Literature Review
Redwood Coast PACE opens location at MRCH for vital senior services
06/02/25 at 03:00 AMRedwood Coast PACE opens location at MRCH for vital senior services Mad River Union, Arcata, CA; 5/29/25 Redwood Coast PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), a program of the Humboldt Resource Center, has opened its new location in Arcata at 3798 Janes Road, on the Mad River Community Hospital campus. The Arcata center – along with the PACE centers in Eureka and Fortuna – offers a full range of medical, social and supportive services designed to meet the unique needs of local seniors who have complex medical needs and their families.
Hard conversations, celebrations accompany AANHPI Heritage Month
06/02/25 at 02:15 AMHard conversations, celebrations accompany AANHPI Heritage Month Public News Service; by Roz Brown and Suzanne Potter; 5/30/25 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are a rapidly growing population in California and across the nation - but as they age, research indicates they're less likely to use hospice care or be familiar with end-of-life options. Nationwide, the group makes up about 6% of the population - and 15% in California - but like many minorities, they face greater health-care disparities. Ben de Guzman, director of the Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs in the Washington, D.C., mayor's office and the son of Filipino immigrants, said cultural beliefs can hinder conversations about death and dying, and language also is a barrier.
CMS’ TEAM Payment Model: What hospices need to know
06/02/25 at 02:00 AMCMS’ TEAM Payment Model: What hospices need to know Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/30/25 A forthcoming alternative payment model for hospitals focuses on discharge planning and ensuring effective post-acute care, including hospice and palliative care when appropriate. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late last year unveiled its new Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM). Participation in the model will be mandatory for select hospitals. The program is set to launch on Jan. 1, 2026 and run through Dec. 31, 2030. CMS designed the program based on lessons learned from previous episode-based payment models, as well as input from stakeholders in response to a Request for Information published in 2023.
AI job disruption could lead to 20% unemployment in 5 years
06/02/25 at 02:00 AMAI job disruption could lead to 20% unemployment in 5 years Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 5/30/25 AI startup Anthropic is sounding the alarm on AI’s potential to reshape the workforce — and not in a good way, CNN reported May 29. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, told CNN in an interview that AI is on track to disrupt the white-collar labor force at an unprecedented pace. He warned that U.S. unemployment could rise to 20% within one to five years. Entry-level, white-collar roles could be hit hardest, with up to half potentially eliminated as AI grows more capable, Mr. Amodei told Axios.
[UK] Students face the realities of hospice care in powerful visit
06/01/25 at 03:55 AM[UK] Students face the realities of hospice care in powerful visitDevonLive; by Lewis Clarke; 5/27/25 A visit to Exeter Hospice gave South Devon UTC students a moving insight into care careers—and the deep compassion behind them. Students from South Devon UTC in Newton Abbot have been given a rare glimpse into the realities of end-of-life care during a visit to Exeter Hospice, in what educators described as an eye-opening and inspiring experience. The visit formed part of the students’ health and social care curriculum and broader enrichment programme. Involving pupils from Years 10 to 13, the day provided an in-depth look at the range of careers within the hospice setting—from nursing and palliative care to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, counselling, and volunteer coordination.
Veteran’s Last Patrol joins NVBDC’s MVO Task Force to support veterans in hospice care
06/01/25 at 03:50 AMVeteran’s Last Patrol joins NVBDC’s MVO Task Force to support veterans in hospice care Eurozone.Newswire, Detroit, MI; by EIN Presswire.com; 5/27/25 The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) proudly welcomes Veterans Last Patrol as the newest member of its Military and Veteran Organization (MVO) Task Force. This collaboration expands the Task Force’s ability to reach and support Veterans during one of the most critical moments in their lives—end-of-life care. Founded by retired military officer Claude Schmid, Veterans’ Last Patrol is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing companionship and support to Veterans in hospice care. With a mission to “befriend, honor, and support,” the organization works to ensure that no Veteran faces the end of life alone, offering meaningful connection and comfort during their final days, or their “Last Patrol.”
Proposed California budget calls for prior authorization for hospice in Medicaid
06/01/25 at 03:45 AMProposed California budget calls for prior authorization for hospice in Medicaid Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/22/25 The proposed California budget would require prior authorizations for hospice care within the state’s Medicaid program. Currently, Medicaid managed care plans who provide coverage through the state’s Medicaid system, Medi-Cal, may not perform prior authorizations for hospice. California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) indicated in a 2025-2026 budget revision that this could save $25 million over the next two years and more than $50 million in the long term. If enacted, this would make California the first state in the nation to implement such a rule, according to the California Hospice & Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA). The association contends that the anticipated $25 million in cost savings is “speculative and fails to account for the downstream costs and systemic burdens this proposal would create,” according to a position paper shared with Hospice News. ... CHAPCA recommended to the state government three alternative approaches: ...
I quit my healthcare job to take care of my grandmother. It’s a mix of happy and sad moments, but ultimately has been life-changing for us.
06/01/25 at 03:40 AMI quit my healthcare job to take care of my grandmother. It’s a mix of happy and sad moments, but ultimately has been life-changing for us. DNYUZ; "as-told-to essay based on a coversation with Kristina McDonald"; 5/26/25My grandmother is 80, and my grandfather is 83. I quit my full-time job to care for my grandmother as I noticed that her undiagnosed dementia was worsening. ...
Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes
06/01/25 at 03:35 AMGulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes ABC News WFTS, Tampa Bay, FL; by Gulfside Healthcare; 5/27/25 Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes serves a greater purpose than providing affordable gently used goods: all net proceeds fund charity care for hospice patients. Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes has a new and improved online shop for easy access and including shipping. To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, visit Gulfside.org. To shop Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes online visit gulfsidethrift.myshopify.com/ or stop by one of four convenient locations in New Port Richey, Hudson, Dade City or Zephyrhills. Follow Gulfside on social media for updates and sales.Editor's note: This online access opens up a world of engagement with those who cannot visit the shop in person, especially long distance donors and family members/friends acquainted with Gulfside Hospice.
[United Kingdom] Hospice cuts staff and beds to secure its future
06/01/25 at 03:30 AM[United Kingdom] Hospice cuts staff and beds to secure its future BBC News, Yorkshire, UK; by Alex Moss; 5/23/25A hospice in Huddersfield has announced it has made 19 staff redundant and reduced the number of inpatient beds in order to save its future. The Kirkwood provides end-of-life care to about 2,000 patients each year but its chief executive Michael Crowther said it had faced a "perfect storm" of rising operational costs over the past few years. ... He said: "This has been the single hardest decision we have ever had to make." Another nine staff members have agreed to cut their hours and several others have decided to retire to help reduce the annual costs by £1.7m, the hospice added. ..."As you can imagine, this has been one of the most difficult periods in The Kirkwood's history. ..."Editor's note: Read more--directly from The Kirkwood--at "Securing Our Future Together: A New Way Forward."
What it’s like to be … a hospice nurse
06/01/25 at 03:25 AMWhat it’s like to be … a hospice nurse Behavioral Scientist; by Dan Heath; 5/22/25 Comforting patients as they prepare to transition, navigating end-of-life regrets and frayed relationships, and providing support and advice for fearful families with Heather Meyerend, a retired hospice nurse. How does she know when the end is imminent? And what has the work taught her about the different ways we deal with death? In each episode of What It’s Like to Be…, bestselling author Dan Heath speaks with someone about what it’s like to walk in their (work) shoes.
Trend Report: Artificial Intelligence In Health Care
06/01/25 at 03:20 AMTrend Report: Artificial Intelligence In Health CareHealth Affairs; 5/25/25For our first Insider trend report, we explore the ways that artificial intelligence could impact the health care landscape. The report highlights:
Music as medicine: Jenny Chen, Tyler Jorgensen, & Theresa Allison
06/01/25 at 03:15 AMMusic as medicine: Jenny Chen, Tyler Jorgensen, & Theresa AllisonGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith; 5/22/25As you know, dear listeners, I love music. We start each podcast with a song in part to shift the frame, taking people out of their academic selves and into a more informal conversation. Well, today’s guests love music at least as much if not more than me, and they each make a strong case for music as medicine. Jenny Chen is a palliative care fellow at Yale who regularly sings for her seriously ill patients... Tyler Jorgensen not only plays music for his patients, starting out with just pulling up a tune on his iPhone, he and others at UT Austin and Dell med now wheel a record player into patients rooms and play vinyl, taking patients back to the sounds and routines – think taking the record out of the sleeve, placing the needle in the groove – of younger days... And Theresa Allison is a geriatrician and ethnomusicologist who studies the role of music for people with dementia.
Hospice volunteer donates 10,000 gift cards to cancer patients
06/01/25 at 03:10 AMHospice volunteer donates 10,000 gift cards to cancer patients AZ Family - CBS-5, Phoenix, AZ; by Tianna Morimoto; 5/20/25 One Valley man has made a difference in times of need for those who may be losing hope by donating thousands of gift cards, and that’s Something Good. Jeff Lewis volunteers with Hospice of the Valley and was recently recognized for donating 10,000 grocery gift cards to help cancer patients in need. Jeff is a cancer survivor and has made it his mission to help those going through treatments with no family or support. He created a nonprofit called the Froth and Bubble Foundation. Every month, the foundation provides gift cards to more than 100 people in the Valley who are struggling financially. Often, these patients have to decide between paying for food, medicine or doctor bills, and these gift cards can help them with their bills or other necessities to survive. ... “These gift cards help families bridge the gap when they need food and are juggling bills and feeling stressed,” said Hospice of the Valley Executive Director Debbie Shumway. “He is a servant leader who quietly gives back and makes a huge difference, one person at a time.” Thank you, Jeff, for all you do to help others!
"Taps" Bugle Call: USMC Drum & Bugle Corps [YouTube]
06/01/25 at 03:05 AM"Taps" Bugle Call: USMC Drum & Bugle Corps [YouTube]YouTube filmed at the National Mall's Vietnam Memorial, Washington DC; compilation by Joy Berger, Editor in Chief; retrieved from the internet 5/22/25We invite you to begin this Memorial Day with this reflective playing of "Taps." Its simple, 24 notes evoke poignant memories and emotions for persons of all generations. Ongoing, we share with you these resources below for the veterans and their families whom you serve.
Sunday newsletters
06/01/25 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
National Alliance for Care at Home publishes CONNECT to Care Report
06/01/25 at 03:00 AMNational Alliance for Care at Home publishes CONNECT to Care Report National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 5/27/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) published the results of new research conducted by Transcend Strategy Group exploring perceptions of hospice care among underserved communities. This research compiles findings from a series of surveys of 2,000 people and explores perceptions of hospice care among Black, Hispanic, Asian American, LGBTQ+, and rural communities. Using the CONNECT acronym – Communication, Outcomes, Network, Nurture, Engagement, Collaboration, and Transparency – the report aims to help providers support equitable, inclusive, and comprehensive access to care and is part of the Alliance’s ongoing commitment to increasing access to hospice and home care through knowledge sharing, data collection, and collaborative discussion. Along with key research findings, CONNECT to Care offers recommendations for hospice providers to help increase understanding of hospice care and help overcome barriers to access.
Provision of end-of-life care in austere environments
05/31/25 at 03:40 AMProvision of end-of-life care in austere environmentsWilderness & Environmental Medicine; by Jason W. David, Hui Z. Feng, Danny Lammers, Russell Day; 6/25End-of-life care presents unique challenges in austere or resource-limited environments where traditional medical resources are scarce or absent. This review explores the complexities of providing end-of-life care under such constraints, including recognition of the dying patient and techniques to alleviate suffering and allow death with dignity in under-resourced or expeditionary environments. Moreover, it presents these techniques in an accessible manner for providers without formal hospice training to use. Based on a literature review of hospice and palliative medicine, insights from the body of literature in wilderness and austere medicine, and the authors’ experiences in practicing in austere environments, this paper discusses practical approaches to symptom management, ethical considerations in end-of-life decision making, and accessible interventions with limited resources.Publisher's note: An interesting article for all healthcare professionals to consider...
A critical examination of ‘family’ caregiving at the end of life in contexts of homelessness: Key concepts and future considerations
05/31/25 at 03:35 AMA critical examination of ‘family’ caregiving at the end of life in contexts of homelessness: Key concepts and future considerationsPalliative Care and Social Practice; Ashley Mollison, Kelli I. Stajduhar, Marilou Gagnon, Ryan McNeil; 5/25In a world that is becoming more inequitable, understanding and reducing health disparities is a key priority for palliative care. This essay has demonstrated that bio-legal assumptions and privileging may be yet one more inequity in palliative care to address and overcome. This essay has focused in on populations facing homelessness and housing vulnerability, but changing families and growing inequality suggests the potential broad applicability of this work for our collective future. Palliative care is one of the areas of the Western healthcare system that explicitly attends to the person with serious illness and their family and caregivers understanding deeply how the suffering and joys of one group impacts the other. If there is a place in the current health system that can truly make space for caregiving – in all the ways it happens – it is, and should be, palliative care.
Granting permission: Toward embracing grief
05/31/25 at 03:30 AMGranting permission: Toward embracing griefJournal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care; by Rennie Bimman; 3/25Grief, unavoidable and often excruciating, is rarely sufficiently acknowledged or supported in Western society. It is not granted permission to exist without barriers. By considering and evaluating grief experiences through the lens of their access to permission, clinicians can collectively imagine and promote inclusivity in grief. Permission is presented as a conceptual framework and clinical tool, with broader micro- and macro-level applications for both professional and layperson engagement, offering a foundation for further implementation and research.
Does family functioning matter? Understanding the relationship between family interactions and depressive symptoms for caregivers of cancer patients
05/31/25 at 03:25 AMDoes family functioning matter? Understanding the relationship between family interactions and depressive symptoms for caregivers of cancer patientsAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; by Keisha White Makinde, Kyle A Pitzer, Jacquelyn J Benson, Maysara Mitchell, Debra Parker Oliver, George Demiris, Karla T Washington; 6/25Caregivers of cancer patients are at increased risk of depression and other health challenges. There is limited understanding of the role of the caregiver's own family members in promoting or discouraging mental wellbeing. Family caregivers with more positive family interactions are likely to have fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting family functioning may play a key role in bolstering family caregiver mental health and wellbeing.
Timing and outcomes of palliative care integration into care of adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer
05/31/25 at 03:20 AMTiming and outcomes of palliative care integration into care of adolescents and young adults with advanced cancerOncology Practice; Jeremiah Bonnet, BA; Colin Cernik, MS; Hajime Uno, PhD; Lanfang Xu, MS; Cecile A. Laurent, MS; Lauren Fisher, MS; Nancy Cannizzaro, BA; Julie Munneke, BA; Robert M. Cooper, MD; Joshua R. Lakin, MD; Corey M. Schwartz, MD; Mallory Casperson, BA; Andrea Altschuler, PhD; Lawrence H. Kushi, ScD; Chun R. Chao, PhD; Lori Wiener, PhD; Jennifer W. Mack, MD, MPH; 5/25Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer frequently receive intensive measures at the end of life; many also express care goals that align with a palliative approach. [In this study] nearly three quarters (73%) [of AYA patients] were referred to palliative care before death. Thirty-six percent of palliative care referrals took place before the last 90 days of life; 30% were in the last month of life. Palliative care referrals and their timing were associated with care received at the end of life, with earlier referrals associated with fewer intensive measures near death, including chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life ... as well as intensive care unit admissions, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations in the last month of life ... Patients who were referred to palliative care were more likely to have symptoms assessed in the last 90 days of life, including pain, dyspnea, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, depression, and anxiety ...
An intervention to increase advance care planning among older adults with advanced cancer-A randomized clinical trial
05/31/25 at 03:15 AMAn intervention to increase advance care planning among older adults with advanced cancer-A randomized clinical trialJAMA Network Open; Angelo E. Volandes, MD, MPH; Yuchiao Chang, PhD; Joshua R. Lakin, MD; Michael K. Paasche-Orlow, MD; Charlotta Lindvall, MD, PhD; Seth N. Zupanc, BA; Diana Martins-Welch, MD; Maria T. Carney, MD; Edith A. Burns, MD; Jennifer Itty, MPH; Kaitlin Emmert-Tangredi, MSW; Narda J. Martin, MSN-ED, RN; Shreya Sanghani, MS; Jon Tilburt, MD; Kathryn I. Pollak, PhD; Aretha Delight Davis, MD, JD; Cynthia Garde, MBA; Michael J. Barry, MD; Areej El-Jawahri, MD; Lisa Quintiliani, PhD; Kate Sciacca, NP; Julie Goldman, MPH; James A. Tulsky, MD; 5/25Despite accumulating evidence of the benefits of these discussions, documentation of advance care planning (ACP) activity in the electronic health record (EHR) remains low and inconsistent for most health care systems, increasing the risk that patients will not receive care that matches their goals. In this pragmatic stepped-wedge randomized clinical trial among older patients with advanced cancer, an intervention combining patient video decision aids and clinician communication skills training increased the proportion of patients with ACP documentation. This randomized clinical trial exploring a combined intervention of patient empowerment and clinician communication skills training found a significant and clinically meaningful increase in ACP documentation rates with a scalable intervention that can be rapidly implemented across large health care systems. This approach offers an innovative paradigm with a clinically meaningful increase in ACP documentation, a widely used quality metric that reflects high-quality patient-centered care delivery.