Literature Review

Study reveals how medication side effects can lead to dangerous medication cycles in adults 65+ McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/31/25 When doctors treat drug side effects as new illnesses, older adults may be prescribed even more medications — a cycle known as a “prescribing cascade.” A new study says this prescribing cycle can increase the risk of harm. Guest Editor's Note, Drew Mihaylo, PharmD: Practicing clinical vigilance regarding medication utilization is essential at any stage of illness. Prescribing cascades are common, under-recognized and often harmful. Approaching the emotional topic of medication change must be done with compassion and sensitivity tied to patient specific goals of care. Creativity to this end has been a focus of mine for sometime now as a clinical pharmacist serving serious illness patients nationally.

Grief and the road to resilience Jewish Journal; by Chaim Steinmetz; 8/2/25 Mourning is unfashionable. A popular platitude is that funerals are meant to be a “celebration of life.” This seemingly innocuous phrase is actually a subtle form of peer pressure, demanding the heartbroken mourners remain upbeat so they don’t drag the mood down for the rest. The bereaved are counseled to look for “closure” and find a way to continue with their lives. ... This is a picture of mourning done wrong, an unwillingness to encumber one’s heart with the ugly and unruly emotions of loss and bereavement. Judaism emphasizes the importance of mourning; it affirms an ethics of memory, which obligates us to continue to honor our deceased family and friends. It is unthinkable for someone to pass away and for everyone else to just “move on” afterwards. Love demands that we mourn. Beyond the moral imperative, Judaism recognizes that mourning is transformative. Grieving is the first step towards resilience.

Tennessee plans to execute inmate amid concerns his heart implant will shock him repeatedly CNN; by Dakin Andone; 8/4/25 Tennessee plans to execute Byron Black on Tuesday for the 1988 murders of a woman and her two young daughters, despite concerns from his attorneys that a device implanted to restore his heartbeat could repeatedly shock him as he’s put to death. The device – an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD – is at the center of a court battle that has been unfolding for several weeks. Black’s attorneys want the device deactivated at or immediately before his lethal injection Tuesday morning. If it isn’t, they say the effects of the lethal injection drugs will cause the ICD to shock Black’s heart, perhaps repeatedly, in an attempt to restore it to a normal rhythm. This will cause Black a prolonged and torturous execution, the attorneys argue, violating Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.Editor's Note: Though this is not a hospice case, this traumatic scenario for persons with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator being repeatedly shocked--even after death--is crucial for the hospice interdisciplinary to know. Clinical, ethical, and legal issues abound. Click here for Shocked at End-of-Life: An Educational Video for Hospice Workers about Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators, research published by the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, May 2024.

Assisted living fire with multiple fatalities a reminder to have evacuation plan, expert says McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 7/15/25 A five-alarm fire at a Massachusetts assisted living community in which nine people died and at least 30 were injured is a “realistic reminder” for senior living providers to make sure they have evacuation plans that are practiced and up to date, according to one expert. Stan Szpytek, president of Fire and Life Safety Inc. and a former deputy fire chief and fire marshal, told McKnight’s Senior Living that he was “horrified” to see the death toll, adding that multiple fatalities in buildings equipped with properly working fire suppression systems “has never occurred,” according to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association. ... “Smoke kills more people than fire does everyday in America,” Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said during a press conference.

Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. Inhabit your moments. Don’t rent them out to tomorrow. ~ Jerry Spinelli

The heart of transformation: People, purpose and progress at City of Hope Modern Healthcare; by City of Hope; 7/14/25 As chief transformation officer at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., Debra Fields has spent nearly a decade guiding the organization’s evolution. In this conversation, Fields shares her perspective on what it takes to lead meaningful transformation in healthcare including the power of vision, the importance of culture and the responsibility leaders have to care for both their people and themselves.

Immigration policies threaten post-acute care access Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 7/23/25 Nursing homes and home care operators are scrambling to find replacements for foreign-born workers no longer eligible to work in the U.S. due to changes in immigration policy. Providers in Boston, Atlanta and other cities with large populations of immigrants, and Haitians in particular, say the loss of foreign-born workers in an already tight job market is making it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for care — and will likely drive up care costs. Last month the Homeland Security Department began notifying more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans that it terminated a Biden-era program that allowed them to live and work in the U.S. It said those who have not attained legal status to remain in the U.S. outside of the program must leave immediately.

Nathan Adelson Hospice celebrates ‘Make A Will’ Month: The trusted hospice facility to offer free will-planning resources throughout the month of August Nevada Business; by Nathan Adelson Hospice; 8/1/25 ... For the month of August, Nathan Adelson Hospice aims to help inspire individuals to recognize the people closest to them in their lives, articulate their final desires, and ensure that all wishes are granted when the time comes, by offering a free resource, FreeWill. This resource aims to guide the community through the necessary steps of outlining a will and handling all wishes with dignity and care. “At Nathan Adelson Hospice, we understand that topics surrounding end-of-life care are always challenging. However, we believe in the power of communication and planning ahead,” says Lori Towsend, Executive Director. 

A hospice volunteer has a fascinating new take on people's most common deathbed regret Upworthy; by Cecily Knobler; 8/1/25 ... Over the years, many hospital and hospice workers have paid close attention to what people who are on their deathbeds say. What they're most proud of, and yes, what are their main regrets. ... [This author refers to] Jancee Dunn's New York Times article, "3 Lessons for Living Well, from the Dying." In it, she discusses her friend who is a hospice volunteer. "She hears one regret over and over from patients: letting relationships wither. They wish that they had made more plans with good friends, or they thought about getting back in touch with an old buddy, and talked themselves out of it." ...  One wrote,"My mother always told me, 'Your friends will get you through life.'"Editor's Note: What friend do you want to reach out to, today? 

They asked, "Why is it important to be kind?" I said, "Because we walk past hundreds of people every day and none of them wear signs that say, 'I'm grieving,' 'I'm exhausted,' or 'I'm barely holding it together.' But they're everywhere. Kindess might be the only softness they receive today. 

Study reveals how medication side effects can lead to dangerous medication cycles in adults 65+ McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/31/25 When doctors treat drug side effects as new illnesses, older adults may be prescribed even more medications — a cycle known as a “prescribing cascade.” A new study says this prescribing cycle can increase the risk of harm. A prescribing cascade example cited in the research involves older patients taking calcium channel blockers for blood pressure control, which can cause ankle swelling side effects. Instead of first adjusting the blood pressure drug, some doctors immediately prescribe a diuretic to reduce the swelling — which for some, can create an unnecessary drug pair.

St. Croix Hospice to acquire Mayo Clinic Health System hospice operations in Northwest and Southwest WisconsinWVNews West Virginia's News; Press Release by St. Croix Hospice; 8/1/25 St. Croix Hospice and Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) have entered into a definitive agreement for St. Croix Hospice to acquire MCHS's hospice operations in Northwest and Southwest Wisconsin. The agreement is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close later this quarter. The organizations have been longstanding partners in Midwest care, with St. Croix Hospice serving as a leading agency for hospice patients referred outside MCHS.