Literature Review

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~ Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Normandy Welcomes World War II Heroes - 80th AnniversaryU.S. Department of Defense; 6/4/24World War II veterans met with cheers and applause from throngs of well-wishers as they arrived in Normandy, France, for events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. ... The number of these heroes at D-Day anniversary events in Normandy each year is diminishing, but the gratitude and awe for their service and sacrifice endures.We Honor Veterans - NHPCONHPCO; retrieved from the internet on 6/5/24We Honor Veterans empowers end-of-life care partners to meet the unique needs of America’s Veterans and their families. Our guidance and resources are focused on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening and grateful acknowledgment so that veterans can be guided through their life stories toward a more peaceful ending.Editor's Note: Thank you NHPCO for your foresight in developing this program! You identified the massive generation of WWII veterans we would lose within a window of two decades. You educated hospice organizations nation-wide and equipped us with relevant resources, while we still had time to provide meaningful support.  (Today's average age of surviving WWII veterans is 100.) 

The role and professional standards of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner in hospice and palliative careJournal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing; by Heather Coats, PhD, APRN-BC, Kelly Henrichs, Kelly DNP, RN, GNP-BC; 6/24The adult/gerontology (gero) nurse practitioner (NP) delivers primary and/or specialty palliative care to persons and their families who live each day with a myriad of serious illnesses. In this role, the adult/gero NP uses their skill set to address the whole person (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential) to improve the quality of life for persons they care for. This article is the fourth in a series of 6 highlighting the different roles of the adult/gero NP and the advanced certified hospice and palliative registered nurse, and how these 2 roles overlap. The purpose of this article was to provide details of education and certification pathways for these NP roles, describe the overlaps in clinical care, and illustrate how the adult/gero NP in palliative and hospice care can contribute to leadership in program development for care of persons and their families who live with serious illness.

Mapped: The highs and lows of the world’s happiness landscapeBigThink.com; by Frank Jacobs; 6/3/24The Gallup World Poll reveals regional peaks and valleys of happiness across all of the continents. At a glance, we see that happiness levels are relatively high across the Americas, in Europe and Oceania, and generally lowest across Africa and South Asia. In North America, Canada (6.9) came out on top, happier than the U.S. and Mexico (both 6.7). The least happy country in North America is the Dominican Republic (5.8) — perhaps unfairly, as its bad-to-worse neighbor Haiti wasn’t surveyed.

Exposure to a loved one’s death and advance care planning: Moderating effects of ageAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Peiyuan Zhang, MS, Sarah Clem, MSW, Roderick Rose, PhD, John G. Cagle, PhD; 6/24Despite documented benefits of Advance Care Planning (ACP), it is still under-utilized in the U.S. Our study aimed to examine whether experiencing a loved one’s death is associated with one’s own ACP behavior among adults in the U.S. and the potential moderating effect of age. ... Exploring an individual’s previous experience with a loved one’s death might be an effective way to broach the concept of ACP among adults of all ages. This strategy may be particularly useful in facilitating discussions of end-of-life medical wishes with doctors among younger adults than older adults.

A moratorium on the euphemism MAIDJournal of the American Medical Directors Association; by Richard W. Sams II MD, MA (Ethics), CMD, Peter Jaggard MD, CMD; 6/24It is essential for high-quality health care for providers to adhere to the principle of truth telling, speaking with clarity and honesty. The euphemism medical aid in dying, MAID, is being mainstreamed in the medical literature by proponents of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. ... We recommend standardized language that accurately denotes the context and process. Provider Assisted Death by Prescription (PAD-P) and Provider Assisted Death by Administration (PAD-A) are terms that most accurately describe the process, taking into account who is prescribing or administering a lethal substance and the outcome of the actions. ... The standardized language needs to be used on death certificates so we can most accurately assess the impact that provider-assisted death is having on society. Emphasizing truth telling in morally controversial practices will foster trust among health care providers and with patients.

Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care grieves the death of hospice leaderThe Times Weekly; by Times Weekly Staff; 6/6/24 One of the former CEOs of Joliet Area Community Hospice, now known as Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care, has died. Duane Krieger was instrumental in the efforts to acquire land and build the first hospice residence in Illinois. Until this time, hospice care in this state was provided in patients’ homes and facilities. “Duane’s passion and dedication to building a free-standing hospice facility in Joliet was unwavering, said Mary Kay Sheehan, CEO of Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care. “Duane understood the need and knew who to talk to, in both the private and public sector, to secure funding and pass the regulations to build this hospice home and elevate the level of and access to hospice care. Duane always went above and beyond to ensure the residents of Joliet and the surrounding area had access to the care they needed. He was an inspiration and a true leader who will be missed.”

No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. - James Allen

Forcura and HealthRev Partners announce Ecosystem Partnership Business Wire; 6/4/24 Forcura, a healthcare workflow management company, announces a strategic ecosystem partnership with HealthRev Partners, a prominent provider of revenue cycle management services for the home health, hospice, and palliative care sectors. This collaboration focuses on enhancing the referral process for agencies operating in these critical healthcare segments. 

The latest research indicates massage therapy has benefits from birth to end of life Cision PR Newswire; by American Massage Therapy Association; 6/5/24 The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is sharing recent research on how massage therapy can provide benefits from infancy through end of life. Across all ages, massage therapy can be a therapeutic approach to enhancing physical and emotional well-being. Explore the latest studies on how massage therapy can help improve the quality of life for infants, middle-aged individuals, and older adults. ... A nationwide survey of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners in palliative care documented recommendation rates of integrative therapies to target symptoms of palliative care patients. The survey found that massage therapy was the third most recommended integrative care modality behind mind-body interventions like meditation and biofeedback. The integrative therapies aimed to reduce pain, anxiety, mood disturbances, and distress.Editor's Note: While hiring a professional massage therapist might not be practical for your budget, explore contracting with massage therapist who is trained in working with medically-fragile persons to provide simple trainings for your nurses and nurse aides. Additionally, professionally trained massage therapists might be interested in volunteering their services, within appropriate parameters (i.e., not transferring the medically-fragile patient to a massage table, having a caregiver present to assist with communication, etc.). 

Montana system cuts services (including an inpatient hospice facility), reduces workforce by 9%Becker's Post-Acute Report; by Mariah Taylor; 5/30/24Billings, Mont.-based RiverStone Health is closing two facilities, reducing other services and cutting nearly 9% of its workforce, KFF Health News reported May 30. The hospital is shuttering an inpatient hospice facility, closing a center for patients managing high blood pressure, reducing the clinic's behavioral healthcare team, removing a nurse who worked within rural schools and reducing the number of staff focused on serving patients without housing. Among the staff layoffs are several senior leadership and management roles, according to a May 10 system news release. The cuts come after a $3 million loss in Medicaid revenue this fiscal year.

Dover Health acquires Chicago-area hospice, home health agencies Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/6/24St. Louis-based Dover Health has expanded into the Chicago region with the purchase of Centered Care Hospice and Palliative Care and Cornerstone Home Health. With this deal, Dover expands to nine Illinois counties to complement its five-county footprint in Missouri. The transaction will enable Dover Health to expand its scale and offer enhanced benefits and technology to clinical staff and patients, according to a press release. “We are committed to giving our caregiving team the time and resources needed to truly engage with each patient,” said Steven Burghart, president of Dover Health, in a statement. “Our mission is to help every senior and their family thrive through personalized, holistic health and wellness.”

The Aging Revolution: Growing old in America becoming more dignified, but with senior population booming, is nation’s health system prepared?BusinesssWire; 6/4/24A half-century after renowned gerontologist, psychiatrist and author Dr. Robert Butler ridiculed the nation’s medical establishment for ignoring the suffering of older Americans, Northwell Health today announced the publication of The Aging Revolution: The History of Geriatric Health Care and What Really Matters to Older Adults, which chronicles the significant advancements made in improving the physical and emotional health of the nation’s rapidly aging population.