Improving outcomes and lowering costs by applying advanced models of in-home care.

With advances in monitoring and telemedicine, the complexity of care administered in the home to properly selected patients can approach that delivered in the hospital. The challenges include making sure that qualified personnel regularly visit the patient at home, both individually and in teams; information is accurately communicated among the caregiver teams across venues and over time; and patients understand the information communicated to them by providers. Despite these challenges, the benefits of treating chronically or terminally ill patients at home are significant.

A call for guidance in the use of left ventricular assist devices in older adults.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are approved as "destination therapy" (permanent use without plans for transplantation) in individuals with advanced heart failure who are not candidates for a cardiac transplant; as such, these devices are increasingly being used in older adults. Although LVADs have been shown to increase quality of life and survival, the associated treatment burdens and complications deserve careful consideration. The current study illustrates myriad clinical challenges that can arise during long-term mechanical support using an older adult case history.