Literature Review

Millennials are reporting a mysterious wave of memory problems. What’s going on? Globe Magazine, Boston, MA; by Felice J. Freyer; 10/21/24 ... Memory lapses are expected as we age, but there’s evidence that many younger people — in the prime of life, ages 20 to 50 — are losing their grip on thoughts, struggling to retain new information and retrieve old knowledge. Experts blame the way we live and the world we live in, abuzz with distracting technologies amid endless demands on our time and minds. Dr. Andrew E. Budson, a Boston University neurologist who specializes in memory disorders in older adults, runs into younger people whenever he gives a talk. Inevitably, someone in their 30s or 40s will approach him afterward with: My memory is terrible. . . . I know I’m young, but I’m concerned I’m getting Alzheimer’s disease. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

A simple question changed how I saw my daughter’s life Newsweek Life; by Nikki Moberly; 10/20/24 When my daughter was born almost 24 years ago, not only did I begin my journey as a first-time parent, I embarked on an odyssey that nobody could have prepared me for. This little girl with the face and disposition of an angel was born with a devastating condition, diagnosed at two-and-a-half months old with Aicardi Syndrome. ...  The first years of her life were laser-focused on learning more about her rare condition, symptom stabilization, medication adjustments, therapists, and doctor's appointments. Erin was eligible for early intervention services allowing her to go to school at age three. ... For one of those interviews, the social worker came to my home for us to complete Erin's "student profile" card. I was about to learn the power of a well-placed question. She started by simply asking: "What are Erin's strengths?" ... [Click on the title's link to continue this mother's journey through her daughter's life and death.]

Poetry, again, confronts death JAMA; by Rafael CAmpo, MD, MA; 10/16/24Poetry can help physicians in many ways at the border between life and death. Though we might think first of the consoling power of elegy in confronting mortality, other poems, like “Again,” [referenced] aid us in wrestling with what death is in the first place—and are even more useful when research falls short in attempting to demystify it. One such scientific controversy surrounds in-hospital resuscitation, especially for older adults, with studies showing inconsistent rates of meaningful survival after these potentially life-saving interventions, confounded by the physical and emotional trauma that accompanies them, poor understanding of patients’ and families’ wishes, unclear definitions of “meaningful,” and varying patient selection criteria. [The poem titled] “Again” distills some sense out of this complexity as only poetry can, with the urgent repetition of “again” expressing the ingrained imperative to act when patients experience cardiac arrest while echoing both the many previous resuscitations hospital staff well remember, along with the 2-beat, up-down muscle memory of performing chest compressions. ... Thus, a reflexive, futile endeavor becomes a human being’s dying moment, allowing us to feel closure. Debates around in-hospital resuscitation suddenly quieted, we recognize life’s inevitable finality, underscored by the poem’s ironically dignified resignation in its concluding line: “Never again did you wake.”Editor's note: Click here to access the poem, "Again."

Home health agencies may soon claim telehealth services during patients’ hospital stays McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/17/24 In a recent change, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it would allow home health providers to submit claims for telehealth while their clients are receiving inpatient care. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries may not be inpatients in a hospital or skilled nursing facility and simultaneously receive home healthcare. CMS rejects any home health service claims that overlap with a patient’s hospital or SNF stay, and providers are responsible for submitting a new claim without any dates for service that coincide with an inpatient stay. In a recent change request, CMS announced that it would modify its rule to allow home health providers to submit telehealth claims even when their clients are in hospital or SNF care. The change specifically applies to telehealth services that fall under the G0320, G0321 or G0322 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes. 

Why home health providers want employees working at top of license Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 10/17/24 As home health organizations fight for a margin in tough labor and payment environments, they are increasingly seeking ways to help employees practice at the top of their licenses. By applying top-of-license assignments in organizations, less complex work is handed off to the level below. This allows organizations to see more patients, bill for more services, reduce burnout and provide better care. The process helps employees feel more satisfied, and also could help with recruitment. “What we’ve got to do is improve our margins,” Pinnacle Home Care CEO Shane Donaldson recently said at Home Health Care News’ FUTURE conference. “That means we’ve got to get evaluating clinicians to do as many evaluations and assessments as possible, and we’ve got to get the non-evaluating clinicians doing the majority of straight visits.” 

6 Essential leadership skills — and how to develop themHarvard Business Review; by Rebecca Knight; 10/18/24The way we work has changed — and so has leadership. Leaders are under new pressures to perform at higher levels and adapt quickly to changing demands. In this article, the author shares advice from three leadership experts and outlines the six skills leaders need to succeed: 1) emotional aperture; 2) adaptive communication; 3) flexible thinking; 4) perspective seeking, taking, and coordinating; 5) strategic disruption skills; and 6) resilient self-awareness. Developing these six key leadership skills isn’t just about your personal growth, it’s about shaping the future of work and inspiring those around you.

Pink Ribbon Ride in Houlton raises over $9,000 for local hospice home WAGM-8, Presque Isle, ME; by Rothery Sullivan and Karri Triplett; 10/16/24 Over 64 Jeeps came out to participate in the annual Pink Ribbon Ride held in Houlton this past Sunday. The event consisted of a silent auction, raffle, and jeep ride throughout Southern Aroostook. The County Jeep Riders of Hope hosted the event to raise money for the Aroostook House of Comfort, which is a six-bed in-patient hospice home in Presque Isle. Abbey Clair, the executive director of Aroostook Hospice Foundation, says she is very grateful to have been chosen as this year’s charity.

Nonprofit endeavors to facilitate food justice Towne Post Network; by Julie Yate; 10/17/24 Bringing Justice Home [in Louisville, KY] is a nonprofit organization committed to alleviating hunger caused by food insecurity for those facing disabilities and chronic or serious illnesses. Now in its fourth year, the completely volunteer-run initiative seeks to facilitate food justice by delivering groceries and household supplies to health-compromised families and individuals who fall below the poverty line. Equally important is the relationship building that occurs as resources are shared and volunteers open their hearts to bringing justice closer to home. ... “Bringing Justice Home is a new kind of neighborhood that goes beyond zip codes, race, disabilities, health labels or status,” says Constance Merritt, who co-founded the organization along with her wife, Maria Accardi. Merritt is a published writer and a licensed social worker with a master’s degree from the University of Louisville. She has worked with older adults in low-income senior housing, patients and families in hospital palliative care, and individuals receiving HIV and AIDS services. 

American Cancer Society names interim CEOModern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 10/16/24The American Cancer Society named Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick as interim CEO, effective Nov. 2. Frederick will replace Karen Knudsen, who is stepping down Nov. 1 after more than three years in the role. In his new position, Frederick will oversee the cancer society and the affiliated American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Clinic combines ILD, palliative care to improve access for underserved patients Healio; by Richard Gawel; 10/18/24 Boston, MA - A subspeciality clinic that combined pulmonary and palliative care improved access to these treatments for diverse and underserved populations, according to an abstract presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting. The clinic also was effective in supporting patients as they completed advanced care planning, compared with a clinic for interstitial lung disease, Meghan Price, MD, internal medicine resident, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and colleagues wrote. ... Rebecca Anna Gersten, MD, assistant professor of medicine, established the Breathlessness Clinic (BC) in 2022 to provide both pulmonary and palliative care to treat patients with significant dyspnea and other symptoms due to their advanced lung disease. The clinic aims to provide targeted management of symptoms in addition to improving access to palliative care for patients who may have encountered obstacles in accessing palliative care, the researchers said.

In Pictures: Palliative care nurses give a peek into their work journeying with patients at the last mileChannel News Asia (CNA) Today; by Raj Nadarajan; 10/18/24[Powerful photo essay.]

HealthRev Partners and Trella Health announce partnership to empower home health and hospice agencies The Warren Record; by Trella Health; 10/17/24HealthRev Partners, [a] revenue cycle management partner specializing in innovative, tech-driven solutions for home health and hospice agencies, and Trella Health, [a] provider of market intelligence and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions for the post-acute care industry, have announced a new partnership. HealthRev Partners and Trella Health will collaborate to help agencies reach their full potential by cultivating stronger relationships with referral sources and optimizing their revenue cycle through complementary solutions.