Literature Review

The operational advantages of hiring seniors to provide home care Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/1/24Seniors Helping Seniors has long distinguished itself from other home care companies by hiring active seniors to serve as caregivers. Josh Obeiter — an owner of one of the company’s franchise locations — has seen even more added value from this strategy as the industry at large combats labor shortages. At Seniors Helping Seniors, the average age of an employee is around 70 years old, and 80% of caregivers are in their 60s and 70s, according to Obeiter.

Palliative care could be a game changer for public health Harvard Public Health, by Meredith Lidard Kleeman; 4/4/24California and Hawaii are pioneering ways to expand access. ... California is one of the first states in the country to require insurance companies that administer Medicaid benefits to fully cover palliative care services for eligible residents. ... Palliative care is poised to be a game changer for public health. Nearly 50 percent of states now include palliative care services for eligible Medicaid recipients, according to C-TAC. And in California and Hawaii, two paths are being forged toward wider palliative care access. ... 

Integration of palliative care across the spectrum of heart failure care and therapies: considerations, contemporary data, and challengesCurrent Opinion in Cardiology, by Sarah Chuzi and Katharine Manning; online ahead of May 1, 2024 printRecent findings: Patients with chronic heart failure [HF], as well as those who are being evaluated for or who have undergone advanced HF surgical therapies such as left ventricular assist device or heart transplantation, have a number of palliative care [PC] needs, including decision-making, symptoms and quality of life, caregiver support, and end-of-life care. ... PC skills and teams may also help address preparedness planning, adverse events, and psychosocial barriers in patients who have had HF surgeries, but more data are needed to determine association with outcomes.

Hospital CEO turnover up 36% in FebruaryBecker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 3/29/24Hospitals reported 15 CEO changes last month, marking a 36% increase from January. Hospitals announced 26 CEO changes total in the first two months of 2024, according to a March 29 report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an executive coaching firm that examines CEO turnover in the U.S. ... Across the 29 industries and sectors measured by the firm, there were 248 CEO changes in February, up 28% from the 194 CEO exits recorded the month prior. Last month's total marked the highest monthly total on record, according to the firm. Challenger, Gray & Christmas began tracking CEO exits 22 years ago. 

RNs are moving away from home health and hospice, federal survey reveals McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 4/2/24 Though the number of registered nurses continues to grow, fewer are working in home healthcare and hospice compared to years past, according to the latest national sample survey collected by the Health Resources & Services Administration. In 2018, there were 179,509 RNs working in home health and hospice, representing about 6% of the nursing workforce, according to an earlier national survey. HRSA’s latest count estimated that there were 173,808 RNs in home health and hospice in 2022, or only 5% of the workforce. 

Changes coming to Long Beach homeless center where 20 enrolled diedNBC TV 4 Los Angeles, by Mekahlo Medina; 4/3/24... Mayor Rex Richardson addresses the death of 20 residents at the Homekey Hotel, a transitional housing facility in Long Beach, where many employees say was understaffed to attend medical needs. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News on March 26, 2024. ... Long Beach said in its statement that “they will be continuing onsite partnerships with Healthcare in Action, Long Beach Community College nursing students, Wellbe Health, and Echo Hospice (palliative care). 

5 most challenging requirements in 2023 [for hospitals]: Joint Commission Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Mackenzie Bean; 4/3/24Maintaining infection prevention and control during disinfection and sterilization activities was the most challenging compliance standard for hospitals in 2023, according to The Joint Commission. The organization identified the top five requirements for which hospitals were most frequently out of compliance, based on surveys and reviews from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. ... [Click on the title's article for the 5 top challenges.]

Tool simplifies requests for palliative care consultsAmerican Association of Critical-Care Nurses; 4/2/24A simple screening tool integrated into the admissions process for critically ill patients can streamline requests for palliative care consultations, according to a study published in Critical Care Nurse (CCN). ... An initiative in the mixed surgical and medical ICU at Bon Secours Mercy Health Anderson, a 230-bed, community hospital in Cincinnati, sought to improve the process of requesting palliative care consultations. “ Integrating Palliative Care Screening in the Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project” demonstrates the potential impact of adding a simple screening tool at the point of admission to initiate automatic referrals for palliative care consultations.

PACS Group could raise $400 million in IPOMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas;   4/3/24PACS Group, one of the nation’s largest nursing home operators, could raise about $400 million in an initial public offering, according to a fresh round of documents filed this week. Utah-based PACS plans to offer 19.05 million shares of common stock when it goes public, with an estimated price of $20 to $22 per share. At the top of that range, the move to the New York Stock Exchange could net the company $429 million in value.

Survey shines light on health care discrimination against LGBTQ+ people  KFF Health News; 4/3/24Members of the LGBTQ+ community are twice as likely to experience discrimination in health care, a survey found. ... The survey, conducted by KFF, noted that members of the LGBTQ community have historically faced disparities while receiving health care, including challenges to accessing mental and physical health care. Editor's Note: This article includes specific examples from Utah, Colorado, and New Hampshire.

Estate gift boosts Hospice of the Foothills’ mission of compassionate careYubaNet.com, by Hospice of the Foothills; 3/27/24 Nonprofit Hospice of the Foothills is pleased to announce the receipt of a transformative estate gift generously bequeathed by Templeton Family Trust. This significant contribution underscores the enduring commitment of community members to support our mission of providing compassionate palliative, hospice, and bereavement services to those in need. John and Lucile Templeton, Hospice of the Foothills supporters, have exemplified the spirit of generosity and philanthropy. 

Art exhibit in Sandy centers experiences of grief OPB, by Sheraz Sadiq; 4/3/24 Art and writing prompts were used during grief support groups offered by Mt. Hood Hospice to help participants process their experience with grief. Dozens of pieces of artwork, poems and other forms of writing created during those sessions are featured in "Grief Made Visible," an exhibit now in its second year that will open on April 5 at AntFarm Café and Bakery in Sandy, OR.

Elevating quality, outcomes, and patient experience through Value-Based Care: CMS Innovation Center’s Quality PathwayNEJM Catalyst; by Susannah M. Bernheim, MD, MHS; Noemi Rudolph, MPH; Jacob K. Quinton, MD, MPH; Julia Driessen, PhD; Purva Rawal, PhD; and Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD; 4/3/24The U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is launching a new Quality Pathway to elevate patient-centered quality goals in the design and evaluation of alternative payment models. The Quality Pathway will align model design around quality goals; elevate outcomes and experience measures, particularly patient-reported outcomes; and ensure that evaluations have the ability to assess the impact of models on primary quality goals. These determinations will help the Innovation Center make critical decisions about which models to scale or expand in the pursuit of improving the quality of care for people with Medicare and Medicaid.