Literature Review

The idea of a good daughterHealth Affairs; by Jennifer Beard; 12/24A public health professor and her mother failed to receive long-term care support from the health care system when they needed it most.

The Alliance celebrates the Dole Act becoming law, protecting burial benefits for veteransNational Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/7/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) issued the following statement in response to President Biden signing S. 141, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, into law on Thursday, January 2. This landmark legislation includes Section 301, Gerald’s Law, which addresses a critical gap in benefits for Veterans. Gerald’s Law ensures that families of terminally-ill Veterans receiving Veterans Affairs (VA)-furnished hospice care—whether at home, in a nursing home, or in another non-VA setting—retain access to their full VA burial allowance. “We are deeply grateful for the bipartisan support of Gerald’s Law and its inclusion in the Dole Act,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO for the Alliance. “This legislation ensures that Veterans and their families can choose hospice care in the setting that best meets their needs without risking the loss of crucial burial benefits. We thank Senators Moran, Tester, and Hassan, Representatives Ciscomani, Bost, Brownley, and Takano, and many others for their leadership, as well as President Biden for signing this important bill into law.”

Bride holds emotional dress reveal at hospital for her nana — fearing she wouldn’t be there on the big day Scoop; by Baisakhi Mishra; 1/4/25 Realizing her grandmother would miss her wedding, a bride-to-be makes her way to the hospital with a surprise that will warm your soul. Grandparents eagerly wait to see their grandchildren walk down the aisle. Perhaps, for them, it's like reliving a moment they've dreamed of since they first held their grandchildren in their arms. Through every milestone and memory, the grandparents patiently watch their grandchildren grow and dream about witnessing the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Similarly, months before her wedding, Gianna Huber (@gianna on TikTok) wanted to make her ailing grandmother, Jo Ann, feel truly special. Fearing her grandma might not make it to her big day, Huber planned a heartfelt surprise—a special wedding dress reveal just for Jo Ann.

Escambia County Fire Rescue grants a hospice wish to a 17-year-old Cantonment resident Pensacola News Journal; by Tony Giberson; 1/6/25Escambia County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Paul Williams and Lt. Darren Snipes visit with 17-year-old hospice patient Dalton Harvey and his family in the Cantonment area on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. During the visit, the ECFR presented Dalton with gifts, including a real firefighter's helmet.

Marshfield Clinic Health System joins Sanford Health HealthcareDive; by Susanna Vogel; 1/6/25 Dive Brief:

Daughter arrested for neglect after elderly mother found stuck to mattress The Augusta Press; by Greg Rickabaugh; 1/6/25 An elderly woman from Augusta was found in a state of severe neglect last week, prompting her daughter’s arrest. The 82-year-old was discovered incoherent and physically stuck to her mattress during a medical emergency on Dec. 30 at the home they shared on Rollingwood Drive, authorities said. When paramedics arrived at the family’s home, they found the woman non-responsive, with her skin literally adhered to the mattress due to untreated bedsores. She was rushed to Wellstar MCG Health, where she was stabilized. Authorities later arrested 54-year-old Tyrossale Peak, the woman’s daughter, charging her with neglect of a disabled or elderly adult. ... Investigators revealed that Peak had discontinued hospice care for her mother in June but failed to provide adequate care or maintain a safe living environment. 

Seven trends in senior living that will define 2025 and beyond McKnights Senior Living; by Michele Hollerand, PhD, MBA; 1/6/25 Senior living is in the midst of a major transformation, and seven major trends have emerged as key drivers of the strategic plans adopted by boards across the country. Those trends will shape the way organizations position themselves for the future to capture a new customer base in 2025 and beyond.

Masonicare completes merger with UMH, facility acquisition McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/6/25 Wallingford, CT-based Masonicare has completed its planned merger with United Methodist Homes, the companies said Thursday in a joint statement. Masonicare Corp. is Connecticut’s largest not-for-profit senior living and care organization, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing as well as short-term rehabilitation, respite care and hospice care. UMH, a 150-year-old organization, has five locations in the Nutmeg State. The communities provide independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and short-term rehab. The merger moves UMH under the Masonicare brand and extends to UMH access to Masonicare’s comprehensive continuum of care, the companies said.  Also on Jan. 2, Masonicare announced the acquisition of Atria Greenridge Place in Rocky Hill, CT, rebranding the assisted living and memory community to Masonicare at Greenridge Place.

Ascension Living residents, employees among 6 million affected by data breach McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/6/24 Senior living and care residents and employees are among the six million people Ascension said Dec. 19 that it was notifying of potential stolen personal information in the wake of a May 8 ransomware attack. The St. Louis-based nonprofit healthcare network, which includes Ascension Living, operator of three dozen senior living and care communities and also a provider of home care and hospice services, announced Dec. 19 that a review by third-party experts of the attack was complete. On that date, Ascension began notifying individuals whose personal information was involved and is providing them with free credit monitoring and identity protection services.

The Jimmy Carter White House Connection to Hospice & Palliative Care TodayCohen-Fyfe Communications; by Mark Cohen; 1/3/25Jimmy Carter’s impact on the hospice movement goes further than his very public decision to be admitted to hospice in February 2023 ... and even further than his administration’s decision in 1980 to launch the Hospice Demonstration Project that directly led to congressional passage of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, with strong bipartisan support, in 1981 during the first year of the Reagan Administration. How much further? You might not be reading this daily newsletter if were not for the Carter White House. If you were a fan of Hospice News Today, which I published from 2012 to 2023, and/or if you’re a fan of Hospice & Palliative Care Today, then you should know that Jimmy Carter(and his long-time senior aides Jody Powell and Hamilton Jordan) deserve some of the credit for these two unique daily environmental scans that have served the hospice movement now for more than a dozen years. ... [Fascinating story and with this spoiler alert:] So, Inauguration Day in 1977 found me walking into the Old Executive Ofice Building as the youngest person on the 369-person staf of The Office of the President. My job? One of six stafers who produced the daily News Summary for the President and nearly 200 senior oficials throughout the White House and the Cabinet and executive agencies. [Click on the title's link to read more.]Editor's note: As President Carter's body is taken to the Capitol today, we celebrate the simple moments that can change the course of another's life. Did you read Jimmy Carter's questions to the young Mark Cohen? At Hospice & Palliative Care Today, we are grateful for Mark's journey and long-lasting impact. What interest are you taking in the lives of those who serve in your organization? May we pause. Learn. And live.

Hospice M&A market to ‘return to sanity’ in 2025 Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/2/25The hospice mergers and acquisitions market has seen a host of changes in recent years, with buyers and sellers examining a range of risks and opportunities in the field this year. The industry saw a flurry of M&A activity in 2019 and 2020, with record high valuations and deal volume. Subsequent years saw cooling periods that left many operators wondering what’s next in store as 2025 unfolds. The previous “buy, buy, buy” mentality among hospice investors has morphed into a more disciplined strategic approach, according to New Day Healthcare LLC CEO G. Scott Herman. Certain lessons learned are driving future hospice investment decisions, particularly those around valuations and keys to sustainable growth, Herman said during a recent Hospice News Elevate podcast. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

‘Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable’: Coloradans gather at Death Cafes to discuss mortalityKUNC; by Gabe Allen; 1/1/25 On the first Sunday afternoon of each month, a cozy table tucked between bookshelves in the back corner of the Bean Fosters coffee shop in Golden becomes a portal to the other side. Agroup of people, some newcomers and some regulars, gather to eat homemade baked goods, drink tea and coffee and talk about the ultimate taboo: death. Karen Keeran, a death doula and former hospice aide, organizes the Golden Death Cafe. ... “It’s an open forum,” she said. “We’re here to talk about anything related to death and dying.” The discussion never strayed from mortality, yet there was a lightness and optimism to it. Death Cafe, a loosely affiliated international organization, claims to have no guiding ethos or philosophy, yet its participants are united by at least one shared idea. The belief that death is just another part of life — and we should talk about it a whole lot more.