Literature Review

Two documentaries could bring attention, not all of it wantedMcKnights Senior Living - Editors' Columns; by Lois A. Bowers; 5/13/24 The past couple of weeks have brought news of two upcoming documentaries that promise to shine a spotlight on senior living, warts and all. One, “Caregiving,” will focus on professional and family caregivers “as the United States’ long-term care system threatens to tip into crisis,” according to public media station WETA. The two-hour film will debut on PBS in spring 2025. No doubt the project will draw attention because one of the executive producers is Bradley Cooper, who was a caregiver to his late father when he had lung cancer. "That was a wake-up call for me, ..." he said ... Another project premieres sooner — [today 5/14], in fact — on Paramount+. Whereas “Caregiving” includes someone famous, “Pillowcase Murders” centers on someone infamous, at least to the readers of McKnight’s Senior Living. The three-part docuseries is about the actions of convicted killer Billy Chemirmir, who was sentenced for two murders and suspected in the deaths of more than two dozen older adults in Texas, most of whom were women residents of senior living communities.

Around the nation: Steward Health Care puts hospitals up for sale following bankruptcyAdvisory Board; 5/10/24Steward Health Care, which filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, has placed all its 31 hospitals in the United States up for sale in hopes of finalizing transactions by the end of the summer to address its $9 billion debt, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Georgia, Illinois, and Texas.

Why Walmart’s exit from healthcare is a wake-up call to providers Modern Healthcare; by Marty Bonick; 5/10/24 Marty Bonick is president and CEO of Nashville, Tennessee-based Ardent Health. Try healthcare, they said. It will be easy. There's so much to improve, they said. We can do it better. While "they" — the retailers and disruptors once keen to transform healthcare — weren't completely wrong, there's no doubt this thinking has shifted in recent months. ... Walmart's decision to shutter its health clinics and virtual care services is the latest high-profile exit in the retail health sector. Already this year, Walgreens has announced plans to close 160 VillageMD clinics while Amazon cut jobs within its One Medical unit and Optum is closing its telehealth business. 

A narrative review of risk mitigation strategies in the management of opioids for chronic pain and palliative care in older adults: interprofessional collaboration with the pharmacist Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Insaf Mohammad, Candice L Garwood, Lisa Binns-Emerick Key content and findings: A variety of risk mitigation strategies to improve safety for older adults using opioids exist. They include risk assessment, tapering opioids, reducing high-risk concomitant medications, utilizing non-opioid therapies, screening for and treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), toxicology testing, co-prescribing naloxone, utilizing controlled substance agreements, reviewing prescription drug monitoring program data, prescriber and patient education, and collaboration with pharmacists and palliative care specialists.

Obie the therapy dog promoted to chief morale officer at North Devon Hospice DevonLive; by Lewis Clarke; 5/10/24 A therapy dog has received his first official promotion after bringing comfort and smiles to patients, families, and staff at North Devon Hospice. Last month, pet therapy dog Obie was awarded the title of chief morale officer in recognition of his work helping patients and loved ones staying on the hospice’s bedded unit to enjoy cuddles and companionship. As well as being popular with those receiving care, Obie is also a welcome visitor for staff at the hospice. 

Investing in employee engagement can add a competitive advantageHomeCare; by Jeffrey Knapp; 5/9/24You cannot pay people enough to care. But it is possible to attract and retain great talent and bring out the best in them by fully engaging employees in a shared purpose, giving them a sense that their work is worthwhile and that they are making a difference in the world. That is the culture effect on health care staffing. ... For leaders who want either to start building or to invest more in a culture infrastructure, do not forget these essential steps: 

Vitas Healthcare names four leaders to its executive team: Melad, Escueta, Dr. Loftis, DurkinInvestorsObserver; 5/13/24Vitas Healthcare proudly announces the addition of four new leaders to its executive management team, including the promotions of Jennifer Melad, Martin Escueta and Lauren Loftis, MD. The hospice company also welcomes Vicky Durkin as its latest newly hired executive. Healthcare proudly announces the addition of four new leaders to its executive management team, including the promotions of Jennifer Melad, Martin Escueta and Lauren Loftis, MD. The hospice company also welcomes Vicky Durkin as its latest newly hired executive. 

Nurse Practitioner care, scope of practice, and end-of-life outcomes for nursing home residents with dementia JAMA Health Forum - JAMA Network; by Cyrus M. Kosar, PhD; Bishnu B. Thapa, MPA, PhD; Ulrike Muench, RN, PhD; Christopher Santostefano, RN, MPH; Emily A. Gadbois, PhD; Hyesung Oh, MA, MBA; Pedro L. Gozalo, PhD; Momotazur Rahman, PhD; Elizabeth M. White, APRN, PhD; 5/10/24 Question: Is nurse practitioner (NP) care associated with end-of-life outcomes for nursing home residents with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD), and do these associations differ between states with full vs restrictive NP scope of practice regulations? Findings: The results of this cohort study including 334 618 US nursing home residents with ADRD indicated that decedents with greater NP involvement at end of life had fewer hospitalizations and higher hospice use. The adjusted differences in outcomes between decedents with extensive vs minimal NP care were larger in states with full scope of practice regulations than in states with restrictive regulations.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and activist Denella Clark join forces to help women giving care to terminally ill loved ones MSN / The Boston Globe; by Adrian Walker; 5/11/24  Ayanna Pressley and Denella James Clark are sisters in a sorority no one wants to join. The congresswoman and the educator-activist are both women who have lost their mothers. Or, more precisely, women who have shared the experience of being principal caregivers to mothers who are terminally ill. ... As they supported each other in the process of grieving, Pressley and Clark thought of the many people — especially the many women — who act as caregivers to their loved ones in the final stages of their lives. So this Mother’s Day Weekend they are launching the Pressley-James Lovin’ Gestures Fund, which will provide financial help to people providing care to terminally ill close relatives. ...

Event raises $47,000 for Tillery Compassionate Care

Can virtual reality help ease the end of life? MDLinx; Originally published on Université de Montréal News; 5/10/24 A sunny beach under an azure sky in Mexico, a bustling market in Reykjavik, a sparkling lake in Quebec’s Laurentians, a string quartet playing Bach… What if we could offer individuals in palliative care a whole range of peaceful, familiar or exhilarating experiences that they could enjoy from the comfort of their chair? What if such experiences could not only allow them to travel, discover, explore and relax, but also decrease their anxiety and physical pain? Neuropsychologist Jhon Alexander Moreno, a professor in Université de Montréal’s Department of Psychology and a researcher at the Montreal University Institute of Geriatrics Research Centre, decided to take up the challenge.

House Committee vote gives hope to extending telehealth, hospital at home waivers Health Leaders; by Eric Wicklund; 5/9/24 The House Ways and Means Committee has voted to advance the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital and Ambulance Access Act (HR 8261), which would, among other things,  continue pandemic-era Medicare waivers enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for telehealth access and coverage through 2026 and extend the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for an additional five years, to the end of 2029.

Ridgewood author's book explores the mishaps and inspiration in caring for Mom full-time Daily Record; by Marsha A. Stoltz; 5/10/24 How do you cope when the mother and child roles get reversed? In his book, "A Cup of Tea on the Commode," Ridgewood native Mark Porro recounts his 3½ years of caring for his 89-year-old mother, Genevieve, ... Porro was the least likely of Genevieve's six children to assume charge of her care ...  "[A] sense of humor is necessary, no matter how dark," he said. Hence the book's title, a reference to serving his mother a cup of tea "to make Mom's adventures on the commode a tad more pleasant." ...