Literature Review

"We can't save lives without you."PR Newswire, Philadelphia; 1/10/24Gift of Life's Community & Hospital Partners Advance 50-Year Legacy as the Most Generous Region in the Country ... Gift of Life has coordinated 14,196 donors and 39,469 organs for transplant – more than any other U.S. organ procurement organization (OPO) since the inception of our national donation system in 1988. Yet the need for life-saving organs continues to far exceed the number available. Each day, seventeen people die waiting for a transplant and, every ten minutes, another child or adult is added to the national waitlist.

Community Foundation of Henderson announces grant winnersWSON AM & FM; 1/8/24St. Anthony’s Hospice received $15,000 to help sustain and grow its goal of increasing use of its palliative care program in the community which is currently not covered by Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement in the home setting. The benefit comes from patients choosing Hospice earlier in their terminal care and improving quality of life for the patient and families.

Agrace partners with nonprofit SAGE to meet needs of LGBT community eldersIn Business - Greater Madison; 1/8/24... At least 80% of the nonprofit’s staff have completed annual cultural competence training about the needs and concerns of the LGBT community. SAGE, the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT older adults, reports that discrimination, harassment, and violence often lead LGBT elders to become ill at an earlier age than their straight peers. Agrace has partnered with SAGE to provide services including hospice, supportive (palliative) care, adult day care, grief support, and nonmedical senior care and serve elders across southern Wisconsin.

SBL opens Willow Breeze Hospice HouseMy Radio Link; 1/9/24Willow Breeze, the Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospice House, opened Jan. 4. ... It is licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Coles County Public Health and The Joint Commission. Willow Breeze features eight private suites for people of all ages who are facing end-of-life difficulties. Each suite has a private bathroom and walk-out patio that overlooks the landscaped pond.

Nurse pleads guilty to federal charge for stealing pain medications at Baxter clinicBrainerd Dispatch; 1/9/24A registered nurse pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining prescription opioid pain medications from a hospice clinic, United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced Tuesday, Jan. 9. ... Cambie Elizabeth Broker, 33, was a registered nurse case manager at a hospice clinic in Baxter. Broker used her position to fraudulently obtain controlled substances from the clinic. Broker entered false prescription requests into the clinic’s e-prescribing software to fraudulently obtain oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl for illegal sale and personal use. 

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. — Anne Bradstreet

My husband's death in hospice care made me more opposed to assisted suicide, says Nadine DorriesThe Telegraph, by Dominic Penna; 1/10/24Paul Dorries, who died of bowel cancer in June 2019, asked to travel to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to end his life as soon as he received his terminal diagnosis, the former culture secretary [Nadine Dorries] said. But setting out her opposition to the “distressing” practice of assisted suicide, Ms Dorries said her husband had eventually been glad to spend his final weeks in palliative care surrounded by loved ones. ... "The peaceful way he died at home four months later – surrounded by his loving family – only reinforced my strong view that assisted dying is wrong.”

Labor Department issues independent contractor final ruleMcKnights Senior Living, by Lois Bowers; 1/9/24Acting Labor Secretary Julie SuThe Department of Labor this morning issued a final rule that will change how senior living companies and other employers determine who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. The rule is effective March 11. “The misclassification of employees as independent contractors may deny workers minimum wage, overtime pay and other protections,” the Labor Department said in an online post. “This final rule will reduce the risk that employees are misclassified as independent contractors while providing a consistent approach for businesses that engage with individuals who are in business for themselves.”Editor's Note: Click here for the final rule.

Top home care trends for 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/9/24The rising costs of care in home care remain a trend in 2024. That one trend will also lead to others, however, such as increased M&A, adoption of future-facing technologies like AI, and further investment in tangential service lines and alternative payer sources.

Mortality rates low among hospital-at-home patients: studyModern Healthcare, by Diane Eastabrook; 1/9/24Older patients receiving care through hospital-at-home programs across the U.S. experienced low mortality rates, Mass General Brigham researchers found.Accessing the entire article requires a subscription to Modern Healthcare

New Day Healthcare acquires Compassion HospiceHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/8/24The home health and hospice provider New Day Healthcare has acquired Texas-based Compassion Hospice for an undisclosed amount. The transaction expands New Day’s footprint to 29 locations, concentrated in Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. The company’s nearly 6,500 employees serve close to 100,000 patients annually across all of its business lines, including home health, hospice, pediatrics, clinical decision support and personal care. Compassion Hospice will not rebrand and will retain its current leadership.

Provider partnerships driving palliative care growthHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/8/24An increasingly diverse base of health care providers have taken an interest in the palliative care space, a trend that could be indicative of how strategic growth is taking shape in the field. ... A range of palliative care joint ventures, care collaborations and partnerships have evolved in recent years as more health care providers work to address the needs of a swelling aging population.