BY LISA SIMMONS-FIELDS, DNP, MSA, RN, CCM, CPHQ, FCM, AND ANNE LEWIS
Case managers working with aging populations need to be able to link patients with resources in the community. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE®) is a comprehensive, high-touch provider-based health plan for frail, complex individuals who require a nursing home level of care.
BY JENNIFER GAZDA, LCSW, CMC, CDP
Many of us have been personally impacted in some way by suicide over the course of our lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) reports that one person commits suicide every 11 minutes. That is 49,000 individuals in one year.
BY SARA DADO, BSW, MSW, LCSW
November has always been one of my favorite months of the year. Partially because of fall and Thanksgiving and family time and all the things that come along with preparing for the holiday season. But also because it is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, a time of year when the focus turns to the sector of our healthcare system where much of my professional career has been spent.
BY RONALD R. KEARNS, RN, ESQ.
Case managers play a key role in helping patients navigate the complicated maze of the continuum of care from hospital, rehabilitation and then back home. Important legal considerations include having appropriate legal documents such as healthcare proxy, HIPAA authorization and a durable power of attorney; accessing Medicaid and other benefits to help pay for care at home or in a nursing home; protecting assets from potential long-term care costs; and avoiding probate. A referral to an elder law attorney is a valuable resource to help the patient break through any legal and financial barriers to access benefits and to get an appropriate estate plan in place.
By TIFFANY FERGUSON, LMSW, CMAC, ACM
The Age-Friendly Hospital Rating, introduced as part of the CMS 2025 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule (HHS, 2024), highlights an opportunity for case managers to play a pivotal role in enhancing care for older adults.
BY PAUL BORJA, RN, DNP, EdD, PhD, PHN, CCM, ACM-RN, CMAC, CMCN, CNML, CMGT-BC, CDONA, FACDONA, FAACM
Healthcare decision-making is always optimal when coming from the patient. However, if the patient cannot make those decisions, a surrogate decisionmaker would be the following route to obtain medical decisions for care planning. But what happens when no family, friends, dedicated decision-maker or power of attorney exists?
BY LOREN TALBOT, INELDA’S DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNICATIONS
The death positive movement of the past decade has ushered in a new wave of death awareness and willingness to discuss and plan for end-of-life. Along with that wave has come the accession of end-of-life doulas, also known as death doulas or death companions. While the role of end-of-life doulas may be new to some, aspects of the support we offer has always been threaded through communities.
BY CATHERINE DURKIN ROBINSON
When most people think of doulas, they think of non-medical professionals helping to facilitate the birth of babies. And they’d be right! But there are other kinds of doulas, too.
BY PEGGY A. ROSSI, BSN, MPA – AUTHOR AND RETIRED RN/PHN, CCM, ACM-RN, CMAC
I have long considered case managers as the ICU of a healthcare organization’s revenue cycle. As the “silver tsunami” hits your organization, we may all need to think about what we might have to do to preserve our role while also working to help our hospital or organization financially survive.
BY ELAINE BRUNER, MSN, RN, CMGT-BC
Recently, I sat down (via Zoom) with Cheryl Acres, RN, CCM, CDP, to discuss the role of a geriatric care manager. Since March 2007, Cheryl has been the sole owner and principal of Comprehensive Care Management, LLC, an independent geriatric care management practice based in Richardson, TX.