Literature Review

Rosalynn Carter’s impact on caregiversBy R. Lynn BarnettBlogKevin MDDecember 25, 2023...  As caregivers, we are the voice for others, but we also need to be a voice for ourselves. ... I wasn’t prepared, as many people aren’t, for the fiscal and physical aspects of caregiving. ... The toll that caregiving can take is often underrated, understated, and under-appreciated. ... Rosalynn Carter was known as a “Steel Magnolia,” showing the same inner fortitude and mettle, combined with grace, of the main characters in the film of the same name. I think all of us caregivers become steel magnolias. It’s not that we deserve a medal for our actions; we just deserve a little peace.[Editor's Note, Joy Berger for Hospice and Palliative Care Today: Rosalynn Carter founded the Institute for Caregiving 35 years ago, preparing for the surge of Baby Boomers' aging and caregiving needs. Her memorable quote lives on: "There are only four kinds of people in the world--those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers." Visit www.rosalynncarter.org for more information.

Ohio hospital, vendor hit with class action suit after data breachHealthcare DiveDecember 22, 2023A nonprofit hospital in Ohio and a medical transcription services company are facing a class action lawsuit after a data breach at the vendor earlier this year may have exposed personal and health information of nearly nine million people. The suit, filed this week in a district court in Ohio, alleges Salem Community Hospital and Perry Johnson & Associates, or PJ&A, waited six months to inform people who could have been affected by the breach, leaving patients vulnerable to identify theft. 

After the chaotic closure of a St. Louis nursing home, will others also shut down?St. Louis Post-DispatchDecember 24, 2023St. Louis, MO—The north St. Louis nursing home that closed abruptly last weekend, setting off a chaotic relocation of residents and layoffs of workers without warning, had been in decline for several years. ... Other area nursing homes face similar financial pressures and lingering damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. ... “I think we’re going to see a lot of nursing homes close, that’s my prediction—I mean a lot of nursing homes,” [Harvey] Tettlebaum [a lawyer who for decades has represented the Missouri Healthcare Association, a group for long-term health care organizations] said. “I think it’s going to escalate next year.” Among the most vulnerable are providers that primarily serve residents who rely on Medicaid. 

"I don't think there will ever be a time when the principles of Kwanzaa will not be important or timely. It's a great time for reflection and now more than ever our country needs to be reminded of unity." Kellie Carter JacksonHonoring Kwanzaa Celebrations: December 26, 2023 through January 1, 2024

State bill would allow doctor-assisted suicide in some casesKeene (NH) SentinelDecember 25, 2023A bill pending in the N.H. Legislature would allow doctors to prescribe medication some terminal patients could take to end their lives. Under House Bill 1283, which has bipartisan support, New Hampshire would join 11 other states that permit medical assistance in dying. Lawmakers will consider it in the legislative session that begins early next month. 

Hospice receives giftThe Journal (Martinsburg, WV)December 26, 2023Martinsburg, WV—Maria Lorensen, development director of Hospice of the Panhandle; Patrick Broderick, trustee; Mark Jordan, senior vide; Matt Butts, surgeon; Bob Affeldt, trustee; Linda Snidemiller, Ladies Auxiliary president; Pete Faith, junior vice; Steve Luthardt, quartermaster; and Art Schur, commander of the VFW Post 4019. The VFW presented Hospice with a $10,000 gift right before the holidays in gratitude for the agency’s care for veterans.

Truth-telling to the seriously ill child – Nurses’ experiences, attitudes, and beliefsNursing Ethics, Sage JournalsFirst published online December 21, 2023Mandy El Ali, Sharon Licquirish, Jenny O'Neill, and Lynn GillamBackground: Nurses play an integral role in the care of children hospitalised with a serious illness. Although information about diagnostics, treatments, and prognosis are generally conveyed to parents and caregivers of seriously ill children by physicians, nurses spend a significant amount of time at the child’s bedside and have an acknowledged role in helping patients and families understand the information that they have been given by a doctor. Hence, the ethical role of the nurse in truth disclosure to children is worth exploring.

Porter County nonprofits leave ARPA funds on the table because paperwork isn’t filled outPost-Tribune of Northwest Indiana (Gary, IN)/Chicago TribuneDecember 25, 2023Four hundred fifty thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at, yet VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana, a nonprofit Porter County chose to receive that share of $33 million in American Rescue Plan Act grant money, has yet to fill out the necessary paperwork to receive the hefty donation. 

Project welcomes veterans ‘Home for the Holidays’Valdosta (GA) Daily Times, 12/23/23Valdosta, GA—Home Instead, Heart of Hospice, and Chick-fil-A of North Valdosta recently hosted “Welcome Home for the Holidays Veterans.” The event was held at the Winn Dixie entrance located on North Ashley Street. Veterans were recognized for coming home for the holidays as many of them did not receive a warm welcome home from Vietnam. The first 50 veterans who walked out of Winn-Dixie were given a gift bag that included a Chick-fil-A free breakfast sandwich, an American flag and a flag lapel.

Artist paints ornaments for staff at Hospice after doing many for annual fundraiserOrleans Hub (Albion, NY), 12/22/23Albion, NY—After painting and donating 45 Christmas ornaments for Hospice of Orleans’ annual Light a Life fundraiser, local artist Carol Culhane wanted to do something for the staff at Hospice. Early in her career, Culhane worked in the nursing field and continues to have a lot of compassion for those who are ailing and their caregivers, especially at Hospice. This year Culhane decided to paint enough ornaments for the entire staff at Hospice, and she delivered them on Wednesday. “I’m hopeful this will encourage people to consider a donation to Hospice, perhaps when a loved one dies, instead of sending flowers, send a donation to Hospice or purchase an ornament in their loved one’s name,” Culhane said. “This is a nice way to remember a loved one and help a worthy organization.” [Administrative Assistant Bonnie] Reigle said Hospice is very grateful for what Culhane does for them.

La Marque man engineered iconic Tree of LightsGalveston (TX) Daily News, 12/23/23Hospice Care Team’s Tree of Lights has illuminated the island’s holiday skyline from atop The Daily News’ building for more than 30 years, but the story of how it came to be often isn’t explored. Back in 1989, Hospice Care Team, a nonprofit that provides hospice services without regard to client’s ability to pay, was looking to establish a fundraiser and came up with the idea of creating a Tree of Lights, on which donors could purchase bulbs to honor someone’s life. Great idea, but how to accomplish that? Enter Stanley Duitscher, who owned D Engineers Inc. in La Marque. ... “We had to be able to lower the tree when it’s not in service,” Duitscher, 91, recalled this week. “So, I incorporated a boat lift with a cable to raise it and lower it.” The tree is pretty much a ship’s mast with strands of lights draped off the top in the shape of a pine tree. The tree also had to be designed so that it would lie flat when not being used, so as not to be damaged by storms or even struck by lightning. His daughter, Minda Scherer, said his design fee was probably pretty reasonable. “He thinks he did it for charity, because he can’t find an invoice for the work,” she said.

We’re Thinking About Pain All WrongNew York Times, By Maia Szalavitz. Opinion Writer, 12/24/23For many years I’ve written about people suffering intractable pain, and how their agony and increased risk of suicide and death has been ignored in the rush to end the overdose crisis. ... Between five million and eight million Americans currently rely on opioids to treat chronic pain, and thousands need them for end-of-life pain at any given time. Despite their risks, opioids remain the best available pain treatment for many patients—and there is little evidence that addictions are prevented or treated by denying them to those who have already used them safely for years. Concerns about the harms associated with indiscriminate cutbacks have been raised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and major medical organizations. Nevertheless, doctors continue to abandon these patients while the overdose crisis worsens.

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