• Hospice patients with the longest lengths of stay are those with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, according to the latest non-cancer length of stay (NCLOS) data from RHHI Pal-metto GBA. About 31 percent of hospice patients with Alzheimer's had LOS exceeding 210 days in the first half of 2008. The shortest LOS was for renal disease, where only 5 percent had stays exceeding 210 days, Palmetto says in its December newsletter for providers. For more NCLOS data from Palmetto, including how to request your own NCLOS rates, go to www.palmettogba.com/rhhi, click on "Hospice" under the "Articles" heading in the left column, and scroll down to the Oct. 24 entry.