Literature Review

Executive Personnel Changes - 7/19/24

Why CommonSpirit Health is investing in the home Becker's Helath IT; by Giles Bruce; 7/18/24 Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health has grown into the country’s largest Catholic provider of care at home. ... Becker's recently sat down with Trisha Crissman, interim executive director of CommonSpirit Health at Home, to discuss the metamorphosis of at-home care. ... [In 2010] ... we established hospice as another service line for the organization. ... And that brings us to where we find ourselves today — as the largest Catholic care-at-home provider in the country, with 84 locations and soon to be about 15 states, serving about 15,000 patients daily, with skilled home healthcare, hospice, palliative care, home infusion. We have many solution models, including "hospital at home," SNF [skilled nursing facility] at home, and ED [emergency department] diversion solutions.

Risky business: Home sweet home or nursing home? American Nurse - Perspectives; by Christopher Hirschler, PhD, MCHES; 7/18/24 In 2018, “Nursing homes: Good intentions, sad realities” chronicled Rita Hirschler’s experience in a nursing home after decades of being a private care nurse. In response to the ideas espoused in the article, namely that a person has a right to live and die in their home and risks are unavoidable whether one lives at home or in a nursing home, a commentator asked, “What is the solution?” ... According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy and Lu and Lu, ownership and sponsorship type have been shown to significantly impact the quality of care in nursing homes, with for-profits generally having lower staffing levels and poorer patient outcomes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Meyer, and KFF Health News say for-profit nursing homes now account for approximately 72% of the more than 15,000 U.S. nursing homes, and they provide varying levels of care to 1.3 million residents. 

Fallen nurses are honored by ‘guards’ in white uniforms, capes and caps Radio Iowa; by Radio Iowa Contributor; 7/17/24 A hospital in southwestern Iowa is joining a national volunteer organization that pays tribute to nurses who have died or who are in hospice care. Registered nurse Sara Beth Jones spearheaded the effort to launch a local chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard at Cass Health in Atlantic. Jones says part of their uniform is to wear a cape that’s black on one side and red on the other, much like those worn by nurses who tended to soldiers in the 1800s. ... The Nurses Honor Guard is a comprised of current and former nurses. In addition to the funerals of nurses, they attend parades, honor walks and living tributes. Besides the cape, Jones says Honor Guard participants don the traditional white uniform and cap. 

NAHC-NHPCO Alliance announces Town Hall HomeCare; 7/17/24 The NAHC-NHPCO Alliance (the Alliance) is continuing the process of integrating the two organizations into a single, cohesive champion for the care-at-home community. The Alliance said the member voice is critical to the success of this endeavor. As such, all members of legacy NAHC and legacy NHPCO are invited to a virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 to learn more about new leadership, progress on integration, how members can stay involved in the Alliance and more. Any questions are welcome and will be answered by Alliance leadership. The Town Hall will take place on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, from 4-5:30 p.m. ET. [Click on the title's link for additional information.] ... The Alliance has created information pages on each of the respective websites, which are accessible to all regardless of membership status.

Can palliative care consults in hospitals improve end-of-life care? National Institute on Aging; 7/18/24 Having clinicians automatically order palliative care increased consultation rates and expedited consultations for seriously ill hospitalized people but did not decrease length of stay, according to an NIA-funded study. The findings, published in JAMA, suggest that while ordering by default rather than by choice improves certain end-of-life care processes, the impact on hospital stay length is limited. ... Overall, while default orders for palliative care consultations did not reduce hospital stays, they did improve the frequency and timing of consultations as well as some end-of-life care processes, aligning with clinical guidelines for high quality palliative care.

How to advocate for an older loved one in the ER or hospital US News & World Report - Health; by Christine Comizio; 7/17/24 Picture your 80-year-old father in the intensive care unit needing dialysis or your 76-year-old mother with severe dementia facing emergency surgery. These scenarios are becoming increasingly common as 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. are now over 65, a number steadily rising with the aging baby boomer generation. And as our population ages, the likelihood of an older family member becoming hospitalized grows. Many of us will inevitably confront the challenges of hospitalization – oftentimes due to a medical emergency when we least expect it. The critical question is: Are you prepared? ... Editor's Note: For hospice and palliative care professionals who have not yet experienced the serious illness needs of an "older loved one in the ER or hospital," know that personally dealing with needs requires different roles, skill sets, presence, actions, and advocacy than those in your professional role. Be true to your relationship and role with the person needing care. This practical article can be a great resource for your organization's employees, volunteers, and community education. 

Alpharetta City Council considering fee for lifting assistance calls Appen Media, Alpharetta & Roswell, GA; by Jon Wilcox; 7/16/24 The Alpharetta City Council is considering a fee for residents and assisted living homes who make multiple calls a month for emergency responders to help people who have fallen. Director of Public Safety John Robison told the council July 15 that calls for lifting assistance come at significant cost and tie up responders who may be needed for other emergencies. Last year, Robison said, 328 calls for lift assistance cost the city $78,844, almost double the cost from the previous year, which saw 190 calls at a cost of $32,275.30. ... A proposed ordinance suggests a schedule of fees for calls asking responders to assess people who have fallen and may be injured. ... Hospice patients would be exempt from the fees. 

Cedar Rapids nursing home worker needlessly exposed to infectious disease, judge rules The Gazette; by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch; 7/16/24 A social worker for an Iowa nursing home was justified in quitting after the facility failed to inform her and others of residents who had serious, contagious diseases, according to a judge’s ruling. State records indicate Mary Lovejoy Castaneda was employed by the nursing home chain Care Initiatives as a full-time social worker at Cedar Rapids’ Heritage Specialty Care from March through May of this year. She resigned after citing “stress and anxiety” related to the job, which entailed working with hospice patients. ... [Additionally,] when Care Initiatives hired Castaneda the company assured her it would refrain from assigning her hospice patients, only to later begin doing so. Editor's Note: Yes, lack of information about patients with "serious, contagious diseases" with the need to wear PPE is a significant offense. However, the social worker employee requesting [refusing?] to serve hospice patitents within a nursing home facility raises significant ethical concerns about care for patients and their families. The staff/patient ratio for social workers in a nursing facilities requires extensive, broad coverage. Click on the title's link to continue reading.

Palliative provider Thyme Care secures $95M in funding round Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/17/24 The oncology-focused value-based enabler Thyme Care has completed a $95 million funding round that includes $55 million in equity funding. The company offers palliative care in addition to other services. In May, Thyme Care launched a new palliative care telehealth offering, branded as Enhanced Supportive Care. Thyme Care will use the new infusion of investment dollars to expand to new geographies, build new partnerships with oncologists, primary care practices and health plans, according to a press release.

A personal approach: Patient Care Coordination Inc. celebrates a decade of inclusive healthcare Classic 96.7 FM BWZ, Philadelphia, PA; 7/17/24Philadelphia-based Patient Care Coordination Inc. (PCC), led by Founder and Executive Director Paul S. Rimar, proudly commemorates its 10th anniversary. With a steadfast commitment to inclusivity, particularly within the LGBTQ community, PCC has grown to serve over 6,500 participants across 21 counties in Pennsylvania, delivering high-quality, value-based healthcare services. ... A cornerstone of PCC’s mission is its dedication to the LGBTQ community. Rimar’s personal experiences with LGBTQ-specific challenges have profoundly influenced PCC’s inclusive policies and practices. ... [Rimar's] comprehensive background, including roles in long-term care, hospice, managed care, and transplantation, has been instrumental in PCC’s evolution and success.

When you know you might forget everything: Living with the Alzheimer’s gene Intelligencer; by Amelia Schonbek; 7/16/24 In 2017, 23andMe began offering tests for the genetic risk of developing certain health conditions like celiac disease, Parkinson’s, and late-onset Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s test will tell you if you have the gene variant APOE4, which means you have an increased likelihood of developing the disease. One in four people carry a single copy of the gene, but 2 to 3 percent of the population have two copies — one from each parent — and have a much higher probability. As with all of 23andMe’s upcharged “Health Predisposition Reports,” the sell on it was self-empowerment: Once you know, you can plan, allowing you to take charge of your well-being. 

Woman radiates joy as she wears a wedding gown for the first time after 77 years of marriage Scoop; by Rima Biswas; 7/16/24When this 97-year-old got married, she didn't have a proper wedding gown. She got to live this dream after 77 years of marriage thanks to a hospice facility. ... On King and her husband's 77th wedding anniversary, her dream of wearing a wedding dress finally came true. The staff of St. Croix Hospice in Iowa helped the then-97-year-old King to get dressed in all white and a veil to walk down the grassy lawn to celebrate her wedding anniversary. The hospice facility made a small but special arrangement to help the veteran couple reenact their wedding memories, getting everyone emotional in the process.