Literature Review

Fraudulent hospices reportedly target homeless people, methadone patients to pad census Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/23/24 Fraudulent hospices in California reportedly have been targeting homeless people and methadone patients, promising them a steady supply of opioids in exchange for enrolling in hospice. Three hospice leaders came forward to Hospice News to report these practices. According to their reports, unscrupulous providers have canvassed both homeless encampments and methadone clinics seeking to sign up patients who are not terminally ill. In many cases, the sources said, these operators offer patients free access to board-and-care facilities and a daily supply of morphine. Another frequent practice among these hospices is to offer patients cash or other items in addition to drugs, they said. “This conduct raises serious fraud concerns on kickbacks or gifts to beneficiaries who do not appear to qualify for hospice,” Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), told Hospice News. “More importantly, this conduct is predatory, taking advantage of individuals in addiction. Jail time is not enough punishment for the harm that such conduct creates.”Editor's Note: This is abhorrable. Click on the title's link to read more. While John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" episode on 8/18/24 gained criticism from many hospice leaders, these fraudulent unethical behaviors (and others') lay the groundwork for such dire distrust from the public. These organizations' behaviors must be stopped. These persons and organizations must be held accountable. 

Does a patient’s ability to pay for health care make their life worth saving?JAMA Open Network; by Zara Cooper, MD, MSc; 7/24In this well-executed study using data from the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP), Hoit et al demonstrated that the timing of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WLST) in critically injured adults between ages 18 and 64 years was statistically associated with the type of insurance they carried. Specifically, the authors showed that even after accounting for patient and hospital characteristics, individuals without insurance were approximately 50% more likely to undergo WLST earlier than others who were insured (eg, private insurance or Medicaid). ... it is incumbent upon individual clinicians and health systems to closely and uncomfortably examine how bias either creeps or marches into the life-and-death decisions we make for everyone under our care.

Protecting patients and society in an era of private equity provider ownership: Challenges and opportunities for policyHealth Affairs; by Christopher Cai, Zirui Song; 5/24Private equity (PE) acquisitions in health care delivery nearly tripled from 2010 to 2020. Despite concerns around clinical and economic implications, policy responses have remained limited. We discuss the US policy landscape around PE ownership, using policies in the European Union for comparison. We present four domains in which policy can be strengthened.

Executive Personnel Changes - 8/16/24

How to recognise the dying phase in palliative and end-of-life care Nursing Times; by Julie Kinley and Cathriona Sullivan; 8/19/24This article gives practical guidance for nurses on providing care in the last days of life. ... Birth and death are two certainties in life. Consequently, during their career, many nurses will support, and indeed lead, the management of the care of dying people. ... [Knowing] how to recognise – and manage – this phase of life remains a career-long key responsibility and role. ... In any setting, nurses are part of a wider team. The recognition of dying and the dying phase can be enhanced if everyone:

Granite VNA launches virtual nurse program Eagle Times, Concord, NH; by Eagle Times Staff; 8/22/24 Granite VNA recently introduced a virtual nurse program, connecting patients with skilled home and hospice care nurses through telephone and video calls. The virtual nurses complement the agency’s field nursing team by conducting regular check-ins with their patients, reinforcing education, addressing patients’ physical and mental health needs, supporting case management and more. Granite VNA currently has three virtual visiting nurses, two who specialize in home care and one who specializes in hospice care. Similar to the agency’s field nurses, the virtual visiting nurses see multiple patients each day. “Virtual visiting nurses play a crucial role in enhancing community health and providing support to Granite VNA’s home and hospice care field nurses,” said Granite VNA Vice President of Education and Quality Tammi Mozier, MBA, PT, ATC, COS-C. 

The importance of competencies in pain management and palliative care Greenwich Sentinel, Greenwich, CT; by Russell R. Barksdale, Jr.; 8/21/24 ... Competencies, ongoing pharmacological education, regular patient pain assessments, management, and medication adjustments are all crucial processes for healthcare providers in today’s complex medical environment. Regrettably, metabolic and behavioral issues related to pain medications, especially opioids, if not properly managed, poses risk of addiction. Beginning in the late 1990s, the consumption of medical opioids used to treat pain increased in many countries worldwide. Since that time, alarmingly the United States has outpaced every other country in per capita opioid consumption. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Bridgeway Hospice’s new nonprofit ensures access to care Hays Free Press, Buda, TX; by Megan Navarro; 8/21/24 To ensure that members of the community have ease of access to the care that they need, a new nonprofit has been established out of a local hospice service in Buda: Bridgeway To Care Foundation. “We’ve had the hospice for three years — Bridgeway Hospice — and then we have our home health, which is Be Healthy At Home; we established that in 2008. We just saw a certain number of clients that are going without care or kind of falling in between either Medicare age or not being able to utilize their hospice benefit, whether because they’re [younger] than 65 or they’re continuing to seek treatment, such as chemotherapy,” said Brandis Wilmore, president of Bridgeway Hospice. 

Hospice of the Ozarks introduces Care Coaching, a free non-medical support program KTLO.com; by KTLO staff; 8/22/24 Hospice of the Ozarks is offering a free Care Coaching service to provide an extra layer of support to patients with serious illness. The program aims to assist and encourage participants until recovery or end of life. Primarily designed as a call service, coaches will also visit with clients in person during the initial assessment period. Carol Jackson, care coach at Hospice of the Ozarks, says the service uses a three pronged approach. Jackson says the care provided is individualized for each client in order to serve them best. The Care Coaching service can also help patients with a wide variety of needs, such as medicine, insurance, transportation, food, in-home care, paperwork and follow-ups on doctor’s visits. Jackson gives examples of what she can do for her clients.

From fear to empowerment: How palliative care can help University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute; 8/21/24 In 2018, Ruth Hill got out of bed one morning and felt her spine literally break. The 53-year-old collapsed to the floor. “I knew something catastrophic had happened,” Ruth says. She soon learned six of her vertebrae had cracked and two had exploded. The doctor at the hospital in Colorado Springs, where Ruth had been visiting her son and grandchildren, gave her even more devastating news. “You’re filled with cancer. It’s incurable,” he told her. “We’re going to take you upstairs and check your brain. If it’s in your brain, you won’t have long to live.” ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this inspirational story.]

Norway Savings Bank donates $5,000 to Hospice of Southern Maine Bangor Daily News, Bangor, ME; by BDN Community; 8/19/24 ... Norway Savings Bank is proud to be a longtime, major donor to Hospice of Southern Maine and its compassionate work, including a $5,000 contribution this month and over $180,000 in donations since 2018. “The work of the Hospice of Southern Maine staff and the dignity and comfort they provide to those they encounter commands respect and admiration,” said Dan Walsh, president and CEO of Norway Savings Bank. ... “These gifts are reflections of compassion and caring, which are the very things that center all our actions and decisions at Hospice of Southern Maine,” said Daryl Cady, CEO.

Kentwood senior living center closing after large fire damages campus buildings ABC 13, Kentwood, MI; by Mary Dupuis; 8/21/24 A Kentwood senior living center is closing after a fire heavily damaged one of the buildings on its campus, the center announced Wednesday. A fire broke out in the attic of the memory care building at American House Kentwood around 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 15 while a third-party HVAC company was doing maintenance work. Kentwood Deputy Fire Chief Mike Hipp said 12 residents had to be evacuated from the facility as large flames poured from the attic area. The Kentwood Fire Department said everyone inside American House Kentwood at the time of the fire made it out safely. The senior living community offers assisted living, memory care and hospice care for seniors. 

Eastman Cooke completes senior healthcare facility in Brookly: ... First PACE Center in New York City EIN Presswire; 8/19/24 Eastman Cooke & Associates (ECA), a full-service, general contracting firm based in Manhattan and Long Island, has completed the construction of the first PACE Center (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) on the East Coast at 5521 8th Avenue in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. ... The project included the build-out of the full 8,600-square-foot second floor for the waiting room, examination rooms, and Department of Health certified medical practice. The 1,000-square-foot third floor and 1,900-square-foot fourth floor will be used as staff support and socialization areas. In addition, Eastman Cooke upgraded the electrical infrastructure at the cellar level and installed a fully integrated HVAC system at the rooftop level.