Literature Review

Emory receives $5 million grant to improve geriatric care and education Saporta Report; by Emory University, Atlanta, GA; 7/16/24 Emory University has been awarded a $5 million cooperative agreement by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance geriatric care and education for health care workers in Georgia’s urban and rural areas. This five-year funding will support Georgia Gear (Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program), operated through the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. ... The Georgia Gear program will partner with organizations including Georgia Memory Net, the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Area Health Education Center, the Technical College System of Georgia, Emory Healthcare, the Atlanta VA Health Care System, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).

Heart to Heart Hospice House continues patient service despite power outages, adverse effects from Hurricane Beryl Cision PRWeb; by Heart to Heart Hospice; 7/16/24 Heart to Heart Hospice, which operates five locations in the Houston area, was among the many healthcare providers severely impacted when Hurricane Beryl made landfall along the Texas coast last week. All the Heart to Heart Hospice sites lost electrical power, as well as internet and cellular-based communications service. ... Immediately following the storm, the Heart to Heart and Proveer teams began working together to quickly restore emergency generator power, helping to ensure that patients and residents received care during the power outages and that all basic, needs-based functions continued uninterrupted. "It has been amazing to see the level of collaboration, compassion, and commitment from these teams that has allowed us to continue serving patients and families across the entire Houston area," said Nick Robinson, Heart to Heart Hospice's Regional Vice President of Operations.

Mayo Clinic Minute: How extreme heat, humidity affect your health News Tribune; by Tribune News Service; 7/16/24 Many parts of the U.S. continue to grapple with oppressive heat and humidity. This can prevent the body from cooling down, increasing the risk of heat cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke. Dr. Jesse Bracamonte, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, said the extreme heat and high humidity can be a dangerous mix. "High heat and high humidity can place one at risk for serious illness if people aren't careful. The heat can affect people's bodies by increasing the core body temperature and ability to sweat, and cause dehydration that can cause further medical problems and ensuing issues, and eventually can lead to heat exhaustion, in some cases, severe heat illness, known as heatstroke," Bracamonte said. Editor's Note: What information and support are you providing for your clinicians who travel between visits and for your patients who might be affected by extreme heat and humidity? What simple, practical adaptations might you create, like disposable water bottles for staff as they leave your building (with a sign of support and basic info)?

Fifth of UK hospices cutting services amid funding crisis, finds report The Guardian, UK; by Andrew Gregory; 7/16/24 One in five hospices in the UK are cutting services amid the worst funding crisis in two decades, a report has warned, with soaring numbers of patients being pushed back into the NHS. Research by Hospice UK found “small and wildly varying” state funding had failed to keep pace with growing demand and rising running costs. That means inpatient beds are being cut, staff made redundant and community services restricted, with fewer visits to dying patients in their own homes, according to the charity, which represents more than 200 hospices across the country.

Senior CommUnity Care of NKY Program announces opening of PACE senior care program Northern Kentucky Tribune; 7/16/24 Senior CommUnity Care of Northern Kentucky is celebrating the opening of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) serving eligible participants residing in Northern Kentucky — including Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Gallatin, Carroll, Owen, Grant and Pendleton counties. ... Senior CommUnity Care of Northern Kentucky is a partnership of Volunteers of America National Services (VOANS) PACE Holding Company, a recognized PACE operator, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

Advanced practice providers have an important role in kidney supportive care Healio; by Christine Corbett, DNP, FNP-BC, CNN-NP, FNKF; 7/15/24For more than 2 decades, nephrologists and patients have recognized the key role nephrology advanced practice providers have played in the care of patients with chronic kidney disease. ... With its attention to the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care in addition to the physical, it is expected that nephrology nurse practitioners would also play a major role in the palliative care for patients with kidney disease. ... As part of the kidney care team, APPs [advanced practice practitionsers] educate patients about kidney failure treatment options, including palliative dialysis and active medical management without dialysis. Also, nurse practitioners have been noted to play a significant role in the palliative care skills of goals-of-care conversations, advance care planning and Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST, or similar term depending on the state) completion.

Palliative care is underutilized in nursing homes EurekAlert! AAAS; by Regenstrief Institute; 7/16/2O Palliative care, specialized medical care focusing on providing relief from the symptoms -- including pain -- and the stress of serious illness, is underutilized in nursing homes, despite the large number of nursing home residents living with a serious illness such as cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A qualitative study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, analyzes lack of palliative care referrals for nursing home residents and proposes ways to address this healthcare gap. In addition to examining existing referral patterns, the authors explore recommendations for ideal criteria and create a substantive framework for palliative care referrals in nursing homes. Editor's Note: You can access the article here, “Palliative care in nursing homes: A qualitative study on referral criteria and implications for research and practice” is published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Targeted palliative care enhances outcomes in advanced cancer Physician's Weekly; 7/15/24 ... Excessive polypharmacy is common in patients with cancer, especially older adults. According to a 2023 study published in Cancer, up to 80% of older patients take five or more medications, and up to 40% take 10 or more. Patients who receive numerous medications as part of supportive care may be at increased risk for potentially inappropriate medications and drug-drug interactions, which could impact their QOL. The study authors emphasized the importance of meaningful screening and interventional tools to optimize the use of medications for palliative care in these patients. In a more recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Giusti Raffaele, MD, and colleagues aimed to streamline pharmacotherapy by targeting the most impactful symptom.

Pain management in the wake of the opioid crisis Forbes; by Web Golinkin; 7/15/24 Pain is the single most frequent reason for patient visits in the United States. An estimated 20 percent of adults experience chronic pain, and nearly seven percent experience a level of chronic pain that limits their daily activities. However, most doctors and other healthcare professionals have very little education in pain management, according to Scott Fishman, MD, an internationally recognized expert in pain management, ... This lack of education was one of the main causes of the Opioid Crisis, Fishman says ... of the part of the crisis that was caused by the over-prescribing of opioids, many clinicians have become so wary of the medical-legal issues surrounding pain management that they have gone from an overly liberal approach to a restrictive one in which some prescribers are effectively abandoning patients who need to have their symptoms treated. Both extremes are frequently fueled by lack of knowledge and training, according to Fishman. ... The solution is to close the education gap ...

Married 'soulmates' spent final days side by side BBC News, United Kingdom; by Isaac Ashe; 7/13/24 Two married "soulmates" who died from terminal cancer within days of each other were able to spend their last moments together side by side. Chris and Lynne Johnson, from Bolsover in Derbyshire, had been married for 52 years before both were diagnosed with cancer and eventually moved to Ashgate Hospice in February. The hospice arranged for the pair's beds to be placed in the same room, allowing them to hold hands in Mrs Johnson's final moments. Eight days later, Mr Johnson then died with his brother Alwyn and the couple's pet dog Tess by his side. ... Their daughter, Julie Whittaker, has decided to now share the story and is now calling on the government to review funding so more people can access end-of-life services. "Not only do all people deserve the end-of-life care that my parents received, but when patients are in a hospice instead of a hospital, it takes the strain off the NHS [National Health Services, UK]."

Wellsboro's hospice home closes Gazette, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania; 7/12/24 After 25 years of providing a home for the dying, The Samaritan House, a mission project of St. Peter’s Church in Wellsboro [PA], has closed. For the past two years, the steering committee has tried to increase its volunteer base, raise funds, complete clearances and maintain the house. Despite meeting many goals and continuing to receive referrals, Samaritan House can no longer welcome guests because it can’t sustain a schedule. The Samaritan House ministry has welcomed guests and families from diverse faiths and backgrounds and cared for them with compassion and dignity for 25 years. Many of the volunteers have made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

Children experiencing grief can build coping skills with library storytime The Mountaineer, Waynesville, NC; by Jennifer Stuart; 7/13/24 Seasons of Grief Storytime will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 21, at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library. This is a story time that aims to reach out to children experiencing grief, being held in partnership with Haywood Hospice and Palliative Care. The group will read a story and create a personalized keepsake. It is a program ideal for ages 5-10. The program is free, but registration is required.Editor's Note: This simple, meaningful support for children can be replicated easily with other local libraries, schools, community/faith groups. 

Report shows substantial financial opportunity in prioritizing research, education on women’s heart health Pharmacy Times; by Alexandra Gerlach; 7/13/24 A report published by authors from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the McKinsey Health Institute showed that addressing the gender gaps prevalent in the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) could boost the US economy by $28 billion annually by 2040 and potentially address the 1.6 million years of life lost due to barriers to care experienced by women. The paper identifies multiple pathways to addressing the lack of representation and access to care for women with CVD... CVD is the leading cause of death in women in the United States, affecting nearly 60 million individuals, and it makes up over a third of the health gap between men and women.