Treating the complex issues of people living with dementia is difficult because behavioral symptoms often occur in combination with pain symptoms. In addition, increasing cognitive impairment and communication challenges exist as dementia severity progresses. Little is known about either the contributions of different clinical specialties in prescribing medications for this population or prescribing patterns by…
Peer support providers are individuals who have been trained to use their personal experiences with mental illness and substance use disorders to help others in recovery. Organizations that provide behavioral health treatment are increasingly employing peer support providers as vital team members. Prior studies have focused on evaluating the effectiveness of peer providers in terms…
In the US, some health systems and emergency medical services agencies are leveraging the versatility and experience of community paramedics to meet needs for COVID-19 testing, care, and vaccination. This report describes models of community paramedic practice that have been utilized in the US during the pandemic and discusses changes in law and regulation that…
Health care workers in long-term care (LTC) settings often face financial security concerns due to low wages, inconsistent hours, and lack of benefits. As a result, there are higher rates of LTC workers who hold multiple jobs, which can increase workers’ exposure to COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is an especially serious threat to the frail elderly,…
Registered nurses (RNs) are the largest licensed health profession in the US and a key component of the long-term care (LTC) workforce. RNs who work in LTC settings earn less than those who work in hospitals and Black and Hispanic RNs employed in urban hospitals earn less than White and Asian nurses, even after controlling…
Demand is rising for direct care workers (including personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants), but recruitment and retention challenges are widespread. While the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated these challenges, it has also created a new labor pool of millions of workers who have been displaced from occupations with similar entry-level requirements….
During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous concerns about the nursing workforce have been reported. With a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) likely underway now, employers need to ramp up their efforts to retain RNs and develop career paths for newly-graduated RNs. They also need to rapidly develop and implement strategies to mitigate the potential harm of…
Despite considerable research on nursing turnover, few studies have considered turnover among nurses working in home health care. Between 2016 and 2019, the average annual separation rate of home health nurses was over 30%, with most separations occurring voluntarily. Schedule volatility and turnover were positively associated for full-time nurses, but not for part-time nurses. This…
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is a state-implemented telephone and computer based technology system used to verify electronically that a Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) worker has arrived on the job and assisted a person with a disability with approved PCS tasks. EVV was a response to concerns about fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid-funded PCS….
Several states and cities established alternate care sites in locations such as convention centers and dormitories, to provide sub-acute care for people with SARS-Cov2 infection. This policy brief examines the roles of these sites, their staffing mix, their recruitment and deployment strategies, and their training approaches.
