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Reckrey JM, McKendrick K, Morrison RS, Osakwe ZT, Ornstein KA, Aldridge M. Variation in Hospice Aide Care by Residential Setting. J Palliat Med 2024; 27:1018-1025. [PMID: 38647702 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Hospice care frequently includes hands-on care from hospice aides, but the need for hospice aide care may vary in residential settings (e.g., assisted livings and nursing homes). Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare hospice aide use and factors associated with use across residential settings. Design: This longitudinal cohort study used data from Medicare beneficiaries in the United States enrolled in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) who died between 2010 and 2019 and had hospice claims and available residential setting data in MCBS (n = 1,915). Analysis: Decedent hospice aide use was compared by residential settings; multivariable models controlling for sociodemographic, clinical/functional, and hospice characteristics examined factors associated with hospice aide care in different residential settings. Results: Hospice aide visits were least common in the community setting (64.4% vs. 76.6% vs. 72.6% with any hospice aide visits in community, assisted living, and nursing home, respectively, p = 0.001). In adjusted models, factors associated with hospice aide visits did not significantly differ by residential settings. Conclusions: Despite staff providing hands-on support in assisted livings and nursing homes, hospice aide visits were more common in residential as opposed to community settings, and factors associated with hospice aide visits were similar among settings. To maximize the potentially positive impact of hospice aides on overall care, additional work is needed to understand when hospice aides are used and how hospice aides collaborate with families and care teams. This will help to ensure that hospice care is appropriately tailored to individual care needs in all residential settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen McKendrick
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - R Sean Morrison
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zainab Toteh Osakwe
- Adelphi University College of Nursing and Public Health, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Melissa Aldridge
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Belanger E, Teno JM, Wang XJ, Rosendaal N, Gozalo PL, Dosa D, Thomas KS. State Regulations and Hospice Utilization in Assisted Living during the Last Month of Life. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021; 23:1383-1388.e1. [PMID: 34971591 PMCID: PMC9237186 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the association between hospice/staffing regulations in residential care or assisted living (RC/AL) and hospice utilization among a national cohort of Medicare decedents residing in RC/AL at least 1 day during the last month of life, and to describe patterns of hospice utilization. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2018 and resided in an RC/AL community with ≥25 beds at least 1 day during the last month of life. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS 23,285 decedents who spent time in 6274 RC/AL communities with 146 state license classifications. METHODS Descriptive statistics about hospice use; logistic regression models to test the association between regulations supportive of hospice care or registered nurse (RN) staffing requirements and the odds of hospice use in RC/AL in the last month of life. RESULTS More than half (56.4%) of the study cohort received hospice care in RC/AL at some point during the last 30 days of life, including 5.7% who received more intensive continuous home care (CHC). A larger proportion of decedents who resided in RC/ALs with supportive hospice policies received hospice (57.3% vs 52.6%), with this difference driven by more CHC hospice programs. This association remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, time spent in RC/AL, and Hospital Referral Region fixed effects. Decedents in RC/ALs with explicit RN staffing requirements had significantly less CHC use (2.0% vs 6.8%). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS A large proportion of RC/AL decedents received hospice care in RC/AL regardless of differing regulations. Those in licensed settings with explicitly supportive hospice regulations were significantly more likely to receive hospice care in RC/AL during the last month of life, especially CHC level of hospice care. Regulatory change in states that do not yet explicitly allow hospice care in RC/AL may potentially increase hospice utilization in this setting, although the implications for quality of care remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Belanger
- Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Joan M Teno
- Department of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Oregon Health & Science University
| | - Xiao Joyce Wang
- Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nicole Rosendaal
- Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Pedro L Gozalo
- Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David Dosa
- Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA; Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kali S Thomas
- Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Health Services, Policy & Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
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