Literature Review

Worcester hospital nurses file complaints over 'dangerous conditions' MassLive.com, by Susannah Sudborough; 1/30/24Nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester have filed official complaints with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other state agencies over “dangerous conditions” they say are jeopardizing patient safety, the state’s largest nurse’s union announced Tuesday. The complaints are based on over 500 reports made by nurses over the last six months that detail issues such as staffing deficiencies and poor allocation of technology, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, said in a press release.

Video raises concerns about a father’s final days in senior care homeThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution Online, by Allie Gross; 1/30/24A 78-year-old veteran's final days at a Georgia senior care home, Savannah Court of Lake Oconee, raise troubling questions about care at the facility and the state's oversight. The new concerns come as the facility faces possible closure with a second license revocation hearing scheduled for Jan. 30, 2024.

Psychedelic therapy debate returns to Missouri General AssemblyMissouri Independent, by Rebecca Rivas; 1/30/24Numerous clinical studies nationwide have shown positive results from using psilocybin to treat PTSD, depressiona and substance use. Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. ... In the House Veterans Committee on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Aaron McMullen of Independence plans to present an amended version of the bill that would limit its scope to only veterans. The suicide rate among veterans in Missouri is nearly double the state rate and one of the highest in the country. ... McMullen, a veteran who served in a combat unit in Afghanistan, told The Independent, “While psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue, it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.”

Hospice fraud back in the spotlight, with new data also raising questions about home health careHome Health Care News, by Robert Holly; 1/30/24The number of hospice providers enrolled in the Medicare program in four states has skyrocketed over the past few years. The jaw-dropping spike, in turn, has triggered increased oversight efforts – some of which may not be having the desired effect. A similar trend could be happening in home health care in one major county, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data suggests. In hospice, the surge of new providers and potentially fraudulent activities has been concentrated in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. In home health care, it’s Los Angeles County.

Predictors of early hospice or death in patients with inoperable lung cancer treated with curative intentClin Lung Cancer, by Siddharth Ramanathan, Kimberly A Hochstedler, Anna M Laucis, Benjamin Movsas, Craig W Stevens, Larry L Kestin, Michael M Dominello, Inga S Grills, Martha Matuszak, James Hayman, Peter A Paximadis, Matthew J Schipper, Shruti Jolly, Thomas P Boike; Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium; NCBI published 1/31/24Introduction: Treatment for inoperable stage II to III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) involves chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). However, some patients transition to hospice or die early during their treatment course. We present a model to prognosticate early poor outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with curative-intent CRT.

More Quebecers donated organs after MAID but Canada needs standardized data: studyThe Canadian Press, by Camille Bains; 1/29/24Quebec researchers say organ donation appears to be increasing among people who received an assisted death but they're calling for greater collaboration to support those who choose to give, along with respect for their autonomy and dignity.

Ethical issues in pain and palliationCurr Opin Anaesthesiol, by Marco Cascella, Alessandro Laudani, Giuliana Scarpati, Ornella Piazza; 1/30/24Summary: Palliative care in the ICU should involve a multidisciplinary team, to mitigate patients suffering and futility. Providing spiritual support in the ICU is an important aspect of holistic patient care too. Increasingly sophisticated tools for diagnosing and treating pain, as those involving artificial intelligence, might favour disparities in access, cause informed consent problems, and surely, they need prudence and reproducibility. Pain clinicians worldwide continue to face the ethical dilemma of prescribing opioids for patients with chronic noncancer pain. Balancing the need for effective pain relief with the risk of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose is a very controversial task.

Adventist Health re-establishes in-home and hospice care in Paradise and Butte CountyKRCR TV, by Hannah Gutierrez; 1/23/24PARADISE, Calif. — Adventist Health has announced that in-home and hospice care services have been re-established for residents in Paradise and Butte County. Adventist Health a faith-based non-profit health system, has served the Paradise community for more than half a century.

It is going to be a bad year (or more) for the Medicare businessWall Street Journal, by David Wainer; 1/25/24America’s seniors are going to keep up their elevated use of the medical system throughout the year. That is the message from Humana’s earnings release on Thursday, which is sending stocks of insurance giants sliding.

Increasing access to care: Designing a blended curriculum to educate adult hospice nurses in caring for pediatric patientsNursing Forum, by Paige L. McDonald, Samia M. Abdallah, Laurie B. Lyons, and Deborah Fisher; 1/29/24Access to care for pediatric hospice patients is inhibited by a lack of providers specifically educated to care for pediatric patients. Education that seeks to address this gap in care must develop the specific knowledge and skills required to care for pediatric patients, and this education must also be delivered in a format that enables convenient access to providers. 

Love, Valentines … and snacksjournal-news.net; 1/29/24In just a couple of short weeks, Hospice of the Panhandle’s Education Center, once again will turn into a Valentine snack center. And the end result will be that thousands of snacks, ranging from granola bars to raisins to potato chips to candy, will be distributed to Hospice providers and supporters as a thank you during Valentine’s season.

8-year-old girl with terminal illness becomes honorary K-9 officer BNN, by Wojciech Zylm; 1/28/24Eight-year-old Elayah Chance, a Plainfield resident living with a terminal genetic condition, had her dream come true as she was sworn in as an honorary K-9 officer. This heartwarming event was a joint effort by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana and the Plainfield Police Department. Partnered with Officer Rob Prichard and his K-9 companion, Jocko, Elayah spent an unforgettable Saturday responding to calls and serving her community in a way she had always dreamt of.