2022 Back to Basics Hospice CoP Series

Volunteer programs are considered a core hospice service required by CMS. This webinar will review the specific hospice volunteer program Conditions of Participation and the critical roles both the director/manager and volunteer serve in the patient and hospice process. Programs must meet and maintain a 5% requirement, however, not all volunteer activities fall under that 5%. Learn which ones qualify, whether they are direct or administrative, and how to accurately calculate and report total hours. This webinar will also address the Medicare hospice volunteer training program requirements to ensure your agency’s initial training program complies.

Bereavement counseling is one of the core hospice services required by the CoPs. Does your agency provide high-quality bereavement care and meet regulatory compliance? This webinar will cover key regulations and offer suggestions for care and program structure. It will review the components of bereavement services, who is qualified to provide them, who will receive them, and how to set up a bereavement plan of care, including which team members are involved. Learn how bereavement services can be implemented and how to measure program effectiveness.

The roles of hospice social workers and chaplains are often underutilized and misunderstood. Documentation by social workers and chaplains has become critical in supporting hospice eligibility and Medicare payments due to increased oversight through Targeted Probe & Educate (TPE) and state audits. This webinar will cover social work and spiritual care-related regulations (which can be frustratingly vague), levels of licensing, assessment guidance, documentation, and how to stay involved when visits are refused. It will review best practices for using assessments and plans of care as the basis for quality and compliant procedures. Participants will learn how to comply with bereavement requirements, strengthen documentation through the IDG, and overcome compliance challenges when social workers and chaplains are not able to make regular visits.

This webinar will review the roles of the hospice medical director, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and IDT. It will cover the required regulations related to a certificate of terminal illness and summary. Face-to-face requirements and how a face-to-face should be written to support the CTI and recertification will be reviewed. Learn about the role and responsibilities of the attending physician and what happens if one is not available. In addition, the critical function of the interdisciplinary group in supporting the CoPs will be covered.

The hospice nurse and aide roles are critical in supporting all aspects of hospice Medicare eligibility, from certification of terminal illness to ongoing visits and IDG documentation. This webinar will delve into the CoPs requirements for hospice eligibility, and how to support it through development of the plan of care (POC), including ongoing assessments and updates. Best practices for utilizing both nursing and aide services will be addressed as well as how to avoid common compliance challenges. It will also cover the four levels of care, required supporting documentation for each level, and how to avoid high-risk admissions with the potential to trigger audits. Join us to learn aide oversight requirements, how to maintain compliance, and how to avoid a survey deficiency.