Literature Review

Gentle endings: Lessons learned in a hospice for those without a homeDeseretNews, by Eliza Anderson; 1/3/24 Jillian Olmsted was intrigued by a news story in 2015 about attempts to open a small residential hospice for the homeless in Salt Lake City, where she lives. The INN Between would offer a home for people who were unsheltered and dying so they could be fed and cared for, in beds and out of the cold. But she was also floored by the hue and cry of neighbors who didn’t want them around — even though they were terribly medically frail. Her dad was fighting cancer, and she had just helped care for her mom and stepfather, who died a month apart. Both “had insurance and a nice home and family to take care of them.” Why begrudge someone shelter, care and comfort in such dire circumstances? 

Nursing homes invest in campaigns, reap millions in taxpayer moneyIowa Capital Dispatch, by Clark Kauffman; 1/2/24Audio recordings and financial documents reveal the industry’s political clout.

Financial hardship drives unhappiness in people living with dementia, study findsMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kristen Fischer; 1/4/24A new study is uncovering just how tough it can be financially to live with dementia. The report, published Dec. 29 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that nearly 56% of people with dementia face financial hardships. Those financial challenges are linked with worse reported satisfaction with life and healthcare. ... The study examined data from 534 participants with dementia who shared details on satisfaction with their lives and their healthcare. The researchers compared that data to information from questionnaires from 576 people who were newly diagnosed with cancer and receiving treatment.

Nursing home struggles expected to worsen hospital backlogsMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 1/4/24Nursing homes’ familiar struggles with insufficient staffing and insurance reimbursements are contributing to growing backlogs of patients awaiting throughput from hospitals to post-acute care across the US. Those waitlists are set to grow more congested in 2024 and cause even bigger disruption throughout the US healthcare system, according to recent state-level reports.Editor's Notes: Hospice leaders, how might your organization help reduce these backlogs and delays?

St. Luke's merger will be 'the first of many' M&A deals in the hospital sector this yearMedCity News, by Katie Adams, 1/4/24On New Year’s Day, two Missouri health systems — St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare and Kansas City-based St. Luke’s Health System — officially completed their merger. The deal, which was first announced last May, combines the two organizations into one integrated academic health system. The merger was one of the biggest hospital M&A deals announced last year. The combined health system comprises 28 hospitals and hundreds of clinics serving 6 million people across Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. It is expected to generate $10 billion in annual revenue.

8 healthcare tech trends in 2024, per DataLinkBecker's Health IT, by Noah Schwartz; 12/28/23Health IT company DataLink projected eight trends in healthcare technology for 2024. Artificial technology dominated the trends list. Here are the eight healthcare technology predictions for 2024, according to a Dec. 28 DataLink news release:

California becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrantsABC News, by Mary Kekatos; 1/2/24California will welcome the new year by becoming the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants. Starting Jan. 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, will qualify for Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes.Editor's note: Hospice implications...?

If you do not try, your chance of success drops to 0.0%...

Sleep pods, coffee bars, and coworking spaces: Hospital staff lounges get a makeoverHealthcare Brew, by Shannon Young; 12/7/23Health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff with respite spaces. Picture this: a large coworking environment with collaboration areas, cappuccino bars, and programmable spaces. No, it’s not a Silicon Valley startup, a student union, or even a swanky airport lounge. It’s the next generation of hospital employee break rooms. After years of optimizing hospital spaces to focus on the patient experience, more health systems are looking at how they can better attract, retain, and support staff, Mike Pukszta, codirector of CannonDesign’s global health practice, told Healthcare Brew.Editor's Note: Consider implications for today's hospice staffing. Office-based leaders, have you ever spent a day with a team member making visit after visit? While you want staff out in the field, do they have a home base where they can easily collaborate, eat, communicate with each other? Seek feedback and consider adjustments that can make a big difference in employee satisfaction and well-being.

Compassus, Pennant Group expand home health JV portfoliosHome Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/3/24Two home-based care providers – Compassus and the Pennant Group (Nasdaq: PNTG) – have expanded their JV portfolios this week. On Wednesday, Compassus and Ascension announced the expansion of their Tennessee-based home health partnership, which is dubbed Ascension Saint Thomas at Home. Subsequently, Ascension Saint Thomas at Home’s service area now covers 17 Tennessee counties in the mid and west parts of the state.

The book "The In-Between: Unforgettable encounters during life's final momentsHSJ Online, by David Webster; 1/2/24Recently, I received a book from one of my daughters for my birthday, "The In-Between" by Hadley Vlahos, RN. While in Florida for a vacation, I made reading the best-selling book a priority and admittedly cried with each chapter as Hadley shares her personal life mixed in with being a Hospice nurse. Hadley made a statement ... that really struck me, ... “I have learned how important it is to be a human first and an employee second.”

Kingston man arrested for allegedly threatening bedridden fatherBNN, by Salman Akhtar; 1/2/2431-year-old Tyler Jason Vasquez, a resident of Kingston, was apprehended by the local law enforcement following a disturbing incident involving his ailing father. The event, captured by a Ring doorbell camera at their home on New Hurbane Street, had Vasquez allegedly threatening his bedridden father with a firearm. The security camera had been installed by Vasquez’s sister to keep an eye on their father, who is under home hospice care.

The silent battle: Addressing depression among cancer patientsBNN, by Mazhar Abbas; 1/2/24 Dr. Michelle King, a specialist psychiatrist, expounded on the psychological tribulations cancer patients endure, including grief, depression, and anxiety. ... [Cancer survivors] find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster, oscillating between hope and despair, underlining the necessity for balanced mental health management. Dr. King advocates for early referral to palliative care services, delivering holistic support, symptom relief, and assistance with treatment decisions. Palliative care, designed to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families, is beneficial at any stage of the illness.