Picture this: a referral comes in for a patient with a rare condition, no clear LCD guidelines, and the clock's ticking. You've got to decide fast—does this person qualify for hospice? That's where Mastering Hospice Eligibility steps in, like a trusted colleague who's been there a thousand times.
Hospice nursing demands sharp instincts amid fuzzy regulations. This book by Peter M. Abraham, BSN, RN, cuts through the confusion with a straightforward roadmap. Drawing from years in the trenches, it covers the full admission spectrum: prepping with clinical reviews, on-site interviews packed with key questions, head-to-toe assessments tuned for end-of-life needs, and nailing prognosis calls backed by evidence.
No more second-guessing. Dive into detailed criteria for common diseases—heart failure, dementia, cancers—and those tricky ones without national coverage determinations. Learn to handle General Inpatient (GIP) admissions, interpret CMS updates, and weave in peer-reviewed studies to justify your choices. It's all about blending book smarts with that gut feel you've honed over shifts.
Practical gems abound: sample questions to uncover hidden symptoms during family chats, observation cues that reveal decline, and scales for pain, function, and more. Whether you're documenting for compliance or explaining to worried relatives, these tools make your work smoother and more defensible.
Imagine streamlining your process so you spend less time buried in charts and more connecting with patients. New grads use it to build bedrock skills; veterans refine nuances for complex cases. It boosts team huddles, family convos, and even interdisciplinary meetings—everyone speaks the same eligibility language.
Abraham's voice feels like bedside advice: clear, compassionate, no fluff. At around 400 pages of dense value, it's your go-to for daily reference or team training. Hospice care thrives when admissions are spot-on, ensuring the right patients get comfort when they need it most. Pick up this guide, and watch your confidence—and outcomes—soar.
