Literature Review

Hospice of the Valley launches living will campaignAhwatukee Foothills News, by Lin Sue Flood; 1/23/24National research shows that only about a third of Americans have created a living will or advance healthcare directive. ... Three nonprofit organizations — Mercy Care, Hospice of the Valley and Contexture — are launching a community education campaign to ensure that Arizonans’ wishes are honored. ... Choose Your Person is an awareness campaign urging all adults to choose someone to be their healthcare power of attorney. 

Inside AccentCare’s new, centralized approach to bereavement careHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/23/24After five years of planning, the post-acute services provider AccentCare recently re-organized its bereavement care services, which are now coordinated from a national center.

CMS Strategic Plan [last modified 1/23/24]CMS.gov; 1/23/24[Includes CMS Strategic Pillars; CMS Accomplishments for 2022; 2023 CMS Strategic Framework; Cross-Cutting Initiatives; more]

New research challenges the commonly held view that opioids are the most powerful pain relieversSciTechDaily, by University of Sydney; 1/21/24A University of Sydney-led study challenges the prevailing view of opioids as the most effective pain relievers for cancer, revealing significant evidence gaps and suggesting NSAIDs as a potential alternative. This research advocates for more informed choices in cancer pain management, emphasizing patient empowerment and the consideration of non-opioid options.

A guide to paying for hospice care at homeMediaFeed.org, by Claire Samuels; 1/23/24 According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which sets benchmarks for hospice care costs based on the payments they make to providers, here’s what two types of in-home hospice care will cost in 2024’s fiscal year ... [Additional descriptions include insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA health care, private health insurance.]

Netsmart, NorthStar and Hospice of Michigan unite to advance innovative technology and establish industry standards for post-acute careBusiness Wire; 1/23/24Netsmart, a leading healthcare technology provider, has announced a strategic collaboration with NorthStar Care Community (NorthStar) and its esteemed member, Hospice of Michigan (HOM), to support the mission of continually improving end-of-life care. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the standard of post-acute care, leveraging the powerful combination of innovative technology and best practices to advance value-based care delivery.

'Suncoast' review: Laura Linney-led semi-autobiographical dramedy is best at its most specificY! entertainment, by Katie Rife; 1/22/24... Evoking “human life” is especially pertinent when talking about “Suncoast,” the semi-autobiographical dramedy from writer-director Laura Chinn. The movie is based on Chinn’s own adolescence — it’s dedicated to her brother Max, who died in 2005 while Chinn was still in high school. Premature death is widely understood to be a tragedy, but there’s a wrinkle to Chinn’s story that gives it a bizarre specificity: Shortly before his death, he was placed in the same hospice as Terri Schaivo.

Virginia legislators seek to become 12th jurisdiction to legalize medical aid in dying Courthouse News Service, by Joe Dodson; 1/22/24Virginia state Senator Jennifer Boysko held back tears and read a letter written by her friend U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton, who suffers from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), in support of medically assisted death. 

Pressing questions about rural telehealth access and investments put innovation in dangerMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/22/24Proven healthcare technologies can help improve patient care and boost staff confidence, but in many rural areas, one major impediment remains: lack of high-speed internet.

Number of Georgians dropped from Medicaid nears 500,000 The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, by Ariel Hart; 1/22/24Georgia has dropped at least 488,000 from Medicaid, the government health insurance for the poor, as part of a federally mandated project to ensure those covered by the program qualify to remain on it.

Riding off with a legacyNext Avenue, by Kate St. Vincent Vogl; 1/22/24A story about women breaking barriers was bigger than my dying friend and me. I promised to see it through. ...  And in the fall of 2019, from her hospice bed, my friend handed over her whole manuscript. ... Turned out the founder of the Women's International Motorcycle Association (WIMA) also encouraged her followers to say yes — to motorcycle riding. And the thrill of independence. [Her dying wish is published: Iron Horse Cowgirls - Louise Scherbyn and the Women Motorcyclists of the 1930s and 1940s.]

Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown sends signed jersey to fan in hospice who dyed his hair blueNFL, by Erin Walsh; 1/20/24Larry Benjamin, a Detroit Lions fan receiving hospice care who dyed his hair blue for the team's playoff run, received a very special gift from star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown this weekend. St. Brown sent Benjamin, a lifelong Lions fan, an autographed jersey after hearing about his gesture of support for the team. Editor's Note: Follow-up to the story we posted on