Literature Review

How to pay for nursing homes with hospice care U.S. News & World Report - Health; by Claire Wolters; 11/4/24 Can you receive hospice care in a nursing home? Yes – here's what to consider for comfortable, pain-free end-of-life care in a nursing home. Key Takeaways:

How to use the 7Cs of compassionate leadership to ease post-election tension Forbes; by Laurel Donnellan; 10/31/24 As of this post being published, less than a week away from November 5, 2024, the presidential election is a toss-up. Once the ballots are tallied, about 50% of the electorate will be disappointed. Some will be broken-hearted, others outraged, and others will move on quickly. As a compassionate leader, you must prevent and alleviate the suffering of others. So, it would be best if you were prepared to address this disappointment, regardless of the outcome and your political views. ... Over the last 5 years, while writing these posts at Forbes, my team and I have researched the attributes of successful, compassionate leaders. We have identified seven common characteristics that can be applied to being the best leader after this election. ...

[England] Woman doing race for hospice that helped husband BBC News; Lorna Bailey and Andrew Dawkins; 11/4/24 A woman is taking part in a 120km (75-mile) race over four days through the deserts of Jordan for a hospice that helped care for her husband. Charlotte Rochenard-Taylor, from Warwick, said running became a way for her to cope with grief, after Jamie died from a brain tumour in June last year. She is participating in the Marathon des Sables to raise money for Myton Hospice, which has sites in Coventry, Warwick and Rugby. Ms Rochenard-Taylor said it was "just a way to keep alive, if that makes sense, getting again out of my comfort zone to just feel like fully alive". One of her husband's last wishes was to die at home, stated the runner, who made it her "mission for this to happen". She added: "Thanks to the Myton Hospice, the at-home team... that was made possible." ... "I [found] that running actually became for me a way to cope with the grief, just to get out there and just get the rage out and just... mental wellbeing really." Ms. Rochenard-Taylor, who broke her pelvis a few years ago, said the charity was close to her heart, and the race starting on Tuesday was an ideal way to support it.

BrightSpring CEO: Home health, hospice acquisitions offer ‘high return on investment’ Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 11/1/24 The newest home-based care face on the public market, BrightSpring Health Services (Nasdaq: BTSG), is making strides. The company announced a successful third quarter during its earnings call Friday. Leaders reported an overall increase in business and raised 2024 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance. Provider service segment revenue grew across service lines for the Louisville, Kentucky-based company. This was primarily attributed to billable hours growth and its Rehab in Motion program supporting Medicare Part B outpatient rehab patients. ... “From an acquisition strategy perspective, I think it’s going to be consistent with what we’ve done over the past couple of years,” he said. “On the provider side, it’s been rehab, home health and hospice, and then home-based primary care as well. We currently have three or four very small tuck-ins for home health and hospice, which are high returns on investment. On the de novo side, it’s really on home health, hospice and rehab.”

Mission Health Services acquires Angel’s Crossing Home Hospice Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/4/24 The long term care company Mission Health Services has acquired Utah-based Angel’s Crossing Home Hospice. Mission is a nonprofit provider of nursing home, assisted living, short term care, memory care and therapy services. The M&A advisory firm Agenda Health facilitated the transaction. Financial terms were undisclosed. The deal marks Mission’s first foray into the hospice space. “The sellers made the strategic decision to divest their business to pursue a new venture. Their goal was to reallocate their time, energy and resources towards founding a hospice in a different region of the country,” Stephen Walters, senior director for Agenda Health, told Hospice News in an email. 

Is it seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?National Institute of Mental Health press release; 11/4/24What is seasonal affective disorder? Many people go through short periods when they feel sad or unlike their usual selves. Sometimes, these mood changes begin and end when the seasons change. Many people feel "down" or have the "winter blues" when the days get shorter in the fall and winter and feel better in the spring when longer daylight hours return.Publisher's note: About 5% of adults in the US experience SAD.

"Courageous Conversations" during National Hospice and Palliative Care month NBC Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA; by Laynie Erickson; 11/4/24 November is National Hospice and Palliative Care month. Tri-Cities Chaplaincy is spending this month embracing what they call "courageous conversations".  Laurie Jackson, CEO of Tri-Cities Chaplaincy said this month they are encouraging the community to have conversations early about hospice and palliative care. Jackson said making these kind of decisions in crisis is challenging. "It always seems like its too soon to have 'that' conversation until it's too late," said Jackson. Although these "courageous conversations" can be difficult, Jackson said it is important to explore your options. "It always seems like its too soon to have 'that' conversation until it's too late," said Jackson. Although these "courageous conversations" can be difficult, Jackson said it is important to explore your options.

PositivelyJAX Award - The purple bench of compassionate St. AugustineNews4JAX; by Melanie Lawson; 11/1/24 This month’s PositivelyJAX Award goes to something unique: a bench. But it’s no ordinary bench—it’s The Purple Bench, powered by people and conversation. The concept was brought to life by a group called Compassionate St. Augustine, sparking empathy and understanding in anyone willing to sit down and listen. This purple bench, located just outside the gates of the Lincolnville Community Garden in St. Augustine, often sits empty, waiting for someone to take a seat and begin a conversation.  When I approached, Eileen Reid was happy to join me. In just a short 10-minute conversation, I got to know her—a retired hospice nurse ... “I’ve been around a lot of endings, and endings are beginnings, but now, now I’m beginning a whole different phase of my life, and it’s interesting. ...”Editor's note: Click on the title's link for the community news article. Click here for a photo and description of this Purple Bench Initiative: "The Purple Bench initiative was formed to challenge the community to engage in compassionate practices despite different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, and views. In a world divided by polarizing opinions, it is increasingly important to find common ground to help those in need."

Blue Ridge Care expands bereavement care with new Center for Hope & Healing Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/1/24 Blue Ridge Care has unveiled its new Center for Hope & Healing, a facility dedicated to offering comprehensive grief care. The Virginia-based nonprofit hospice, palliative care and PACE provider financed the center through philanthropic donations. The facility is located in the same building as Blue Ridge’s PACE program, according to CEO Jason Parsons. At the center, Blue Ridge bereavement care staff will offer specialized programs, workshops, support groups and individual counseling. “The center is a central organizing unit of our mission fulfillment in the areas of grief, family support and loss in a place people can come to that’s welcoming, inviting and centered around hope and healing,” Parsons told Hospice News. ... The center was built to create a relaxing atmosphere to help put visitors at ease, according to Parsons, with a sky blue color palette and several murals depicting natural scenes. In one display, a collection of rocks symbolizes the weight of grief. Visitors can write a message on the rocks to “leave that weight behind,” Parsons said. They can also paint their loved ones’ names on a mural of a branching tree in the lobby area. 

Tidewater Rotary cleans, revitalizes outdoor spaces at Talbot Hospice The Star, Easton, MD; 11/1/24 Members of the Tidewater Rotary Club, along with their families and friends, recently gathered to revitalize the backyard patio and garden areas at Talbot Hospice. Over two Saturdays, volunteers transformed the space, giving it a fresh, renewed look. The project supported Talbot Hospice by enhancing outdoor spaces where residents and families can find peace and comfort. Efforts included removing poison ivy and brush, power washing structures, and repainting the pergola and wood fence. Patios connected to patient rooms, leading to the gardens, received newly built benches, minor repairs and a fresh coat of paint. Window trims were repainted, and outdoor furniture was power washed.  

Amedisys is now oversold (AMED) Nasdaq; by BNK Invest; 10/31/24 Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trading on Thursday [10/31], shares of Amedisys, Inc. (Symbol: AMED) entered into oversold territory, hitting an RSI reading of 29.4, after changing hands as low as $94.76 per share. By comparison, the current RSI reading of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 44.0. ...

More Minnesotans face ‘pharmacy deserts’ with chain drugstore closures The Minnesota Star Tribune; by Dee DePass; 11/2/24 KB Brown’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing since Walgreens shut its W. Broadway store last year, leaving one pharmacy to serve 67,000 residents in the north Minneapolis area where he lives and runs his graphics design business. With Walgreens gone — and CVS shutting four other area stores — Brown, at least three times a week, transports employees, relatives and older neighbors to pharmacies in Robbinsdale or other suburbs so they can get their medications. ... North Minneapolis joins a growing number of “pharmacy deserts” rapidly dotting the state and nation as small and large pharmacies close up shop, leaving people with few options to quickly access prescription medicines. ... CVS, which closed 600 U.S. stores between 2021 and 2023, said it would close 300 more this year as leases end. On Oct. 15, Walgreens announced a plan to close 1,200 unprofitable stores, starting with 500 in 2025.

CNY Inspirations: Caregiving is redemptive Syracuse.com, Syracuse, NY; by InterFaith Works of Central New York; 11/3/24 I will carry him with me for my life as one of the greatest examples of caring that I ever met. I will be obscure on the details, but he cared for his wife, who was completely immobilized, with a degree of fidelity, creativity, and painstaking love that I have rarely seen and could only hope to imitate. He lived what Arthur Kleinman calls in his book of the same title, The Soul of Care. ... He says, “Caregiving, for me, at its deepest was redemptive. It redeemed me…. in caregiving, there is a common tug of war between the sometimes-bitter feelings that care is a burden and the more heartening certainty that no matter how burdensome, it is ultimately rewarding.” ... My friend never expressed that verbally, but I saw it lived as I watched him over the years through periods of anxiety, weariness, anger, hurt, despair, and through it all, intense, personal demanding caregiving. “And so, in the end, the soul of care pivots to care of the soul.” Inauspiciously, my friend took good care of his soul…and certainly helped mine.