Literature Review

It’s unbelievable how retired congresswoman’s son found her months before deathRolling Out, by Darryl Maxie; 1/8/24Though she was 89 years old, trailblazing politician Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) should not have died on Dec. 31.  ... [She was] the first nurse ever elected to Congress. ... Johnson’s family plans to sue Baylor Scott & White Health, claiming negligent post-surgery care at the hospital’s rehabilitation center led to the death of the woman known as EBJ, who represented the Dallas area in Congress for 30 years.

This Florida resort gives critically ill children the chance to just be kidsUSA Today, by Eve Chen; 1/9/24Eight-year-old Zachary Doyle was in hospice when his family got a chance for one more adventure. “We adopted Zachary when he was 7 weeks old, and he had spina bifida and hydrocephalus, which at the time seemed like manageable diagnoses that we could tackle as a family,” his mom, Susan Doyle. ... She said he underwent around 40 brain and heart surgeries like ”a champ,” but ran out of treatment options last year. “We were pretty resigned to being at home and finishing out the end at home,” Doyle said. That was until Zachary was granted a rush wish trip to Walt Disney World through Gentle Shepherd Hospice in Lynchburg, Virginia. 

Public policy: Potential bills from multiple states

Second-hand sales turn into second-chance grantsThe Daily Yonder - Keep It Rural, by Bill Bishop; 1/9/24A non-profit store in La Grange, Texas, called Second Chance Emporium created a "virtuous circle" of community-donated items that turn into grants that support that and other communities. ... The year Second Chance has made $583,000 in grants. ... The community has a stake in the store. For example, the local hospice organization even hosts an annual fashion show fundraiser with people decked out in things they picked up at Second Chance. 

What Amazon's latest healthcare play could mean for ASCsBecker's ASC Review, by Paige Haeffele; 1/8/23Amazon launched digital health monitoring services through a partnership with Omada Health. Omada's more than 20 million members are eligible to enroll in the service through Amazon, according to a Jan. 8 post on Amazon's website. ... Sri Sundaram, MD, an electrophysiologist at South Denver Cardiology Associates, told Becker's: "From a patient's perspective, it's only positive. From a physician's perspective, it can be overwhelming. I get daily reports from patients about abnormal recordings from their wearables. How do I respond when only the wearable is abnormal? Keeping up with this data and questions from patients has already become demanding."Editor's Note: What implications might such wearables have for palliative and hospice care?

Home healthcare company agrees to pay nearly $10 million to resolve false claims act allegations relating to its participation in the energy employees occupational illness compensation programOffice of Public Affairs; 1/5/24Atlantic Home Health Care LLC (AHH), a home health care agency operating in Arizona and eight other states, has agreed to pay $9,990,944 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP or the Energy Program), a healthcare program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) for the benefit of Department of Energy employees and contractors with occupational illnesses.

2024 Hospice News outlook survey and reportHospice News; 1/9/24From rising industry challenges to the latest technology investments, participants of this year’s Hospice Outlook Survey shared their take on the industry’s obstacles and growth opportunities in the year ahead. Hospice News is pleased to share these survey results, revealing how providers are:

Well-being of older adults, workforce prioritized in executive orderMcKnights Senior Living, by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 1/8/24The well-being of older adults and members of the direct care workforce has become a top priority in Maryland with the recent signing of an executive order meant to address challenges related to the state’s aging population. Senior living industry representatives say the effort has “tremendous” potential for operators in the state.

Lamar Hospice receives large donationsThe Prowers Journal, by Russ Baldwin; 1/8/24The Lamar Area Hospice Association was recently the beneficiary of two large and generous donations, totaling $66,000; presented to them by the Lamar Hospice Fundraising Committee.

Home health is fastest-growing component of national health spendingMcKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/8/24Year-over-year growth in the home health space was 13.5% in October, making it the fastest-growing component of national health spending, according to Altarum’s monthly Health Sector Economic Indicators brief, released Thursday. 

How to ensure your passwords don't die with youCyberGuy Report, by Kurt Knutsson; 1/7/24As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, we need to consider how it affects our legacy and our loved ones. There are some uncomfortable but necessary end-of-life conversations we should all have with our loved ones, but passwords usually aren’t one of them. Yet with so much of our professional, personal and financial life online, it is more important now to include how to handle your digital life in those conversations.  

Assisted living scrutiny by lay media continues into new yearMcKnights Senior Living, by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 1/8/24It’s been a rough few months for the assisted living sector as lay media reports put a spotlight on the varying — or a lack of — regulations covering operators, a situation they said has led to tragic outcomes for some residents. Georgia assisted living operators are the latest to come under scrutiny. ... Industry advocates say that it is unfair to paint all providers with one brush, but they acknowledge that the attention is a reminder that “good policies and procedures, routine staff training, and oversight to ensure staff are following the policies are vital for providing great care.”

Grief counseling