policy reforms, they should look to the success of the hospice model as an example of preserving what works, and help expand access to comprehensive, coordinated care and person- and family- centered care to all patients with serious, advanced and life-limiting illness. We should also reinforce the foundation of hospice to ensure access, choice and quality care at the end of life.

Hospice is not only best for patients at the end of life, it is also good for the Medicare program. Study after study show hospice care improves quality of life, delivers on patient and family satisfaction and reduces unnecessary costs for Medicare beneficiaries at the end of life. Thirty-plus years later, hospice is a reminder that there are policy solutions that work for both sides of the aisle and across our nation for all Americans. The fruits of cooperation live on today in a Medicare benefit that serves 1.43 million Americans annually.

It’s sometimes unclear if the dust will ever settle in Washington, and if we’ll ever get back to a place of collegiality and bipartisanship in Congress. If our nation’s remarkable hospice benefit is any indication, great things can certainly happen if it does.

Edo Banach is President and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

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