Pain: Considering Complementary Approaches (eBook)

National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health (NIH)

Many people use complementary health approaches—such as acupuncture, yoga, or massage therapy—to help them manage painful conditions.

We have a 50-page eBook that provides an overview of complementary health approaches that people use for pain. The eBook has brief summaries of what the science says about whether each approach is useful and safe, as well as tips to help you be an informed consumer.

Download e-book

NEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE: Cue Cards for Administering the BIMS in Writing, PHQ-2 to 9, Pain Assessment Interview, and Interview for Daily and Activity Preferences

CMS is offering a set of cue cards to assist providers in conducting the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) in Writing, the Resident Mood Interview (PHQ-2 to 9), the Pain Assessment Interview, and the Interview for Daily and Activity Preferences, as referenced in the MDS 3.0 RAI v1.18.11 coding guidance. This resource is intended to be utilized as a supplemental resident communication tool that provides a visual reference of response options. More detailed instructions regarding the use of cue cards and the administration of the BIMS in writing can be found in the MDS 3.0 RAI v1.18.11 Manual.

The cue cards are available in the Downloads section of the SNF QRP Training pages.

If you have questions about accessing the resources or feedback regarding the trainings, please email the PAC Training Mailbox. If you would like to receive email notifications related to future training resources or events, please register to be added to our Notification List. Content-related questions should be submitted to the SNF QRP Help Desk.

Register Now for the 2023 Fall Virtual Conference

HHAC is excited to announce our second annual Fall Virtual Conference! 

Beginning October 9, 2023, more than 25 sessions are planned for on-demand viewing of critical topics presented by national and local experts. With plenty of content for Administrators, QA and field staff (Nursing, PT, OT, ST, SW, Aides, Chaplains, and Volunteer Coordinators), it’s a perfect way to be prepared for the new year and to say thank you to your team by providing the continuing education that they need. The virtual conference is available through 
January 31, 2024 to access. 

Individual and Full Agency Registrations Available! 

Click here for more information and to register! 

Home Health Providers Stumble on a Pot of Gold

McKnight’s Home Care | By Liza Berger
 
There is such a thing as serendipity — that unpredictable and uncontrollable turn of events that just happens to work in your favor. Home health got a little serendipity this week.
 
Just one day after a hearing held by a Senate healthcare subcommittee that by anyone’s critical assessment was a home run for the field, the industry held its annual fly-in. Talk about momentum — and ready-made conversation starters.
 
When home health providers visited their senators and representatives Wednesday, they could confidently reference the resounding support voiced by the senators for their cause. These elected officials stood against impending Medicare cuts and championed funding to alleviate the workforce shortage, thereby ensuring the continued viability of home care providers.
 
Providers may have recounted firsthand accounts from the hearing itself, including the testimony of Carrie Edwards, RN, director of home care services at Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, NE. Her authentic narrative highlighted how her service area had dwindled from encompassing parts of 13 counties to just one.
 
They also undoubtedly relied on alarming statistics given by William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, concerning the decline of the home health benefit. Among these:
 
-In 2011, 3.5 million users of home health services received 36 visits per year. Ten years later, only 3 million people used the home health benefit.
 
-Since 2011, the number of home health agencies has dropped by over 1,000 nationwide.
 
-Home health spending is virtually the same as it was in 1997. Only $17 billion annually is spent on home health. That compares with skilled nursing facility spending, which totals $27.2 billion a year, and hospital spending, which is $130 billion a year.
 
In the face of this shortage, the hearing was advocacy gold for NAHC and the other home care organizations who came to the capital this week for the fly-in. Who could have foreseen such a fortuitous turn of events?
 
There’s a well-word adage: I’d rather be lucky than good. Today, looking at the near future, with the prospect of millions of dollars in Medicare cuts, I think home health providers might agree with this sentiment.