Helene and Hospice: "We're seeing such personal sacrifices ... It's heartwarming and heartbreaking ..."
Hospice & Palliative Care Today; Zoom meeting with Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN), Chris Comeaux and Tina Gentry; 10/2/24
[These excerpts are from a Zoom meeting between TCN's leaders Chris Comeaux (Hendersonville, NC just outside of Asheville, NC) and Tina Gentry (Fort Mill, SC) and this newsletter's leaders Cordt Kassner and Joy Berger. Click here for the longer transcription. Continue reading for ways you can help.] 
Chris Comeaux: There's great tragedy, great devastation, and there are beautiful miracles occurring at the same time. … I know I'm going to keep using words like historic, unprecedented, devastating. There are not even words to describe what we’re seeing. ... 
Tina Gentry: It's just heart wrenching. You want to be able to go and fix things and you just can't do it, right? You don't feel like you can do enough. And knowing that there are certain limitations and that we have to rely on other resources to help support our teams. We have to do what we can and then trust that others will do what they can to help.  ...
Chris Comeaux: All of our all staff is accounted for. Some are still without water, electricity. [Some] staff at Four Seasons [Hospice], CCWNC [Community Care of Western North Carolina], Amorem staff … have completely lost their homes. They’re gone. We have a wonderful partner that serves many of our hospices. Yesterday, they found the body of their dear neighbor. They can't even get to their house. It would be a 10-mile hike through things that today--in modern days--you would go, “How is that possible?” … I've always heard the word, “aftermath.” I now understand what people mean by “aftermath.” ...
Tina Gentry: … We’re seeing such personal sacrifices from those team members on the ground. It’s really heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. ...
Chris Comeaux: … What I've seen is, sometimes you have friendly rivalries in the hospice and palliative care world. That's gone. We're all family right now and that--I just, whew--that moves me to tears. That's the type of stuff that's like, you know what? Ok, that gives me hope that we are going to get beyond this. ... [See this in Today's Encouragement.]
Key Themes:

• Devastation; being cut off from communications and supplies; early PTSD
• Immediate needs: water, non-perishables, medical supplies, gas
• Importance of triaging immediate needs; next steps; longer term rebuilding; places that were “wiped off the face of the earth”
  
  

Stories of Hospice Help:

• Tina’s husband and Chris’s son, harvesting portable gas cans, filling and driving them to hospices in need for staff to make patient visits.
• Mike Smith from Hospice of Iredell County "brought tons of water and food to Four Seasons, first thing on Monday morning."
• Dave Cook from Hosparus and Bluegrass (Kentucky) "are putting together right now, water, non-perishables, medical supplies. I think they're trying to make a run here in the next two days or so."
• Drew Mihalyo from Dragonfly DME & Pharmacy "called all of the CEO's that he works with. They're trying to position additional supplies because of concerns of disruption, you know, to add insult to injury, the whole dock workers strike is something that has us concerned for that supply chain as well."

What can you do? You may help TCN's hospice members impacted by clicking on the links below

• Amorem: Emergency Assistance Fund, https://hubs.ly/Q02RSGH-0
• Compassionate Care of Western North Carolina: https://hubs.ly/Q02RSGG30 - Be sure to write “Emergency Relief Fund” in the Additional Comments section at the bottom of our donation form so your contribution goes directly to those affected.
• Four Seasons: https://hubs.ly/Q02RSyPQ0 - Select “Area of greatest need/FS Helene Relief”
• Carolina Caring: https://hubs.ly/Q02RSzcZ0

Editor's note:  This list is a starting point. For other hospices affected by Helene, please email (with a link similar to those above) to Publisher and Editor in Chief. 

Hurricane Helene havoc: Major damage, evacuations, uncertainty at nursing homes
McKnight's Long-Term Care News; by John Roszkowski; 10/1/24
Many nursing homes and senior living communities in Florida and North Carolina are reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which resulted in forced evacuations of residents, major property damage, power outages and other issues. The hurricane was being blamed for at least 132 deaths in six Southeastern states and federal officials said at least 600 people were still unaccounted for as of Monday evening. Many people lacked power and cellular service, making the job of accurately assessing personal and property damage all the more difficult.

Heroes emerge as providers enter Hurricane Helene recovery mode
McKnight's Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto;10/1/24
Hurricane Helene made landfall on the Florida panhandle Thursday evening as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds. By Friday afternoon, the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression, but the its heavy rain and wind caused damage across an 800-mile path in the southeastern United States. [Hero examples from the article include:]

• LeadingAge put out a call to members to donate to its Disaster Relief Fund to assist Atlantic coast senior living communities and nursing homes affected by the hurricane.
• Argentum Vice President of Government Relations Paul Williams told McKnight’s Senior Living that one of the “most remarkable” aspects of Hurricane Helene has been the willingness of senior living providers to help each other, putting resident safety and well-being at the forefront.
• Throughout the event, LeadingAge Southeast said, it coordinated with state agencies, the governor’s office and emergency management personnel to share emergency orders, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services waivers, curfew letters and more. In advance of the storm, staff members worked proactively with member communities to assess their needs regarding supplies, personnel, power and support with electronic reporting systems.
• The North Carolina National Guard and North Carolina Emergency Management Services are assisting with the delivery of food, medication and supplies.
• LeadingAge South Carolina on Friday focused on getting generators and refrigerated trucks to communities.
• Still Hopes, a continuing care retirement / life plan community West Columbia, SC, delivered bottled water, bags of charcoal, toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags and coolers to staff members at Saluda Nursing & Rehabilitation for use in their own homes, according to LeadingAge South Carolina President and CEO Kassie South.
• South also shared hero stories, including the director of assisted living for Presbyterian Home in Clinton, SC, who could not get to work due to impassable roads, so she parked her car and walked. South also called out Wesley Commons in Greenwood, SC, for “showing up” to ensure residents were cared for despite having no services at their own homes.
• For communities without water or under boil notices, Brookdale indicated that it is providing bottled water, bringing in water trucks and providing sanitary wipes.

Introducing the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool [CMS webinar]
CMS press release; 10/2/24
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides an overview of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool and how it relates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) as described in the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Hospice Final Rule. This training is intended for all hospice providers. The 30-minute course can be viewed on demand and includes interactive exercises to help you understand and apply the content presented. While it is intended that these eight lessons be completed in sequential order, you may also jump directly to any topic of interest.

Utah husband DeWayne McCulla admits to trying to kill his wife in front of her family to ‘ease her suffering’ in hospice
New York Post; by Richard Pollina; 10/2/24
A Utah man admitted that he tried to kill his terminally ill wife in hospice care in front of her family to “ease her suffering” during his battle with cancer. DeWayne McCulla, 46, pleaded guilty to attempted manslaughter on Thursday after he accepted a deal from prosecutors for choking his wife, Arenda McCulla, 47, according to court documents.

Maybe we should select leaders based on their character
Forbes; by Joyce E. A. Russell; 10/1/24
When we hire leaders for our organizations and communities, shouldn’t we pick them based on not only their expertise and ability to do the job, but also their character? Over two decades ago, prominent leadership researchers Kouzes and Posner published a book called Credibility. In their research, they noted that across the globe credibility was the most highly rated and important characteristic of leaders. They stated that, “most of us admire leaders who are honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent.” They followed that up with another book with even more evidence called The Truth about Leadership, where they noted that credibility is the foundation of leadership for organizations across the world, and this is based on international data across multiple generations.

The HOPE assessment tool: What you need to know [free webinar from CHAP]
CHAP press release; 10/2/24
The HOPE assessment tool kicks off in 2025 and will catalyze hospice care to a new level. CMS developed the HOPE tool to inform future quality measure development and payment reform, eventually moving hospice from pay-for-submission to pay-for-performance. This session will describe the implementation of the HOPE assessment tool, content highlights, and its impact on hospice program operations in the next several years.
Publisher's note: Dr. Jennifer Kennedy and Kim Skehan from CHAP are presenting this free webinar 10/16/24 @ 1:00-2:00 PM ET. Please click the link above for additional and registration information.

Heartwarming video show calves bringing joy to hospice patients
[Augusta, GA] Fox54 News; by Talker News; 9/26/24
Carol Harland had family visiting her when she was surprised by the calves visiting. A heartwarming video shows end of life patients meeting and cuddling two adorable calves. Residents at Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield, Derbys., spent their day being entertained by four-week-old Brown Swiss cows Bonnie and Bella. Carol Harland, 75, was only admitted into the hospice's inpatient unit two days before the "gorgeous" cows came and visited her but said she had a "lovely day." Carol, who has bowel cancer, said: "The cows have been gorgeous.

Doctor explains hospice care misconceptions
[NBC Denver, CO] 9News; 9/25/24
Dr. Payal Kohli explains what hospice care is, what they do at the care facility and explains the misconceptions around hospice.
Publisher's note: Interesting 4-minute TV interview about hospice.

AccentCare sued by EEOC for pay discrimination, retaliation
McKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/1/24
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed last week that it filed a lawsuit against AccentCare, a national provider of home health, personal care and hospice services, alleging wage discrimination and retaliation against workers.

Leading causes of death by age group
Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 10/1/24
Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of death for children, while accidental poisoning, cancer and heart attack were the leading causes of death for adults, according to a report from USAFacts, a nonprofit organization that conducts data analysis. The "America in Facts 2024" report, published in July, used CDC data to calculate the leading causes of death by age from 2020 to 2021. Heart disease and cancer have been the leading causes of death since 1950. COVID-19 became one of the leading causes of death at the onset of the pandemic but has since fallen to the fourth leading cause of death. The top five leading causes of death account for 58% of all deaths in 2022. Twenty-one percent of all deaths were from heart disease, 19% were from cancer and 7% were from accidents in 2022.
Publisher's note: Please click the link above for leading causes of death by age group.

Patient safety experts want progress on quality measure alignment
Modern Healthcare; by Mari Devereaux; 9/30/24
Patient safety leaders say standardization is needed to prevent overlapping, conflicting reporting requirements that don’t improve health outcomes. Some are hopeful the industry could see progress in the next few years. Until then, overburdened providers are choosing to report on a handful of quality measures they decide are the most important.
Publisher's note: Thinking of Joanne Lynn's efforts to standardize publicly available quality measures at the turn of the century - we'll get there!

Breast cancer rising among younger women and Asian Americans, report finds
NBC News; by Kaitlin Sullivan; 10/1/24
Even as death rates from breast cancer have fallen, rates of new diagnoses continue to tick upwards, according to an American Cancer Society report. Americans have benefited from huge leaps in breast cancer treatment over the last two decades, but diagnoses are becoming more common, especially among younger women, according to a report published Tuesday by the American Cancer Society. The new report shows that breast cancer mortality has decreased by 44% since the late 1980s. Rates of breast cancer, however, have increased by 1% every year since 2012. In younger women, rates have increased at a faster clip — by about 1.4% every year since 2021.

Governor vetoes private equity bill that would have affected healthcare transactions
McKnight's Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 10/1/24
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Saturday vetoed a bill that would have required private equity firms and hedge fund organizations in the state to provide advance notice to the state’s attorney general of acquisitions or changes in control. The bill would have given the attorney general authority to grant, deny or impose conditions on a proposed transaction, after determining the likelihood of anticompetitive effects, “including a substantial risk of lessening competition or of tending to create a monopoly, or may create a significant effect on the access or availability of healthcare services to the affected community.” The governor’s veto “was a surprise to many in the healthcare industry,” Arent Fox Schiff attorneys wrote for the National Law Review.

How Mass General Brigham built the largest 'hospital at home'
Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 10/1/24
Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham has built the biggest hospital-at-home program in the country by getting buy-in from leadership and clinicians and through tech partnerships, executives said at a recent conference. The health system now has a capacity for acute hospital care at home of 70 patients, and is currently treating about 50 to 60 a day. The goal is to move to 10% of Mass General Brigham's overall capacity, or about 200 to 300 patients.
Publisher's note: How might this be an opportunity for hospice? How might it be a threat?

Nurses' top 10 AI concerns
Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 10/1/24
Nearly a quarter of nurses are uncomfortable with artificial intelligence's use in healthcare, according to an Oct. 1 McKinsey & Co. report. Here are nurses' top 10 concerns about AI, per the management consultant's joint survey with the American Nurses Foundation of 7,200 nurses:

1. Trust in accuracy: 61%
2. Lack of human interaction: 49%
3. Lack of knowledge on how to use: 36%
4. Increase patient safety risk: 34%
5. Data privacy: 30%
6. Information overload: 20%
7. Poor usability: 20%
8. Job elimination due to automation: 19%
9. Bias and fairness: 19%
10. Lack of time: 6%

Publisher's note: How might hospices work to address and alleviate these concerns?

What I've seen is--you know--sometimes you have friendly rivalries in the hospice and palliative care world. That's gone. We're all family right now and that--I just, whew--that moves me to tears. That's the type of stuff that gives me hope we are going to get beyond this. ~Chris Comeaux, 10/2/24, near Asheville, NC, describing his hospice leadership experiences in the midst of Hurricane Helene's aftermath. See today's headline article, "Helene and Hospice: "We're seeing such personal sacrifices ... It's heartwarming and heartbreaking ..."