MEDI HOSPICE HONORS

VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

 THEY ARE...

 New Bereavement Support Group

begins Thursday July 7, 2011 from 7- 8pm. 

Located at Medi Home Health and Hospice

125 Olde Greenwich Dr. Suite 150

Fredericksburg, VA 22408

Led & Facilitated by Chaplain (Col) Reverend Jack Marcom, USA Retired.

We welcome families of all Veterans, members of the community, Medi families who are in bereavement or just want to talk.  This is a free event. Pre-registration is not necessary, but it is appreciated.   Call Kate Hopper@540-220-2567 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            540-220-2567      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Medi Hospice Bereavement Services

The caring and support of Medi Hospice continues after the death of your loved one. The Medi Hospice  Bereavement Program provides support, guidance, and education. The families and loved ones of Hospice patients are eligible to receive services throughout the first 13 months of bereavement. The time following loss is often a difficult one for families and friends. Medi Hospice offers bereavement support groups to provide a safe place where survivors may work through feelings triggered by a death-related loss. It is a place to learn about the healing power of the grieving process.

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

THANK YOU TO AMERICA'S MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DEFENDED OUR FREEDOM

AND GRANTED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN THIS GREAT LAND!

Celebrate our Nation's Independence and Freedom!

Have a great July 4th!!

Hospice Profit Status is Not a Reflection of Quality

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Comments on Article in the Journal of the American Medical Association

The February 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association includes an article, "Association of Hospice Agency Profit Status, With Patient Diagnosis, Location of Care, and Length of Stay." The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization wants to stress that this JAMA article doesn't provide any correlation between the profit status of a hospice program and the quality of care provided. 

NHPCO is concerned that people looking at this study may overlook the critical importance of quality measures when discussing the provision of hospice care in the US.

"Ultimately, the most important measure or consideration is the quality of care provided to patients at the bedside," said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO. "Detailed analysis of data submitted by hospices as part of NHPCO's comprehensive survey, the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care, shows no difference in family caregivers' evaluation of the quality of care based on a hospice program's profit status."

For many years NHPCO has been encouraging hospices to care for a full range of patients in the last months of life including non-cancer patients, such as those with dementia. Many hospices, including newer hospices that are for-profit, have worked to address the needs of such populations, including those who reside in nursing homes.

"Hospice organizations providing care to dementia patients and those living in nursing homes are meeting a very important need in this country and to infer that the primary motivation is financial does a disservice to the dedicated hospice staff caring for these people," Schumacher remarked.

"The study authors seem to conclude that such patients are 'lower skill' – the implication being that their care needs are minimal. This reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the important unmet needs for persons dying from dementia. A person dying from dementia may still experience pain," remarked noted researcher Joan Teno, MD, MS, of Brown University and a member of the NHPCO board.

"Furthermore, pain is a huge public health problem in nursing homes where one in four Americans will die," Teno added.

A 2009 article published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides evidence of some of the burdensome interventions that persons dying from dementia receive.

Hospice care brings skilled expertise to patients and families in all care settings to address their unmet needs.

"Availability of good care at the end of life is the right of all Americans," Schumacher added. "The JAMA article also reminds us that for-profit providers are making more inroads in caring for African-Americans and Latinos, communities that have been underserved in the past."

It is NHPCO's position that research should move the entire industry forward by analyzing which hospice interventions enhance the quality of care provided and which demonstrate the efficacy of hospice care in all settings and for all hospice patient populations.

Furthermore, NHPCO calls for all providers, regardless of profit status, to meet and exceed NHPCO's Standards of Practice for Hospice Programs, participate in its Quality Partnersinitiative, and fully comply with all hospice regulations.

Hospice began as a volunteer-driven, grassroots movement which has evolved to become a vital component of the healthcare system. The industry now includes a mix of nonprofit, for-profit and governmental entities similar to other healthcare sectors in the US. Together, the diverse hospice provider community is committed to caring for all individuals facing the challenging journey at life's end.

Attached is a link to the full text article   The February 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association

Medi Home Hospice in Fredericksburg is dedicated to high quality care to all people regardless of their ability to pay. If you have any questions about hospice or hospice volunteer opportunities, please contact Medi Home Hospice at 540-361-7696.

We Honor Veterans

MEDI HOME HEALTH AND HOSPICE 

Recognized as a We Honor Veterans Partner 

(Fredericksburg, VA)  

    It may surprise people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are Veterans. To help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women, Medi Home Health and Hospice has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    As a We Honor Veterans Partner, Medi Home Health and Hospice will implement ongoing Veteran-centered education for their staff and volunteers to help improve the care they provide to the Veterans they proudly serve. The nation is seeing many of the Veterans who served in Word War II and Korea pass away- and the number of deaths of of Vietnam Veterans is beginning to rise.

    The We Honor Veterans campaign provides tiered recognition to organizations that demonstrate a systematic commitment to improving care for Veterans. “Partners” can assess their ability to serve Veterans and, using resources provided as part of the campaign, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to Veterans into their organization. By recognizing the unique needs of our nation’s Veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, Medi Home Health and Hospice is better able to accompany and guide Veterans and their families toward a more peaceful ending. And in cases where there might be some specific needs related to the Veteran’s military service, combat experience or other traumatic events, Medi Home Health and Hospice will find tools to help support those they are caring for.  “All hospices are serving Veterans but often aren't aware of that person’s service in the armed forces,” said J. Donald Schumaker, NHPCO president and CEO.

     “Through We Honor Veterans we are taking a giant step forward in helping hospice and palliative care providers understand and serve Veterans at the end of life and work more effectively with VA medical facilities in their communities. The Veteran's Administration shares a common goal with our nation’s hospices, and that is to provide the best possible care specifically tailored for Veterans, meeting their goals of care in their preferred setting. As we focus on working together and unite our services and skills, We Honor Veterans will channel our combined strengths directly to Veterans- wherever they are receiving care.”

    The resources of We Honor Veterans focus on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment, coupled with Veteran-centric education of health care staff caring for Veterans. To learn more about We Honor Veterans or to support this important work via a secure, online donation, please visit:

www.wehonorveterans.org

    “America’s Veterans have done everything asked of them in their mission to serve our country and we believe it is never too late to give them a hero’s welcome home. Now it is time that we step up, acquire the necessary skills and fulfill our mission to service these men and women with the dignity they deserve,” added Schumacher.

To learn more about Medi Home Hospice please call our office @540-361-7696