Literature Review

Bellingham nonprofit introduces barnyard animal therapy for hospice patients, families The Bellingham Herald, Whatcom County, WA; by Rachel Showalter; 12/25/24 From bunnies and chickens to full-sized horses, a new Whatcom County program is offering mobile farm animal therapy to hospice patients. Bellingham nonprofit Animals as Natural Therapy (ANT) started the Rainbow Bridge program this fall. Volunteers bring barnyard animals to visit seniors in care facilities across Whatcom County in an effort to bring joy and comfort to local hospice patients, bereaved families and hospice staff. It’s the latest program addition for the nonprofit which has offered animal-guided mental and behavioral health programs for youth, veterans, families and seniors since 1999. “ ... Barnyard animals may have a specific effect, according to the nonprofit. “For many people from older generations who grew up with backyard chickens and goats, the animals also bring a warm sense of nostalgia,” the ANT said in the announcement.

Maryland Department of Health to expand elderly care to serve 800 seniors by 2025 CBS News - WJZ News, Baltimore, MD; by Christian Olaniram; 12/18/24 The Maryland Department of Health is expanding the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) from one, to four locations, the department said Wednesday. With the expansion, the state will be able to serve up to 800 seniors - and more older adults to receive care without leaving their homes as a result. Currently, there is only one location, the Hopkins ElderPlus in East Baltimore. ... The new locations and their anticipated opening dates are as follows:

The HAP Foundation partners with Communities in Schools of ChicagoHAP Foundation press release; 12/16/24The HAP Foundation has partnered with Communities in Schools of Chicago to fulfill the need for grief workshops for students in Chicago Public Schools. Through HAP’s Missing Pieces program, we have provided support for nearly 10 students and families that have experienced a death of a sibling or friend through this partnership. Missing Pieces provides grief navigation support for families who experience the loss of a child. This year, over 350 families have been served.

Today's 10-Second Question 12/24What hospice or palliative care stories or trends do you predict we'll see in 2025? Themes might include clinical, quality, regulatory, reimbursement, ethics, heartwarming, etc. (Click the link above to participate! Responses will be shared in January.)

Inside the CMS plan to streamline quality measurement Modern Healthcare; by Bridget Early; 12/23/24 Quality measurement is burdensome and complicated. The government and the private sector are struggling to figure out a good fix. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services uses quality data to inform its reimbursement rates, so it's a high-stakes matter for providers and health insurance companies. CMS has proposed an overarching framework meant to streamline the process: the Universal Foundation. ... The Universal Foundation consists of two dozen quality measures across several categories that track wellness and prevention, chronic conditions, behavioral health, and "person-centered" care. Those include measures of breast and colorectal cancer screenings, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, vaccinations, and hospital readmissions. ... CMS has incorporated this framework into recent regulations such as the Medicare Advantage final rule for 2024 and the Physician Fee Schedule final rule for 2025. 

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.” 

Hospice sues Medicare over alleged recouped overpayment errors Bloomberg Law; by Ganny Belloni; 12/23/24 A hospice sued the Biden administration over allegations an agency unlawfully attempted to recoup millions in purported overpayments through inaccurate sampling and extrapolation methods. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, claims that a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services contractor had extrapolated the amount the Medicare program incorrectly paid to a handful of beneficiaries under the agency’s hospice benefit to the full “universe” of claims made to Kansas City-based Crossroads Hospice from Nov. 1, 2008, through Oct. 31, 2010.

'We do more than just pray': Chaplains take active role at Milwaukee VA and in community U.S. Government Veterans Administration; by David Walter; 12/23/24 If you think hospital chaplains just pray at bedsides, think again. At the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, chaplains are much more than comfort providers. They are fully integrated into the everyday workings of the hospital, serving on committees, participating in numerous events and consulting with other subject matter experts. Their work also goes beyond the walls of the hospital, interfacing with the community to help better reach those Veterans who may not venture into the hospital. And while they continue to meet one-on-one with patients on a daily basis, they also extend their services to hospital staff, providing solace and support for those dealing with the emotional toll that caregiving can sometimes take on health care professionals. “There’s been a really big shift here,” said Chaplain Robert Allen, chief of the Milwaukee VA’s Chaplain Services, adding that for too long chaplains were “put in this corner, thinking that we only just pray.” Editor's note: To strengthen your understanding of chaplaincy roles, standards, training, and certification, examine the national Association of Professional Chaplains.

Muslim community-engaged research highlights Muslim Americans' end-of-life-healthcare gaps and needs WisconsinMuslimJournal.org; by Sandra Whitehead; 12/20/24 Few Muslim Americans use hospice care, despite its posited benefits. A multi-sectoral team of academicians and community leaders in southeastern Wisconsin decided to find out why. ... Muslims are one of the fastest-growing religious communities in the United States, numbering between 3 to 5 million, with projections it will double by 2050. “With an aging Muslim population, there is a growing need for specialized healthcare services like hospice and palliative care,” the team’s research explains. ... Through a qualitative descriptive study with a Muslim patient and 10 family caregivers, the research team identified their perceptions of hospice care, ethical concerns and experiences. Among their varied perceptions, many saw it as useful only in the last hours of life. Participants also had ethical concerns about the use of sedative medication and with cessation of feeding terminally ill patients. Some had concerns about how hospice care might lead to unnecessary interventions or even hasten death. ...  The team is developing an informational resource, Islamic Bioethical Considerations for the End of Life: A Guide for Muslim Americans, to help Muslims who struggle when thinking about death and dying. 

CMS names first Hospice Special Focus Program Cohort, delays list of future candidates Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/23/24 Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties. However, stakeholders in the hospice space have contended that the agency’s methodology for selecting hospices for the program is deeply flawed. For this reason, they have argued that the list of operators should not be made public. Though CMS published the list, it delayed the release of a second that would point to future candidates for the program. “CMS has also generated a list of future SFP candidates. We are not publishing the candidate list at this time, but we are sharing the underlying data used to create both lists to allow for external review, thereby ensuring transparency in the process by which low-performing hospices are identified,” the agency indicated on its website. “We will continue to work with providers, patients and their families, and industry, to improve hospice care across the nation.” Stakeholders applauded the delay, including the National Alliance for Care at Home. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

For young adults, caregiving isn't just hard. It can shape you for life. National Public Radio - CAI - Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands; by Kat McGown; 12/23/24 ... There are days when Jordyn Glick, 27, can't eat or drink at all. She gets so tired and weak she can barely stand up. She has gastroparesis, where food stalls out in her stomach and doesn't get digested. It comes with unpredictable bouts of nausea, periods of agony in her guts, and malnutrition. ... Dakota Heath, her 26-year-old boyfriend of four years, is her watchman, "always picking up on the small things," he says. He's on alert for her next flareup, the kind that can leave her bedridden for a week. ... Young caregivers have always been there, doing all the same things that adults do — ... About one-quarter of all family caregivers are between 18 and 36, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving. One survey suggests that almost half of them are men. They're more likely to be Latino or Black; a survey in 2018 found that only 17% were white. They've just been invisible. "They fall into every potential crack that exists," says Melinda Kavanaugh, a professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who is one of the few researchers who study this population. In terms of resources, "Nothing is targeted for a 22-year-old. Nothing."

ProCare Hospice of Nevada names nationally recognized hospice expert Keith Everett as new CEOProCare Hospice press release; 12/9/24In a move that underscores its vision to transform the cultural perceptions of advanced illness care, ProCare Hospice of Nevada (PCH) proudly announces Keith Everett as its new Chief Executive Officer. Everett, a proven leader in hospice care, most recently served as the President and CEO of Hospice of Acadiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.