Literature Review

Home-focused PACE model continues to gain traction across US Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 3/19/24 A Georgia House Bill that would create a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was passed by the state senate earlier this month. House Bill 1078 passed in a 49 to 1 senate vote.Specifically, the bill creates a new adult day center licensure exclusion in order to authorize the Department of Community Health to establish and implement PACE in Georgia as part of the state’s medical assistance program. The Department of Community Health would manage the program. 

Student-run Arizona non-profit uses origami to connect with hospital [and hospice] patients The State Press, by Pippa Fung; 3/19/24The Wishing Crane Project, founded by Arizona student Charles Zhang, serves hospice and hospital patients through art. In the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, a young girl tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes in the hopes that it would help her push through a terminal illness. Years later, students across Arizona and at ASU are folding their own cranes [and writing hopeful messages] to support others through their difficult journeys.  Editor's Note: To Hospice Volunteer Directors/Managers, do you receive requests from high school students/groups requesting community service hours? Click here for The Wishing Crane Project.

Hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary BecerraHouse Ways and Means CommitteePublisher's note: CA Representatives Steel (@ 4:01) and Van Duyne (@ 4:14) ask pointed questions of Secretary Becerra regarding hospice fraud, particularly focused on Southern California. Thanks to Sheila Clark, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association, for sharing this link. Also, yesterday (3/20/24) Judi Lund Person, Lund Person & Associates Hospice Consulting, presented on this specific topic at the Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association Annual Conference.

Sunday newsletters focus on top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!

Book Review: The Journey’s EndAmerican Journal of Medical Quality, by Casey, Donald E. Jr MD, MPH, MBA; 3/24.Michael Connelly's "The Journey's End" is a highly engaging and insightful guide for bouth ourselves and our loved ones on how we ought to face death with dignity.

Transitions between skilled home health and hospice for persons living with dementia: a systematic review of literatureAnnals of Palliative Medicine, by Sharon E. Bigger, Robin Ann Foreman, Christiana Keinath, Gail L. Towsley; 3/24We found that persons living with dementia are at higher risk for early, unsuccessful discharge from-and readmission to-skilled skilled home health; and persons living with dementia are at higher risk for being discharged alive from hospice.

Empowering young voices: Navigating the complexities of minors in healthcare decisionsEuropean Journal of Pediatrics, by J Peter de Winter, Jaan Toelen, Gregorio Paolo Milani; 3/24The inclusion of children in healthcare decisions is a crucial element that requires attention to ethical, legal, and psychological considerations. Balancing autonomy with welfare interests and parental involvement is a significant challenge in pediatric healthcare ethics.

The determinants of actual place of death among noncancer patients with end-stage chronic health conditions: a scoping reviewPalliative Care and Social Practice, by Sangduan Ginggeaw and Raeann LeBlanc; 3/24.This scoping review describes the percentage of actual places of death and determines social factors related to home as the place of death among noncancer patients with end-stage chronic health conditions.Publisher's note: While this study did not establish clear cause-and-effect relationships between factors, the authors used interesting methods and included thoughtful discussion.

Psychedelic therapy: A primer for primary care clinicians - psilocybinAmerican Journal of Therapeutics, by Burton J Tabaac, Kenneth Shinozuka, Alejandro Arenas, Bryce D Beutler, Kirsten Cherian, Viviana D Evans, Chelsey Fasano, Owen S Muir; 3/24.Aside from ketamine, psilocybin is the most clinically well-researched psychedelic drug, with trials that have enrolled hundreds of participants and multiple therapeutic applications. Phase III trials will determine whether psilocybin lives up to the promise that it showed in previous clinical trials.

Health care worker education for palliative care in Africa: Narrative ReviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, by Claire Beecher, MD; David Holmes, MD; 3/14.The demand for palliative care for terminally ill patients is rising globally. This review examines the potential of health worker education to enhance palliative care in Africa... The integration of palliative care into public health systems is important for the sustainability of end-of-life care for terminally ill patients in Africa and around the world.Publisher's note: One cannot help but be reminded of the important work of the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa. The need remains...

State of the service: Pediatric palliative and hospice community-based service coverage in the United StatesJournal of Palliative Medicine, by Meaghann S. Weaver, MD, PhD, MPH, HEC-C; Tej Chana; Deb Fisher, PPCNP; Hope Fost; Betsy Hawley, MA; Kristin James, LCPC; Lisa C. Lindley, PhD, RN, FPCN, FAAN; Kaeli Samson, MA, MPH; Steven M. Smith, MD; Alix Ware, JD, MPH; and Christy Torkildson, PhD, RN, PHN; 11/23.Objective: To quantify and describe the inclusion of children in services, staffing, and care scope offered by community-based hospice organizations in the United States. Design and Subjects: This study utilized an online survey distributed to organizational members of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in the United States. Results: A total of 481 hospice organizations from 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico responded. Conclusions: Children remain underrepresented in the extension of care offered through community-based hospice organizations in the United States particularly in nonmetro settings.

Maryland health officials have applied for new federal ‘AHEAD model.’ Here’s what it means. Maryland Matters, by Danielle J. Brown; 3/20/24State health officials have placed their bid for Maryland to be among the first participants in a federal program that will help fund state initiatives to improve patient outcomes and bridge inequities, while constraining hospital and medical costs. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is rolling out the new States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model, called the AHEAD Model, and states are invited to apply for funding. 

Meet the 'Flower Lady': Crafting bouquets of comfort and compassion for hospice patients NBC 5 On Your Side, by Mike Bush; 3/19/24 In the heart of Evelyn's House, a hospice facility dedicated to providing comfort in life's final moments, resides 79-year-old Anne Hensley, affectionately dubbed the "flower lady" by staff and patients alike. ... Her lifelong passion for floral artistry has since blossomed into a symbol of solace and compassion within the halls of Evelyn's House. ... For Anne, her role as the "flower lady" is more than just arranging bouquets; it's a labor of love rooted in empathy and understanding.