Literature Review

1 in 8 older adults use cannabis; experts urge screeningMcKnight’s Long Term Care NewsDecember 8, 2023Cannabis use in older adults is on the rise and clinicians should screen for it, according to a new study. A report on people ages 50 through 80 finds that 12% of older adults say they’ve consumed a substance that contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the past year. Additionally, 4% of people in that age group say they have substances that include THC multiple times a week. ... The new findings were published in Cannabis and Cannabinoids Research last month by a team from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. Authors of the report said that people taking the products need more education on them, and older adults need to be screened for cannabis-related risks. ... The poll asked about products containing THC, but didn’t differentiate between medical and recreational use of cannabis.

South Arkansas Regional Hospital announces new inpatient hospice servicesBanner News (Magnolia, AR)December 8, 2023Magnolia, AR—South Arkansas Regional Hospital in El Dorado now offers general inpatient hospice services in partnership with Arkansas Hospice, the state’s largest non-profit provider of hospice care. The new service, which went into effect Dec. 1, demonstrates both organizations’ commitment to meeting the comprehensive healthcare needs of the community and ensuring compassionate care for patients and their families. ... With this GIP partnership, Arkansas Hospice will augment the direct patient care provided by South Arkansas Regional Hospital with an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains to support patients and families during this challenging time. In addition, GIP patients will have access to dedicated family rooms designed to create a welcoming environment and ensure the comfort and privacy of patients and their loved ones, according to a press release issued by SARH. 

Funding for nursing homes up 25% after state increaseSouth Dakota SearchlightDecember 7, 2023State funding for nursing homes is up an average of 25% statewide since the Legislature and Gov. Kristi Noem approved more money for them last winter. ... During the last legislative session, Noem and legislators approved 100% reimbursements for those [Medicaid] costs. The move, which went into effect in July, was a reaction to 15 nursing homes closing across the state in recent years, in part due to insufficient reimbursement rates. ... The higher reimbursement rate infused roughly an extra $49 million into nursing homes in the state.

New Mexico’s Medicaid Rate Hike Bodes Well For Addus, Other Home-Based Care ProvidersHome Health Care NewsDecember 7, 2023New Mexico is increasing its reimbursement rates for providers that bill Medicaid in the state. Overall, providers are set to get an additional $409 million in reimbursement. The increases will start taking shape on claims made on or after July 1, 2023. Another rate hike is expected in the future for CY 2025. “Thanks to this substantial funding boost, Medicaid providers across New Mexico will now receive reimbursements at rates as high as 120% of Medicare,” Lorelei Kellogg, the acting director for the New Mexico Medicaid program, said in a press release. “By elevating rates, New Mexico Medicaid continues to work toward the goal of ensuring that all New Mexicans enrolled in the program have access to vital health care services.”

Awareness, Education Keys to Trauma-Informed Hospice CareHospice NewsDecember 7, 2023Having a greater understanding around the impacts of trauma and abuse can help hospices improve end-of-life experiences for patients and working conditions for staff. Training and education are keys to caring for patients and employees with unique needs impacted by trauma and abuse. ... Abuse and trauma experiences impact those delivering and receiving hospice care in many ways, some evident and some less apparent, according to Carole Fisher, president, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation. ... "The impacts of trauma and abuse are important to include in staff training and education, as well as patient care delivery approaches and employee policies," Fisher stated. ... "Trauma-informed care involves having a complete understanding of a person’s overall life experiences and orienting health services toward healing," according to Lara McKinnis, professional development specialist at Teleios Collaborative Network.

Work for a cause, not for applause.Live life to express, not to impress.-Unknown

Hospitals Think Some Dead Patients Are AliveBloombergDecember 7, 2023Neil Wenger, a professor of medicine at UCLA, was researching different ways of encouraging patients to make end-of-life care plans when he discovered something troubling—hundreds of patients who were seriously ill, according to the health system’s records, were actually dead. This is a well-known but little-studied phenomenon, according to Wenger—until now. Wenger and his colleagues wrote up their findings in a short paper that was published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. They identified 676 patients from UCLA’s health system that were recorded as alive, but were actually dead, according to state data. At face value, it sounds absurd. But there are many reasons why it might happen, Wenger says. While patients who die in the hospital are automatically recorded as deceased in that system’s database, patients who die at home are not. Same goes for patients who die at another health system with a different electronic records database. “The health system continues to act as if they’re alive,” Wenger says. “If we don’t know they’re dead, we can’t do the right thing.” ... “We think this is a really important finding that needs to be corrected,” Wenger says.

Franklin resident makes Christmas care packages for hospice patientsDaily Journal (Franklin, IN)December 7, 2023Franklin, IN—The shining silver bell, tied with a red ribbon, was etched with one word—”Believe.” Clarice Duits thought it was perfect. The Franklin resident was searching for special gifts to include in care packages for patients in hospice this holiday season. She had chocolate and candy canes, but needed something to tie the gifts together while showing each patient they weren’t alone. “I started thinking of Santa, and doing good for others, and that made me think of ‘The Polar Express,’” she said. “One idea just led to another, and I looked up Polar Express bells, and lo and behold, there they were.” This holiday season, Duits has crafted more than 60 gift baskets to be distributed to hospice patients. ... She worked with Main Street Hospice in Franklin, which will distribute them to its patients throughout December. The effort speaks to the importance community members hold to the work hospices do, said Cheryl Mioduski, volunteer coordinator for Main Street Hospice.

Mass. lawmakers approve measure allowing more home health care workers to unionizeWBUR-FM (Boston, MA)December 7, 2023Thousands of home health care workers in Massachusetts are newly eligible to organize and join a union under legislation passed by the state legislature this week. Union officials estimate the change will allow some 4,000 home health care workers to unionize. About 58,000 personal care attendants paid by MassHealth are already unionized and represented by SEIU 1199. 

Dameron Hospital in Stockton hit by cyberattackKCRA-TV (Sacramento, CA)December 5, 2023Stockton, CA—Dameron Hospital in Stockton said it is investigating a cyberattack that has forced some patients to reschedule their procedures. The hospital said in a statement Tuesday that “patient care operations are functioning normally,” which includes its emergency department. The hospital described the issue as a “data security incident that has impacted certain systems on our network.” It did not say when the attack happened or describe which systems may have been compromised.

America Is Having Yet Another Drug Shortage. Here’s Why It Keeps Happening.By Emily Tucker, PhDNew York TimesDecember 6, 2023The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists found this summer that nearly all of the members it surveyed were experiencing drug shortages, which generally affect half a million Americans. Cancer patients have scrambled as supplies of chemotherapy drugs dwindle. ... Over half of the shortages documented this summer by health consulting firm IQVIA had persisted for more than two years. But even though drug shortages affect millions of Americans, policymakers and industry leaders have provided little to no long-term relief for people in need. ... The people who are most affected by supply chain vulnerabilities—patients—are also those with least say in the choice to buy from reliable manufacturers. ... Legislative action is the only real way to ensure the availability of essential medications. After 20 years of drug shortages, it seems clear that markets alone are not the solution. And there are a few specific ways Congress should address drug shortages. The first is to ensure better quality drug manufacturing. Modernizing manufacturing facilities would make them more reliable and prevent shortages. The second is to improve the adaptability of drug manufacturing itself. Manufacturers should be able to switch quickly to alternative facilities or to increase production when demand unexpectedly increases. The last is to maintain buffer inventory of essential medications within our health care system.

“We no longer believe in work/life balance: It’s all just life. And we need to know it’s a life that we want to live, filled with security, confidence, love, and meaning. The idea that we turn “off” life when we turn “on” work is outmoded. What happens to us at work, the choices we make at work, how we lead at work—all of this impacts our macro and micro quality of life, and the nature of the world we live in.”― Janice Fraser, Farther, Faster, and Far Less Drama: How to Reduce Stress and Make Extraordinary Progress Wherever You Lead

Bipartisan Legislation Aims to Block CMS Staffing Proposal—Most Recently With Senate BillSkilled Nursing NewsDecember 6, 2023Legislation to block the nursing home minimum staffing proposal gained major traction this week, as a bill introduced on the Senate floor late Tuesday received more bipartisan support. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) led the way with the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act, which aims to stop the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from finalizing the minimum staffing proposal—along with requiring that a nursing home workforce advisory panel be created. The Senate bill is endorsed by more than 90 organizations, according to Fischer’s office.