Literature Review

Psychological health in Palliative Care: Thematic analysis of a psychiatrist's and an art therapist's clinical reflexive journals Palliative Medicine; by Wen Phei Lim, Roxanne Jia Yu Chew, Clare O'Callaghan; 6/19/24 online ahead of print Aim: This study aims to describe how patients receiving palliative care experience psychological health, explore the meaning of a palliative care clinician's work and contribute to the understanding of psychological health in palliative care through the reflexive and visual journals of clinicians.

Exploring Experiences of Pain Management Among Family Caregivers of Community-Dwelling Older Adults With DementiaAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; by Hui Zhao, Pamela A Kulbok, Ishan C Williams, Carol Manning, Jeongok G Logan, Rafael D Romo; 8/24Pain is often underreported and under-treated in older adults with dementia. The role of family caregivers (FCGs) in managing pain for their loved ones with dementia living in community has been significantly burdensome. ... Family caregivers follow their values to make decisions in pain management. Barriers existed for effective pain management. Adaptation and support from professional or formal caregivers greatly improved FCGs' perception of their competence in pain management. The finding underscores the need for further research and the development of interventions aimed at enhancing FCGs' perception of self-efficacy in this crucial aspect of caregiving.

Psychosocial distress among spouses of persons with dementia before and after their partner's deathJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Ashwin A Kotwal, Irena Cenzer, Lauren J Hunt, Claire Ankuda, Jacqueline M Torres, Alexander K Smith, Melissa Aldridge, Krista L Harrison; 6/24Results emphasize a need for clinical and policy approaches to expand support for the psychosocial needs of spouses of partners with dementia in the years before their partner's death rather than only bereavement.Publisher's Note: Also see McKnight's Long-Term Care News story Spousal caregivers need emotional support before losses, not just after, study finds.

The efficacy of Hospice-In-Place Care versus Traditional Inpatient CareAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; by Emily Butler, Claire Hanson, Taaseen Khan, Tuzo Mwarumba, Derek Daniels, Maxim Turchan, Kemberlee Bonnet, David Schlundt, Kelly Harper, Marc Bennett, David Charles; 8/24The hospice-in-place program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is available to patients and families who elect for hospice benefits and are too unstable to be transported for hospice care. The goal of this study was to assess the satisfaction of family members of patients who died while hospitalized at VUMC and received hospice-in-place compared to the families of patients who did not receive hospice care. ... Quantitative findings of this study showed improved satisfaction but were unable to show a significant difference in satisfaction with hospice-in-place compared to traditional care. Questionnaire results suggest that both types of care yield high satisfaction scores and are successfully supporting patients and families. The conceptual framework also adds to the understanding of end-of-life experiences at VUMC.

Interdisciplinary Pain Board for managing patients with palliative care needs and substance use disorder: A pilot study Journal of Palliative Medicine; Sarah Hauke Given, Patricia Reid Ponte, Kate Lally, Isaac S Chua; 6/20/24 online ahead of print Context: Patients with cancer-related pain and concurrent substance use disorder (SUD) present a unique set of challenges for palliative care clinicians. A structured forum for interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to effectively manage this complex population. Objectives: Describe the feasibility and acceptability of a palliative care Complex Pain Board (CPB), an interdisciplinary team meeting to provide concrete care recommendations for patients with cancer-related pain and concurrent SUD and/or psychosocial complexity. 

Narrating final memories from spousal loss: The role of place and quality of deathAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Emily L Mroz, Susan Bluck; 8/24Personal memories of the death of a spouse can guide bereavement adjustment. Place of death and quality of death are end-of-life factors that are likely to influence death experiences and formation of subsequent personal memories. The current study employs narrative content-analysis to examine how place and quality of death relate to affective sequences present in older adults' final memories from the death of their spouse. ... Final memories are carried with the bereaved long after their loss. Positive final memories appear to stem from witnessing a comfortable, medically appropriate death outside of a hospital setting. End-of-life 'that is' between care and aligned with patients' values for place and treatment may be critical for spouses' formation of constructive final memories and bereavement adjustment.Editor's Note: Per Yale press release: Emily Mroz, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine’s Section of Geriatrics, recently received the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) Edie Stark-Shirley Scott Early Achievement Award. The honor is presented annually to a woman in the initial years of a career in thanatology—the study of death, dying, and bereavement—who has distinguished herself through activity in scholarship, service, research, clinical practice, or social action.

If not us, who? If not now, when? ~John F. Kennedy

NAHC, NHPCO ink deal completing affiliation Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/18/24 The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) have announced the completion of their affiliation agreement. The affiliation joins two of the largest organizations representing, educating and advocating for home health and hospice providers that serve millions of disabled, elderly and dying Americans across the country. Board chairs and c-suite executives at NAHC and NHPCO recently met in Washington D.C. to ink the deal. The affiliation is rooted in a shared belief that unification will benefit their respective members and ultimately the patients and families they serve, according to NAHC President and CEO William Dombi.  

University Hospitals to cut more than 300 positions Modern Healthcare; by Paige Bennett; 6/19/24 University Hospitals is eliminating more than 300 positions amid challenges in the healthcare industry. The health system announced Wednesday, June 19, that it was reducing its leadership structure by more than 10% as part of an organizational reset. The move comes at a time when healthcare systems across the U.S. are grappling with rising costs and labor shortages. UH Chief Operating Officer Dr. Paul Hinchey said in a phone interview with Crain’s that the cuts focused on leadership and support services, not frontline workers. Affected employees began being notified by the health system on Monday, he said. The health system said the vast majority of the cuts were non-clinical and will not impact patient care. The move “complements a plan over the past three years to increase efficiency, consolidate service lines and close hospitals in Bedford and Richmond Heights,” according to UH. 

Other Business Headlines of Interest, updated 6/20/24 per nasdaq.com

Pennant and Hartford HealthCare partner to transform home care services CBS News 13, Eagle, Idaho; by Pennant Group, Inc.; 6/18/24 The Pennant Group, Inc., the parent company of the Pennant group of affiliated home health, hospice and senior living companies, announced today that it has entered into a management and consulting services agreement to provide operational support to Hartford HealthCare at Home (HHCAH), the home health and hospice business of Hartford HealthCare. Hartford HealthCare is the highest ranking in quality, comprehensive non-profit integrated health system in Connecticut, and HHCAH’s home-based care spans the state, with eight locations, more than 1,000 employees, and more than 33,000 home health admissions and approximately 4,000 hospice admissions over the trailing 12 months. Hartford HealthCare has provided home-based care for over a century, and this engagement of Pennant reflects its continued commitment to home-based care as an essential and growing part of the care continuum and a central component of Hartford HealthCare’s future. Hartford HealthCare at Home remains owned by Hartford HealthCare and is a critical part of Hartford HealthCare’s ecosystem of care.

Children’s hospices risk being ‘hugely reduced’ due to funding and cost issues Jersey Evening Post - UK News; by UK News; 6/19/24 Children’s hospice services are at risk of being “hugely reduced” amid a lack of long-term sustainable funding and rising costs, a charity has warned. ... Some 66.7% of children’s hospices said this was due to a hike in energy bills, while 86.1% said it was due to higher costs associated with recruiting and retaining staff. According to the report, some 54% of children’s hospices in the UK ended the 2023/24 financial year in a net deficit. Together for Short Lives extrapolated the figure across all 39 hospice organisations to estimate a total shortfall of £8.5 million.

Mercy Medical Center unveils Andy Yee Memorial Palliative Care Unit WWLP 22 News, Springfield, MA; 6/18/24 Springfield city officials joined Mercy Medical Center for a tour of the upcoming Andy Yee Memorial Palliative Care Unit. Patients who are severely sick or coming to their last days will now have another space to get the care that they need. The work for the Andy Yee Memorial Palliative Care Unit is underway at Mercy Medical Center. This new space on the 5th floor of the facility will help to enhance patient care. ... In the next phase comes the renovation and remodeling of eight patient rooms. This new unit will help Mercy Medical providers care for about 300 patients a year.