This week, Home Health Care News readers tuned into stories about lawsuits, coding and next-generation home health agencies. From the look of things, big changes are ahead.
Here in the newsroom, we were impressed by the vigor of some of China’s rowdiest retirees.
Most Read
4 Features of the Home Health Agency of the Future—A next-generation home health agency will be patient-centered, connected, high quality and tech-enabled, according to experts who spoke at an Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation panel.
Home Care Becomes No. 1 Target for Labor Lawsuits—Recently, the home health industry has found itself under more scrutiny to comply with the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) than ever before. “Home care is now the No.1 target for FLSA and collective action lawsuits,” Angelo Spinola, a lawyer with employment benefits specialty firm Littler, said during a webinar presented by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.
Coding Changes Require New Staff Skill set—Despite most home health agencies being well-prepared for ICD-10 and meeting their new requirements head on without disruption, adding thousands of new codes has had some effect, according to Fazzi Associates. “With the massive coding changes comes a learning curve,” Tim Ashe, a partner at Fazzi, said during a webinar. “We are seeing a decline in productivity. The ability to produce accurate, reliable data through OASIS and ICD-10 is critically important.”
Weekend Read
In China, the ‘Noisiest Park in the World’ Tries to Tone Down Rowdy Retirees—People’s Park in Chengdu, China, is rowdy. For years, bands, choirs and dance troupes—mostly run by Chinese senior citizens—have scrambled for space, audiences and fame, the Chengdu Journal reports. Nearby residents have dubbed the park the “noisiest park in the world,” and not everyone’s happy about that.
Written by Mary Kate Nelson
Companies featured in this article:
Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation, Fazzi Associates, Littler, National Association for Home Care & Hospice
