This week, Home Health Care News readers learned about new legislation that aims to reinstate old home care wage rules. Our readers also discovered how home health is being integrated in senior living communities, and delved into the ways that immigration reform could help to address labor shortages in the sector. Here in the newsroom, we were blown away by a home health aide in New York City going above and beyond the call of duty to take in and permanently care for a client.
Most Read
New Bills Would Reinstate Old Home Care Wage Rules—The Department of Labor’s rule to extend overtime and minimum wage protections faces new opposition in the form of legislation. Its chances of moving forward are slim, though, prompting one trade organization to vow to take its previously filed lawsuit against the protections to the Supreme Court.
How One Home Health Agency Broke Down ACO Barriers—Home health agencies agree that getting invited into accountable care organizations (ACOs) is a priority, though the barriers of entry are typically high. As the health care system continue to align and reward cost savings, home health will increasingly play a more vital role in ACOs. One Illinois home health agency made its way into an ACO, and its CEO shared how to break down ACO barriers and drive down cost savings.
Q&A: Integrating Home Health in Senior Living—As the only continuing care retirement community organization in Washington state that will soon offer senior living, home health and hospice care, Wesley Homes understands the need to be ready for shifting health system dynamics. HHCN sat down with Melinda Moore, executive director of Wesley Homes, to hear more about the organization’s plans and business integration.
Immigration Ruling Could Prolong Home Care Staffing Woes—Between wage pressures and work that can take an emotional and physical toll, home care agencies are scrambling to recruit and retain staff. A dwindling labor force has many looking to immigration reform as the sector’s saving grace—but a recent federal ruling has effectively staved off any possibility of changing immigration laws in the immediate future.
Weekend Reads
Home Health Aide Becomes a Guardian and, He Hopes, a Father—A home health aide in New York City took his role above and beyond the norm when he welcomed a client into his home permanently. The New York Times tells the heart-wrenching tale of Jose Hernandez, a 17-year-old with severe autism and developmental disabilities, and his aide Marco Muñoz, who became Jose’s guardian after the boy’s mother abandoned him.
Who Still Smokes in the United States, in 7 Simple Charts—Did you know that U.S. adults who are uninsured or on Medicaid smoke at rates more than double those of people who have Medicare or private insurance? That’s according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which The Washington Post broke down into seven telling charts.
End-of-Life Care is a Universal Right that Functions as a White Privilege—An opinion piece published by The Guardian provides some interesting perspective about access to end-of-life care as it pertains to race. The author cites a number of studies that point to lower quality end-of-life care for minorities.
Written by Kourtney Liepelt
Companies featured in this article:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DOL, Wesley Homes
