Volume 12, Number 4 — January  4, 2023

Dear Healthcare at Home Friends and Colleagues,

The new year begins with a bang, a major acquisition of Electronic Medical Record and Agency Management Software with familiar names by a company whose name is soon to become familiar to all. We publish the announcement by Careficient and add some history about the Florida company's newly acquired products, HealthWyse and Hospicesoft.

We cringe when having to report bad news, but this piece comes with insights that make it worth reading, in hopes future incidents can be prevented. A home health nurse was shot and killed in Washington State last month while in a patient's home. Guest author and home care attorney Elizabeth Hogue walks us through the lessons to be learned about what employers can and cannot do to make their mobile workers safer.

Congress passed and the President signed a bill that extends Covid-era rules that encouraged the use of telehealth systems. A statement by the American Telemedicine Association congratulating both branches of government includes the details of who wins and who does not from the extended provisions.

Do you have clients, or perhaps their adult children, who struggle with knowing when mom or dad can no longer live alone? Could you use some community resources and decision-making tips to offer them? We present this week a checklist of things to consider when deciding whether to move parents into a facility, into your home, or to move into their home. 

Worth the Trip

Homecare 100 2023 is set for January 22-25 in Orlando. Click on the Lincoln Health graphic on this page for complete details. If the Florida climate does not suit you, how about Boston? Six northeast states have gotten together to create the 20th Annual Northeast Home Health Leadership Summit, January 17-19 at the Revere Hotel. Scroll down for details and registration information.

Have a great week, a prosperous 2023, and keep making a difference!

Careficient Acquires Home Health, Hospice, Home Care, Palliative and RCM Solutions and Services from Net Health
New home for HealthWyse, Hospicesoft, and Net Health's RCM division to make Careficient a major player in 2023.

Omnibus Bill Gives Covid-Era Telehealth Rules Two-Year Extension
ATA congratulates Congress and President for spending bill that continues virtual care provisions through 2024.

Home Care Nurse Shot and Killed
Guest author and home care attorney Elizabeth Hogue outlines the legal responsibilities and limitations of an employer with regard to efforts to keep mobile workers safe.

Reactions to Fatal Shooting of Spokane Nurse
Spokane newspaper offers additional detail about the shooting of Doug Brant.

Moving in with Your Senior Loved One: Knowing the Right Time to Do It
This sponsored primer, by guest author James Hall of Senior Care Fitness, offers basic tips for adults with aging parents about the difficult decisions that arise when an elder can no longer live alone.

CMS News: National Training Program Webinar
Register today for the live or recorded session describing 2023 Medicare rules.