Literature Review

Home health agencies grapple with 'acuity creep' as patient needs become more complexHome Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 1/5/24As the demand for home-based care continues to rise, so does the need for more intensive care plans as patients continue to be sicker and more complex. Home health agencies are feeling this “acuity creep,” and they’re adjusting. But at times, it’s hard to keep up. “When I’m talking about acuity creep, I’m thinking about how much need do the patients in our care models require?” Michael Johnson, president of home health and hospice at Bayada Home Health Care, said. “It’s not just medical needs, either — there’s a social need as well."

Family Caregivers Far Prefer Hospital At Home Over Brick-And-Mortar AlternativeHome Health Care News, 12/22/23The hospital-at-home model can help alleviate caregiver stress, and that could be one of the model’s main selling points moving forward. The evidence behind that is from a new DispatchHealth case study, which explored caregiver fatigue within the hospital-at-home model by asking, “Does this innovative care model alleviate or exacerbate caregiver stress?” The results were encouraging, Kevin Riddleberger—the co-founder and chief strategy officer of DispatchHealth—told Home Health Care News. ... An overwhelming majority (95%) of respondents preferred in-home care over the traditional hospital setting, with 68% saying they had a strong preference for hospital-level care in the home. The other 5% selected hospital-based care as their preference. An almost identical number of caregivers—96%—found in-home care less stressful than a previous in-patient hospital experience.

‘Now is the time’ for hospital-at-home—Medically Home CEOModern HealthcareDecember 20, 2023Rami Karjian, co-founder and CEO of Medically Home, understood the possibilities of leveraging technology to deliver hospital-level care outside facilities when he helped launch the Boston-based company nearly a decade ago.

Fitch downgrades Butler Health System’s bond debtPittsburgh Post-GazetteDecember 12, 2023Butler Health System’s financial challenges continued Monday with a ratings downgrade of its bond debt. Fitch Ratings issued a one-notch downgrade to ‘BBB-,’ outlook negative, because of accelerating losses and a “weaker than budgeted operating loss” of $12.97 million for the three months ending Sept. 30, up from a $1.6 million loss posted for the same quarter in 2022. BHS, a subsidiary of Independence Health System, is seeking a waiver from a debt service coverage requirement from bondholders, which otherwise could lead to a default.