Literature Review

Seven trends in senior living that will define 2025 and beyond McKnights Senior Living; by Michele Hollerand, PhD, MBA; 1/6/25 Senior living is in the midst of a major transformation, and seven major trends have emerged as key drivers of the strategic plans adopted by boards across the country. Those trends will shape the way organizations position themselves for the future to capture a new customer base in 2025 and beyond.

The Jimmy Carter White House Connection to Hospice & Palliative Care TodayCohen-Fyfe Communications; by Mark Cohen; 1/3/25Jimmy Carter’s impact on the hospice movement goes further than his very public decision to be admitted to hospice in February 2023 ... and even further than his administration’s decision in 1980 to launch the Hospice Demonstration Project that directly led to congressional passage of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, with strong bipartisan support, in 1981 during the first year of the Reagan Administration. How much further? You might not be reading this daily newsletter if were not for the Carter White House. If you were a fan of Hospice News Today, which I published from 2012 to 2023, and/or if you’re a fan of Hospice & Palliative Care Today, then you should know that Jimmy Carter(and his long-time senior aides Jody Powell and Hamilton Jordan) deserve some of the credit for these two unique daily environmental scans that have served the hospice movement now for more than a dozen years. ... [Fascinating story and with this spoiler alert:] So, Inauguration Day in 1977 found me walking into the Old Executive Ofice Building as the youngest person on the 369-person staf of The Office of the President. My job? One of six stafers who produced the daily News Summary for the President and nearly 200 senior oficials throughout the White House and the Cabinet and executive agencies. [Click on the title's link to read more.]Editor's note: As President Carter's body is taken to the Capitol today, we celebrate the simple moments that can change the course of another's life. Did you read Jimmy Carter's questions to the young Mark Cohen? At Hospice & Palliative Care Today, we are grateful for Mark's journey and long-lasting impact. What interest are you taking in the lives of those who serve in your organization? May we pause. Learn. And live.

National Alliance for Care at Home, Transcend Strategy Group release hospice report HomeCare, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; HomeCare; 1/3/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (The Alliance) and Transcend Strategy Group, a marketing agency for homecare companies, published the results of their Rural American Hospice Insights report, a new study that explored perceptions of hospice care among rural and small-town communities. The Alliance said the survey, which included 400 participants, aims to provide health equity and break down barriers to accessing hospice and homecare through knowledge sharing, data collection and collaborative discussion.  “Ensuring access to high-quality hospice and homecare in rural communities is critical,” said Steve Landers, CEO of The National Alliance for Care at Home. “These communities deserve care that is tailored to their unique needs, and in an America where more and more health care desserts are arising due to provider closures from inadequate reimbursement, maintaining quality care and continuing to build trust in the care provided is of the utmost importance."

Top hospice trends to watch in 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/3/25 Hospice leaders will need to keep their eyes on five key trends in the new year when it comes to compliance, business operations and finance. Coupled with these trends is rising utilization. Hospice utilization reached 51.7% among Medicare decedents in 2023, up more than two percentage points from the prior year, according to recent data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). This is the highest rate since 2019. ... The number of hospice care days also saw increases, as did average length of stay and average number of patient visits per week. Total Medicare hospice payments in 2023 reached $25.7 billion. ...

From immortality to ugly people: 100-year-old predictions about 2025Akron Beacon Journal; by Mark J. Price; 12/30/24Nearly 100 years ago, a group of deep thinkers dared to imagine what life would be like in 2025. Some of their prophecies were completely off target, while others proved to be weirdly accurate. [Including:]

Any new beginning is forged from the shards of the past, not from the abandonment of the past. ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

Here are new state healthcare laws taking effect in 2025Modern Healthcare;by Hayley Desilva;1/2/25 Providers and insurers in several states will have to grapple with health-related laws taking effect in 2025. Most of the legislation concerns reproductive care and insurance coverage. Here are some of the laws affecting healthcare this year. [States include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pensylvania, and Washington.]

An unimaginable year for UnitedHealth Becker's Payer Issues; by Jakob Emerson; 12/30/24 The year 2024 will be remembered as one full of unprecedented challenges and turmoil for the nation's largest healthcare company. From the tragic and targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to a crippling cyberattack on subsidiary Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth Group has faced a cascade of crises that affected the entire healthcare industry. These major events, compounded by legal battles and heightened public scrutiny, have exposed systemwide vulnerabilities and sparked a broader reckoning about the role of insurers within healthcare. ... Adding to the turbulence, the Justice Department is actively investigating the relationship between UnitedHealthcare and Optum, while also suing to block the company's planned $3.3 billion acquisition of home health provider Amedisys. 

Hospice M&A market to ‘return to sanity’ in 2025 Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/2/25The hospice mergers and acquisitions market has seen a host of changes in recent years, with buyers and sellers examining a range of risks and opportunities in the field this year. The industry saw a flurry of M&A activity in 2019 and 2020, with record high valuations and deal volume. Subsequent years saw cooling periods that left many operators wondering what’s next in store as 2025 unfolds. The previous “buy, buy, buy” mentality among hospice investors has morphed into a more disciplined strategic approach, according to New Day Healthcare LLC CEO G. Scott Herman. Certain lessons learned are driving future hospice investment decisions, particularly those around valuations and keys to sustainable growth, Herman said during a recent Hospice News Elevate podcast. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Family advocates for hospice care, says it doesn't always mean end-of-life: Highlights case of the late Former President Jimmy Carter who spent nearly 2 years in hospice CBS WTKR 3, Hampton Roads | Northeast NC; by Jay Greene; 12/20/24 Dana Romano's mom, Marilyn, headed home from the Dozoretz Hospice House of Hampton Roads in Virginia Beach on Monday evening after spending a few days in respite care while her family was out of town. "The whole reason not to have my mom in a facility is we want her with us. But when you're doing long periods of time, every once in a while, you need a break, so having a place where you know they're going to take care of her and treat her like, almost like family," Dana said. "We kind of look at this more like a resort than a hospice." ... When at home Marilyn receives hospice care, but it's not because she needs care, the Romano's said. It's because she needs supervision. ... The family told News 3's Jay Greene this is a case where hospice does not mean end-of-life. It actually helped alleviate some stress. ... The Romano's told News 3's Jay Greene hospice ["has no time limit"] is all about extending life as comfortably as possible, citing Former President Jimmy Carter who died at the age of 100 this weekend.Editor's note: These misunderstandings by the family about hospice care is both alarming and expected. Throughout Jimmy Carter's extended hospice Length Of Stay (LOS), far too many hospice organizations misused messaging for its marketing purposes. We have addressed this discrepancy in a dozen posts throughout the year. Click here for the CMS "Face-to-Face Requirement Affecting Hospice Recertification." Disclaimer: We do not specifics about what this hospice communicated with this family. We simply refer readers to this as publicly reported news story.

Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation supports hospice home with financial gift The Monroe Times, Monroe, WI; 12/25/24 The Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation, a member of SSM Health, recently presented the SSM Health Monroe Hospice Home with a donation of $120,000. The annual support of $120,000 fulfills the gift the Foundation Board pledged to give every year upon the opening of the hospice home. This gift is primarily comprised of dollars raised at the annual “Little Golf” & Grill event, as well as memorials and other hospice gifts throughout the year. “Gifts given to hospice through the Foundation help provide a continued option for end-of-life patients who wish to be close to their families but are unable to remain in their home,” said Jane Sybers, Monroe Clinic & Hospital Foundation Executive Director. “This cumulative gift reflects the strong support and love our community has for local hospice care, which we are so grateful for.” 

Cannabidiol for scan-related anxiety in women with advanced breast cancer - A randomized clinical trialJAMA Network Open; Manan M. Nayak, PhD, MA; Peter Chai, MD; Paul J. Catalano, ScD; William F. Pirl, MD, MPH; James A. Tulsky, MD; Stephanie C. Tung, MD; Nancy U. Lin, MD; Nicole Andrade, BA; Sabrina Johns, MPH; Clint Vaz, MD; Melissa Hughes, MSc; Ilana M. Braun, MD; 12/24The findings of this randomized clinical trial show that CBD [cannabidiol] can be used safely in women with advanced breast cancer and clinical anxiety. Although the study did not meet its primary end point comparing preingestion vs postingestion anxiety change scores between study arms, anxiety levels in the CBD arm were significantly lower 2 to 4 hours after ingestion, suggesting a possible anxiolytic effect and warranting further investigation. 

“I had no words”: The patient gifts doctors never forgetMedscape; by Sarah Yahr Tucker; 12/19/24[Three unforgettable gifts...]