Literature Review

[Michigan] Local PACE center in the works WCMU Michigan News Group, Alpena, MI; by Courtney Boyd; 7/24/24 Construction has begun for a new senior service center in Alpena, which will provide services in-house and to residents homes as needed. The project has been in the works since 2023. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide the “highest quality of life” for seniors while allowing them to stay independent as long as possible. According to their website, pacemichigan.com, it serves as an alternative to nursing homes by providing seniors with their medical, social, and physical needs. ... [This] new center will be the 15th in the state and cover five counties: Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Alcona and parts of Iosco.

‘Green burials’ grow in popularity as alternatives to traditional funerals Planet Detroit; by Erica Hobbs; 7/24/24|... [Modern] funeral practices are wreaking havoc on the environment. Bodies are embalmed with toxic chemicals and buried in caskets placed in non-biodegradable vaults that take up increasingly limited space in cemeteries. According to a Cornell University study, an estimated 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid, 20 million feet of hardwood, 1.6 million tons of concrete and 64,500 tons of steel are used in American burials yearly. Even cremation — often thought of as a green alternative to burial — requires up to 500 gallons of fuel and releases up to 250 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a recent study from the Green Burial Council (GBC). However, for those looking to reduce their carbon footprints even in death, green options, though still relatively rare, are available in Michigan. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading these descriptions of "green burials."]

Hospice driving 'die-alogue' series sparks end-of-life conversations OrilliaMatters; by Giesele Winton Sarvis; 7/21/24 Comedian Jerry Seinfeld was the inspiration for Driving Die-alogues created by Hospice Huronia [Ontario, Canada]. Debbie Kesheshian, executive director of Hospice Huronia, and Tammy Vater, the supportive care coordinator, were trying to think of a way to normalize conversation around the often taboo subject of death and dying. They decided to follow Seinfeld's model with his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, where Seinfeld picks up a fellow comedian and they have a chat while going for coffee. "Tammy and I thought let’s go for a drive and have a conversation that is just normal and human. Her and I ask a question and we go back and forward with open dialogue," says Kesheshian. A year later, the duo have created approximately 30 short videos posted on YouTube and the Hospice website and they plan on creating more.

Can Artificial Intelligence speak for incapacitated patients at the end of life? JAMA Internal Medicine; by Teva D. Brender, MD; Alexander K. Smith, MD; Brian L. Block, MD; 7/22/24 Viewpoint: Imagine meeting with the daughter of a critically ill patient. The patient (her mother) had a cardiac arrest, is in multiorgan failure, and cannot communicate. The daughter is uncomfortable making decisions because they are estranged and never discussed what her mother would want in this type of situation. The patient has no advance directive or alternative surrogate. Now imagine this meeting taking place in a future where the mother’s medical visits have been audio recorded. Furthermore, you have access to an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that can identify and play excerpts of the mother talking about what mattered most to her. You and the daughter listen to these recordings together. Then you share that another algorithm, trained on 7 million patient records, predicts that the mother’s chance of walking again is less than 5%. ...

5 evolving trends on end-of-life matters The Leavenworth Echo, Wenatchee, WA; 7/21/24 One of the most difficult conversations many people have in their lives involves the end of life. While often uncomfortable to think about or discuss with others, talking about and sharing end-of-life wishes should be a common occurrence. In fact, 91% of Americans believe talking about death and dying is healthy and normal, but 1 in 4 (27%) are uncomfortable actually doing it, according to a first-of-its-kind survey commissioned by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the world’s leading and largest funeral service association. With nearly one-third (31%) of survey respondents admitting they’re uncomfortable thinking about their own mortality, Remembering A Life, the organization’s online resource for accessing grief resources and funeral planning information, is offering a free downloadable guide, Start the Conversation, to help family and friends have meaningful conversations about loved ones and how they’d like to be remembered.

How home-based care’s leaders foster a multi-generational workforce Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/23/24 In order for the home-based care space to benefit from the demographic tailwinds coming its way, it needs to embrace emerging leaders who are bringing in fresh ideas. VNS Health, Andwell Health Partners and UVA Continuum Home Health are just a few of the companies that are throwing their support behind the next generation of leaders. ... Formerly Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, Andwell is a nonprofit operator that offers home health, hospice, palliative, behavioral health and pediatric care services. The company employs over 500 workers across all 16 counties in Maine. Along with cultivating the next crop of leaders, companies are figuring out how best to work with a multi-generational workforce.

Acupuncture as a support in palliative care at Sun City Center HAW The Tidewater News, Ruskin, FL; 7/22/24 Sun City Center Health and Wellness (HAW) is dedicated to providing comprehensive care for patients managing serious illnesses, championing the use of acupuncture as a key supportive treatment in palliative care. This practice, grounded in traditional Chinese medicine, offers relief from common symptoms and enhances overall well-being. ... The role of acupuncture in palliative care is gaining recognition for its potential to improve the quality of life for patients dealing with serious illnesses.

Medicare physician pay has plummeted since 2001. Find out why. American Medical Association - AMA; by Tanya Albert Henry; 7/17/24 Medicare physician payment—often called Medicare reimbursement—must be tied to an inflation index called the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). As part of its campaign to fix the unsustainable Medicare pay system, the AMA has outlined in a quick, easily navigable fashion why this payment fix needs to happen now. ... The AMA’s two-page explainer on the Medicare Economic Index (PDF) outlines how it incorporates these two categories reflecting the resources used in medical practices:

‘My sibling died and my parents never talked about her again’ The Telegraph; by Steph Clarkson; 7/20/24 Julia Martin has few memories of her sister Karen, but remembers the last time she saw her. “She was five years old. I was seven. We were playing on the swing in the park. Then she went off to the hospital with Mum and Dad for a scheduled operation. “She never came home.” Losing a sibling is tragic enough, but for Julia the death of her sister following an operation to repair a hole in the heart was just the start of years of trauma. “I remember my father telling me Karen had died,” says Julia, ... “But that was it. There were no hugs, no comforting words. “Mum barely came near me. She tucked herself away. I had no other siblings to talk to. I was alone.” Things got worse as Julia’s parents built a wall of silence around their loss: ‘‘I wasn’t taken to see Karen in the hospital, I was kept away from the funeral, so there was no closure,” she says.

Sasha McAllum Pilkington on grace and storytelling at the end of life Psychotherapy.net; by Lawrence Rubin; 7/22/24 Narrative Clinician, Sasha McAllum Pilkington [of New Zealand],  shares poignant stories she co-created with hospice clients which honor and celebrate their lives. [This interview includes: ...]

Palliative care benefit work group Office of the Insurance Commissioner - Washington State; 7/23/24 The Washington state Legislature has directed the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, in consultation with the Health Care Authority, to convene a work group to design the parameters of a palliative care benefit and payment model for fully insured health plans. The work group must submit a report to the Legislature detailing its work and any recommendations by November 1, 2025. The work group must consider the following elements of a palliative care benefit: 

Making DEI matter in post-acute care HomeCare; by Jerry Farmer; 7/18/24 In today’s dynamic health care landscape, the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) cannot be overstated. DEI represents policies and procedures that promote the representation and participation of diverse groups of individuals who encompass all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations. ... Here are some of the key factors our company focused to reach diversity, equity and inclusion milestones: