Literature Review

Red River Valley expands services for dual-eligible populationsHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/11/24North Dakota-based Hospice of the Red River Valley is focused on expanding its home- and community-based services among dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid populations in need of greater support. Serious and terminally ill patients in lower socioeconomic and underserved regions face several competing challenges in accessing health care, according to Tracee Capron, executive director at Hospice of the Red River Valley. Developing a sustainable care delivery model that better addresses unmet needs among patients and their families requires significant investment, Capron said. 

Geriatric End-of-Life Screening Tool prediction of 6-month mortality in older patientsJAMA Open Network; by Adrian D. Haimovich, MD, PhD, Ryan C. Burke, PhD, MPH, Larry A. Nathanson, MD, David Rubins, MD, R. Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS, Erin K. Kross, MD, Kei Ouchi, MD, MPH, Nathan I. Shapiro, MD, MPH, Mara A. Schonberg, MD, MPH; 5/31/24In this prognostic study of 82,371 ED encounters within a tertiary care emergency department, the Geriatric End-of-Life Screening Tool (GEST) performed robustly on external validation, identifying 11.6% of the population as having a 30% or greater mortality risk. Compared with serious illness diagnoses, GEST provided a greater net benefit as a screening tool using decision curve analysis. The findings of this prognostic external validation study highlight the opportunity to use pragmatic, prognostic electronic health record algorithms to identify older adults in the emergency department for end-of-life care interventions.Publisher's Note: See related article posted earlier this week from McKnight's Long-Term Care News, Screening tool predicts older adults’ need for end-of-life care intervention.

Pride Month 2024: LGBTQ+ Resources for Hospice & Palliative Care OrganizationsCompiled from various search engines for our newsletter's readers

U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne: Crack down on hospice fraud Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/12/24 Rep. Beth Van Duyne, (R-Texas) has emerged as one of Washington’s most vocal advocates for hospice providers in Congress. ... Van Duyne was among a group of lawmakers that wrote to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks LaSure last month requesting updates on the agency’s battles against fraudulent providers, as well as a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on quality issues in the hospice space. Hospice News spoke with Rep. Van Duyne in Washington D.C. on congressional efforts to root out fraud and where they should go next. 

Geriatric conditions and healthcare utilization among older adults living in subsidized housingJournal of the Americal Geriatric Society; by Sarah E Kler, L Grisell Diaz-Ramirez, Kira L Ryskina, Sun Young Jeon, Kanan Patel, Thomas K M Cudjoe, Christine S Ritchie, Krista L Harrison, W John Boscardin, Rebecca T Brown; 6/24Older adults living in subsidized housing have higher hazards of hospitalization and nursing facility utilization compared to those in the general community. Housing-based interventions to optimize aging in place and mitigate risk of nursing facility utilization should consider risk factors including functional impairment and dementia.

Loneliness, psychological distress, and the moderating effect of positive aspects of caregiving among cancer caregiversSupportive Care in Cancer; by JoAnn Jabbari, Kyle A Pitzer, Keisha White Makinde, Jacquelyn J Benson, George Demiris, Debra Parker Oliver, Karla T WashingtonThe results of this study shed new light on the relationship between loneliness and symptoms of psychological distress experienced by family caregivers of cancer patients, providing a better understanding of the impact that recognition of positive aspects of caregiving has on the association between loneliness and psychological distress symptoms. Our findings emphasize the importance of targeting family caregiver loneliness in order to reduce psychological distress among family caregivers of cancer patients.

Training Senior Companion Volunteers to identify and report adult abuse, neglect, and exploitationJournal of Applied Gerontology; by Jessica Bibbo, Courtney Reynolds, Farida Kassim; 6/24Elder abuse is a national public health challenge that can have dire consequences for the older adults who experience it in any form. The Senior Companion Program presents a unique opportunity to address this public health challenge. An in-person training for Senior Companion volunteers across Ohio on how to recognize and report elder abuse was developed, implemented, and evaluated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Training older adult volunteers working with other community-dwelling adults is likely a valuable strategy to educate and protect against elder abuse.Publisher's Note: I wonder if similar training could be incorporated into hospice voluteer, social worker, etc., training?

Patterns of national emergency department utilization by fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with dementiaJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Jason K Bowman, Christine S Ritchie, Kei Ouchi, James A Tulsky, Joan M Teno; 6/24Persons with ADRD frequently use the ED-particularly those with recent hospitalizations, rehab/SNF stays, or home health use-and may benefit from targeted interventions during or before the ED encounters to reduce avoidable utilization and ensure goal-concordant care.

Palliative care in early dementia: A scoping reviewJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Karen de Sola-Smith, Joni Gilissen, Jenny T van der Steen, Inbal Mayan, Lieve Van den Block, Christine S Ritchie, Lauren J HuntThe literature on palliative care in early dementia is sparse. Future studies should focus on assessment tools for optimizing timing of palliative care in early dementia, gaining better understanding of patient and family needs during early phases of disease, and providing training for providers and families in long-term relationships and communication around goals of care and future planning.

“I should’ve been able to decide for myself, but I didn’t want to be left alone.” A qualitative interview study of clients’ ethical challenges and norms regarding decision-making in gender-affirming medical careJournal of Homosexuality; by Karl Gerritse, MD, MA, PhD, Casper Martens, MSc, Baudewijntje P.C. Kreukels, PhD, Marijke A. Bremmer, MD, Fijgje de Boer, PhD, Bert C. Molewijk, PhD; 6/24[The Netherlands] This qualitative study aimed to map and provide insight into the ethical challenges and norms of adult transgender and gender diverse (TGD) clients in gender-affirming medical care (GAMC). By doing so, we seek to make an empirical and constructive contribution to the dialogue on and moral inquiry into what good decision-making in GAMC should entail. ... Our findings highlight divergent and dynamic decisional challenges and normative views— both within individual clients and among them. We conclude that there is no single ideal model of good decision-making in GAMC and argue that elucidating and jointly deliberating on decisional norms and challenges should be an inherent part of co-constructing good decision-making.

Empath Health expands leadership teamSarasota Herald-Tribune (FL); 6/10/24Empath Health, of Lakewood Ranch, has promoted Tarrah Lowry and Bivek Pathak to its executive leadership team. Lowry has been appointed chief operating officer and interim president of Trustbridge. Pathak will assume the role of chief information and digital strategy officer. Empath Health now serves one in five hospice patients in Florida, reinforcing its position as a leading provider of comprehensive health services in the state. Empath Health’s network of hospice programs includes Tidewell Hospice, in Sarasota, Empath Hospice, Hospice by the Sea, Hospice of Marion County, Hospice of Palm Beach County, Suncoast Hospice and Suncoast Hospice of Hillsborough.

Should children be enrolled in end-of-life clinical studies?Medscape Medical News; by Elena Riboldi; 6/11/24MILAN, Italy - Is it appropriate to enroll children and adolescents in end-of-life clinical studies? Experts discussed this challenging topic at the 2024 annual congress of the European Society for Pediatric Oncology, which was held in May. Monika Führer, MD, a professor of pediatric palliative medicine and head of the Pediatric Palliative Center in Munich, Germany, highlighted the following three aspects of the issue that require careful attention: Decisional autonomy, nonmaleficence, and advance care planning.

Mental distress, depression, drug deaths increasing among older adultsBecker's Behavioral Health; by Rylee Wilson; 6/7/24Rates of mental distress and other behavioral health conditions are on the rise among older adults, according to America’s Health Rankings 2024 Senior Report. The annual report, published by UnitedHealth Group, ranks states on over 50 dimensions of health.