Caring Connections
The goal of Caring Connections is to develop a network of people, communities, and organizations working to improve timely access to quality end-of-life care.
Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer engagement initiative to improve care at the end of life, supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The goal of Caring Connections is to develop a network of people, communities, and organizations working to improve timely access to quality end-of-life care. Caring Connections has implemented It's About How You LIVE, a national community engagement campaign encouraging consumers to make informed decisions about end-of-life care and services. The goal of the LIVE campaign is to provide a unified message across the country that motivates people to take action to improve end-of-life care for themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.
The central message of the LIVE campaign is to encourage people to:
*Learn about options for end-of-life services and care
*Implement plans to ensure wishes are honored
*Voice decisions to family, friends and health care providers
*Engage in personal or community efforts to improve end-of-life care
The Caring Connections website contains a wealth of resources, including advance directives for all 50 states. A toll-free helpline is available to people looking for end-of-life information, including free brochures and advance directives or contact information for a hospice or other end-of-life organization.
Advance Directives for All 50 States http://www.caringinfo.org/stateaddownload
NHPCO HelpLine, 800-658-8898
News from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
As a Caring Connections partner, the Hospizarbeit und Bioethik Coalition receives regular updates from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Below are NHPCO's comments regarding the new Medicare Conditions of Participation for hospices:
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Welcomes Publication of Final Rule
For the first time since the Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participations were created in 1983, the regulations for Medicare certified hospice providers issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have been significantly revised. The new Conditions of Participation (CoPs) have a strong focus on patient centered care that emphasizes quality assessment and performance improvement and patient outcomes.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the nation's oldest and largest leadership organization representing hospice and palliative care providers and professionals, applauds the publication of the new CoPs. NHPCO looks forward to working collaboratively with regulators hospices to ensure that patients and family caregivers receiving hospice care at the end of life can be assured of the highest standards of care.
The final rule for the Medicare Hospice CoPs was published today in the Federal Register. Medicare certified hospices have 180 days in which to become compliant with the new regulations that go into effect on December 2, 2008.
Watch the NHPCO Web site at www.nhpco.org/regulatory as the NHPCO Regulatory Committee develops training materials and resources for NHPCO members. Questions may be directed to .