Literature Review

Providers, patients would benefit from hospice telehealth extension, doc offers McKnights Senior Living; by Rachael Zimlich; 7/31/24 The COVID-19 pandemic triggered many changes in healthcare, and not all were bad. In the years since the coronavirus forced worldwide lockdowns and limited access to care, the healthcare industry increasingly has embraced measures such as remote care and telehealth. One surprising area that has benefitted from those changes is hospice care. Hospice care by telehealth provides an obvious convenience for patients, but [Sean Oser, MD, MPH] shared his surprise at how much the increased frequency and ease of visits — plus better insight into the patient’s home environment —could improve his own experience as the provider. ... The latest extension of rules to allow hospice provided via telehealth to be paid through Medicare will end in December. ... Representatives called out the need to extend the hospital-at-home waiver, which is set to expire at the end of 2024.

NAHC & NHPCO leaders say united organization already at work HomeCare; 8/1/24 The new group formed by the recent merger of the National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has already gotten to work advocating in the industry—even though it doesn’t yet have a name or CEO. That’s what leaders said in a town hall meeting to discuss the progress of the alliance, which, for now, is being called “the alliance” as a sort of shorthand. “The work of the organizations doesn’t stop because of the merger,” said Ken Albert, chair of the group’s transition board, told more than 230 attendees for the online town hall on Thursday, July 31. “We’re continuing to serve members in all ways.” The two groups officially merged July 1 and hoped to have a name ready for the launch but encountered hurdles regarding trademark, said. 

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) Resource ToolkitWorldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA); 8/1/24WHPCA celebrates 10 years since the World Health Assembly (WHO’s Governing Body) passed the only stand-alone resolution on palliative care, calling for all countries to “strengthen palliative care as a component of comprehensive care throughout the life course...” [They have made a free Resource Toolkit available.]

Hospices build community partnerships to better serve patients, employees Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/29/24 Hospice care does not occur in a vacuum, and many operators find themselves building partnerships with other community organizations to better serve patients and support their staff. Providers work with other institutions to provide general inpatient and respite care, address social determinants of health and improve health equity, among other initiatives. Some also partner with medical and nursing schools to ensure students in health care fields gain exposure to hospice and palliative care principles. Notable Mentions: Skelly Wingard, CEO of By the Bay Health; Mary Shankster, Chief Development Officer at Stillwater Hospice; Altonia Garrett, COO of Blue Ridge Hospice

Acupuncture as a support in palliative care at Sun City Center HAW The Tidewater News, Ruskin, FL; 7/22/24 Sun City Center Health and Wellness (HAW) is dedicated to providing comprehensive care for patients managing serious illnesses, championing the use of acupuncture as a key supportive treatment in palliative care. This practice, grounded in traditional Chinese medicine, offers relief from common symptoms and enhances overall well-being. ... The role of acupuncture in palliative care is gaining recognition for its potential to improve the quality of life for patients dealing with serious illnesses.

Hospices strategize sustainable growth for Veteran Programs Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/26/24 Hospices combat both operational and financial challenges as they seek to grow and evolve their veteran programs around the diverse and complex needs of patients and their families. Some of the largest expenses associated with offering veteran services include staffing and training costs ... In addition to staff training, this includes having ways to honor veterans for their service, assess the social determinant of health resources they may need and identify gaps of caregiver support. ... Forming community collaborations with organizations such as We Honor Veterans [NHPCO], Wounded Warriors or the Veteran Affairs’ (VA) Pet Partners therapy program can be beneficial to having a more inclusive care delivery approach.Editor's Note: Notable mentions include Carlos Graveran, executive director at Maryland-based Frederick Health Hospice; Sherri Bickley, vice president of patient support services at Oklahoma-based Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care; and Carla Creegan, PACE director of clinical services and director of adult day swervices at Empath Health.

Senators introduce bipartisan bill to expand access to senior care program [PACE] FCFreePress.com; by News Desk - Health News; 7/25/24 [Thursday, 7/25/24,] U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), leaders of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the bipartisan PACE Anytime Act. This legislative move seeks to broaden the accessibility of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) which serves thousands of lower-income seniors and individuals with disabilities by offering comprehensive, integrated care. ... Under current regulations, eligible individuals can only enroll in PACE programs at the beginning of each month. The PACE Anytime Act proposes to remove this restriction, allowing for enrollment at any time during the month, thereby making the program more accessible. 

Empath Health, Trustbridge leaders are setting home health sights high after integration Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/26/24 Empath Health is a company in transition. In the spring, it completed an affiliation process with Trustbridge, which formed the largest nonprofit post-acute provider organization in the state of Florida. ... Since completion of the affiliation process, the company has focused on integration, synergistic opportunities and determining how best to deliver care to the communities it serves. One of the people at the helm of this transition is Tarrah Lowry, Empath Health’s chief operating officer and Trustbridge’s interim president. [Click on the title's link to read the recent interview by Home Health Care News' with Tarrah Lowry.]

‘Green burials’ grow in popularity as alternatives to traditional funerals Planet Detroit; by Erica Hobbs; 7/24/24|... [Modern] funeral practices are wreaking havoc on the environment. Bodies are embalmed with toxic chemicals and buried in caskets placed in non-biodegradable vaults that take up increasingly limited space in cemeteries. According to a Cornell University study, an estimated 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid, 20 million feet of hardwood, 1.6 million tons of concrete and 64,500 tons of steel are used in American burials yearly. Even cremation — often thought of as a green alternative to burial — requires up to 500 gallons of fuel and releases up to 250 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a recent study from the Green Burial Council (GBC). However, for those looking to reduce their carbon footprints even in death, green options, though still relatively rare, are available in Michigan. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading these descriptions of "green burials."]

CMS 2025 Hospice Final Rule: Content and Initial Responses

Familial loss of a loved one and biological aging: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program JAMA Network Open; by Allison E. Aiello, PhD, MS; Aura Ankita Mishra, PhD; Chantel L. Martin, PhD; Brandt Levitt, PhD; Lauren Gaydosh, PhD; Daniel W. Belsky, PhD; Robert A. Hummer, PhD; Debra J. Umberson, PhD; Kathleen Mullan Harris, PhD; 7/29/24Is the experience of losing a loved one associated with accelerated biological aging? In a cohort study of 3963 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, nearly 40% experienced the loss of a close relation by adulthood. Participants who had experienced a greater number of losses exhibited significantly older biological ages compared with those who had not experienced such losses. These findings suggest that loss can accelerate biological aging even before midlife and that frequency of losses may compound this, potentially leading to earlier chronic diseases and mortality.

Adapting an intervention to address barriers to pain management in hospice: formative research to inform EMPOWER-D for dementia caregiversPalliative Medicine Reports; by Karla T. Washington, Morgan L. Van Vleck, Todd D. Becker, George Demiris, Debra Parker Oliver, Paul E. Tatum, Jacquelyn J. Benson, John G. Cagle; 7/24Pain management is a priority for hospice patients, including those with ADRD [Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia], most (63%) of whom experience bothersome pain. One such intervention, EMPOWER (Effective Management of Pain: Overcoming Worries to Enable Relief), has been shown to improve hospice pain management by training hospice staff on barriers to pain management, incorporating screening for pain concerns into routine hospice care, delivering tailored pain education to hospice patients and their family caregivers, and facilitating needed follow-up services. Participants indicated that the EMPOWER-D materials addressed common pain concerns that were both family-centered and relevant to clinical dementia care. 

Nursing strategies to mitigate separation between hospitalized acute and critical care patients and families: A scoping review Intensive Critical Care Nurse; Sonja Meiers, Véronique de Goumoëns, Lorraine Thirsk, Kristen Abbott-Anderson, Petra Brysiewicz, Sandra Eggenberger, Mary Heitschmidt, Blanche Kiszio, Natalie S Mcandrew, Aspen Morman, Sandra Richardson; 7/26/24 Implications for clinical practice: Permanent policy changes are needed across acute and critical care settings to provide support for nurses in mitigating patient and family separation. We recommend that family members be considered as caregivers and care receivers, not visitors in patient and family-centered care in acute and critical care settings.