Supportive Care for Dementia: A Replicable Model to Reduce Neurobehavioral Symptoms, Caregiver Stress, and Hospitalizations, and Increase Hospice Referrals.

This report describes a hospice-supported no-fee program to support patients living with all levels of dementia and their caregivers. Our medical system struggles to serve the rapidly increasing numbers of patients with dementia. Hospice of the Valley developed a low-cost six-month program to reduce caregiver stress and reduce neurobehavioral disturbances of patients living with dementia, reduce costs for insurers, and increase hospice referrals.

Teaching communication skills to hospice teams: comparing the effectiveness of a communication skills laboratory with in-person, second life, and phone role-playing.

Introduction: Communication skills are critical in hospice care but challenging to teach. Therefore, a hospice agency developed a communication skills laboratory for nurses and social workers.

Methods: Learners role-played 3 common hospice scenarios.