NHPCO Releases Updated Resource Manual

NHPCO Releases New Hospice Volunteer Resource Manual to Support Volunteer Programs and the Nation's 550,000 Hospice Volunteers

(Alexandria, Va) – The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports that more than 550,000 individuals across the nation are giving of their time and talents as trained hospice volunteers. These volunteers contribute more than 25 million hours of service annually and reach 1.5 million patients and their family caregivers every year.

These figures, part of the NHPCO report Facts & Figures: Hospice Care in America were shared at NHPCO’s recent 6^th National Conference on Volunteerism and Family Caregiving held last weekend in Orlando, Fla.

As part of the conference events, NHPCO released the newly revised edition of The Hospice Volunteer Program Resource Manual.

Hospice organizations have a responsibility to ensure that volunteers are well trained and well cared for and this manual will contribute to those efforts.

“Hospice volunteers are individuals who have stepped forward to make a difference in the lives of other people in their communities and they are vital members of the hospice and palliative care interdisciplinary team,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO.

“The help, kindness and support that patients and families receive from hospice volunteers often profoundly changes their experience at the end of life.”

The manual has been updated to reflect the 2008 hospice Conditions of Participation—the federal requirements that all hospices must meet—and includes fresh ideas on recruitment, retention, training, volunteer manager skills development, program development, and more.

The publication includes a CD-ROM that assists managers in personalizing a volunteer program that meets the specific needs of an organization. Materials that can be adapted include competency checklists, surveys, policies and procedures, visit logs, job descriptions, training outlines, and more.

To ensure that volunteers remain an integral part of hospice care, it is federally mandated that at least five percent of patient care hours be provided by trained volunteers. Providers must track and document this carefully.

When a hospice invests in establishing a fully-functioning volunteer support program, the five percent rule becomes a guidepost, instead of burden.

“I know it costs money to run a well-coordinated volunteer program, however, on every level the benefits exceed the costs. Volunteers and their gift of service can have a huge impact on both the quality of the care your organization provides and its bottom line. A well-trained, engaged volunteer who spends time with patients and families can pick up on changes or challenges before they become crises,” noted Schumacher.

The Hospice Volunteer Program Resource Manual (item #820114) is available from the NHPCO Marketplace and may be ordered online, nhpco.org/marketplace, by phone at 1-800-646-6460, or by downloading and returning theVolunteer Manual order form.

For more information visit, http://www.nhpco.org

Google Health and Caring Connections

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Caring Connections and Google Health Offer New Way to Access Advance Directives Online

Alexandria, VA – Ensuring that one’s healthcare wishes are known and will be honored in the event of a healthcare crisis is what advance care planning is all about. Today, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Caring Connections, a leading provider of advance care planning information, and Google Health™ have come together to increase the availability and accessibility of advance care planning information and resources online.

Advance directives, also known as living wills and healthcare power of attorney forms, allow an individual to express their wishes if they are in a medical crisis and unable to communicate. These documents provide specific information to healthcare professionals and can help guide family caregivers called upon to make decisions on behalf of someone who is not able to speak for themselves.

“How can medical professionals honor your healthcare wishes and preferences if they don’t know what they are?” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO. “Advance directives are useless unless they are available during emergency healthcare situations. Google Health will make these documents accessible online and will eliminate a huge barrier of access during times of need.”

A new feature on Google Health enables users to download a free, state-specific advance directive and store the scanned documents securely online. This will help overcome a common barrier in emergency healthcare situations, where it can be difficult to access a patient’s advance directive.

Google Health is a secure, online Personal Health Record (PHR) that allows consumers to store, organize, and share important healthcare information. Google chose to work with Caring Connections because they are the only provider that offers free, state-specific, online advance directives. In the past three years, Caring Connections has distributed more than 2.5 million advance directive forms. They also provide information to help people understand advance care planning and begin conversations with family and healthcare professionals.

The process to store an advance directive form in Google Health is easy:

1. Go to your Google Health account at google.com/health, or create a new account if you don’t have one already.


2. Download and print the advance directive form for your state at caringinfo.org/googlehealth


3. Complete the form and sign it.


4. Scan the signed document and upload it to your Google Health account.

By taking time to do these simple steps, you are making your healthcare wishes available to those who may need them in a time of crisis. Not only is this an important step to take for your own well-being but it’s a gift for your family members and loved ones who may need to act on your behalf.

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Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO
Ph: 703-837-3139
jradulovic@nhpco.org
www.caringinfo.org
Caring Connections is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Learn more at CaringInfo.org.

The Latest News on Hospice & Health Care Reform

As Congress prepares to depart Washington for the July 4th District Work Period, health care reform activities refuse to wind down. Higher than expected cost estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) sent Washington into a flurry of activity over the past few weeks, as stakeholders try to rein in the price tag associated with the reform effort. Here’s what’s been going on:

The President
President Obama continues to reiterate his two goals for the overhaul – reducing overall health care costs and covering the uninsured. At the same time, the President has demanded that larger members of the health sector come up with their own savings to pay for the plan, and the pharmaceutical industry responded this week with $80 billion over 10 years.

Senate Activity
The mark-up of the proposal drafted by the Senate Finance Committee, the committee which was previously out in front on health care reform, has stalled due to the lack of a bipartisan consensus. Chairman Max Baucus and the committee staff continue to work around the clock to refine their bill to gain support on both sides of the aisle.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee was been holding a week-long marathon of a mark-up on its proposal. NHPCO has been asked by Committee staff to comment on proposed amendments that would expand efforts to increase utilization of Advance Directives. This mark-up is expected to continue through the week, and may need to reconvene after next week’s District Work Period.

House Activity
Late last week, the committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives released a nearly 900-page draft of the House health care reform proposal. Buried in that draft document is a reduction in the productivity factor, which amounts to an across-the-board rate reduction for all Medicare providers. This is an early draft of one Chamber’s proposal, and we don’t know whether it will come out in the final package. We are still combing through the hefty document to determine if there are other provisions that might impact hospice.
The Ways & Means Committee continues its hearings on health care reform this week, and is expected to begin mark-up of the proposal after the District Work Period. The Energy & Commerce Committee heard testimony from Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this week and also continues hearings on health care reform.

NHPCO
ABC News hosted a Healthcare Reform Town Hall Meeting on June 24, at the White House. The program was moderated by Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson and featured a cross section of Americans asking President Obama questions about healthcare issues as they relate to their personal needs. NHPCO provided information on end-of-life care to ABC News producers, and helped the news team covering this town hall meeting to find additional professional contacts in the field.
NHPCO and the Alliance for Care at the End of Life continue to be in contact with the key Committees of jurisdiction, and try to advance end-of-life care proposals that would pave the pave the way for modernizing the Medicare Hospice Benefit in the future. Check out of the proposals endorsed by NHPCO in recent weeks.
Please stay tuned for future health care reform updates. The President continues to push for passage of bill by the end of the summer and the coming weeks will be full of activity as the various Committees of jurisdiction try to meld their proposals together and pass their bills.

New Health Care Reform Resource Center
Please visit the new Hospice & Health Care Reform Resource Center. There, you can find our current and past updates on health care reform activities. You’ll also find what we are sending to the Hill on hospice and health care reform, and many other valuable resources.
Providers with questions may contact NHPCO's Public Policy Team at advocacy@nhpco.org.

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For more information visit, http://www.nhpco.org