Literature Review

WVU Health to acquire Independence, invest $800M in upgrades Modern Healthcare; by Hayley DeSilva; 11/19/25 Key Takeaways

New tool predicts dementia years before onset Medscape; by Megan Brooks; 11/14/25 A new predictive tool combining amyloid PET data with key clinical factors estimates an individual’s lifetime risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia years before symptoms, potentially transforming the way risk is assessed. The model combines age, sex, APOE-ε4 status and findings on amyloid PET scans, with amyloid PET results having the largest effect on risk. The lifetime and 10-year absolute risk for MCI and dementia in older adults with normal cognition increased continuously with increasing centiloid value for all combinations of sex and APOE-ε4 status.

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. ~ Jane Goodall

How clinicians prenatally discuss management options and outcomes for congenital heart disease Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Samantha Syme, Kelsey Schweiberger, Judy C Chang, Ann Kavanaugh-McHugh, Nadine A Kasparian, Robert M Arnold, Kelly W Harris; 11/27/25 Online ahead of printA prenatal diagnosis of complex congenital heart disease (cCHD) introduces significant emotional, social, and financial stress for families. ... Fetal cardiology consultations offer an important opportunity to support families navigating uncertainty following a prenatal diagnosis of CHD. Clinicians approached these conversations with empathy and a focus on long-term outcomes, though discussions about management options varied. There is an opportunity for increased presentation and integration of palliative care consultants as a longitudinal, family-centered resource, regardless of mortality risk, which may enhance supports available to families during this highly emotional period.

I have always wanted to be me, without making it be difficult for you to be you. ~ Howard Thurman

UConn Health’s palliative care growth continues: Expanding staff and services in both hospital and outpatient settings UConn; by Chris DeFrancesco; 12/1/25 Health’s expanded palliative care services continue to grow, spanning hospital patients to ambulatory patients, with or without cancer. Palliative care referrals in the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center are up 31% from last year, and 600% since inception in 2017. Referrals for inpatient palliative care consultations, which started two years ago, are up 35% from last year. A year ago, Dr. Mary Buss and Dr. Germaine Soliman established an outpatient palliative care clinic for patients dealing with conditions other than cancer. Since opening, it has seen more than 130 patients over nearly 450 visits.

Bipartisan senators: Keep hospice out of Medicare Advantage Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/21/25 Two U.S. Senators have penned a letter to congressional leadership urging them to oppose any measures to bring hospice reimbursement into Medicare Advantage. Sens. Dr. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) circulated the letter on Thursday, addressed to Senate leaders from both major political parties, as well as the chair and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. 

A geriatrician explains: Supporting loved ones through end-of-life care BlackDoctor; by Jasmine Smith with video by Dr. Cheryl E. Woodson; 11/30/25 In this video, Dr. Cheryl E. Woodson shares why clear, thoughtful planning is not about how someone wants to die—it’s about understanding the conditions under which living is still meaningful to them. End-of-life decisions should not fall on distraught family members in crisis; they should be guided by the person’s own values, documented long before these decisions ever need to be made.

Combating durable medical equipment fraudOIG video; 11/25/25Durable Medical Equipment (DME) refers to medical devices prescribed by a health care provider to help patients manage health conditions and is essential for millions of people. DME includes medical devices like wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, and glucose monitors. Unfortunately, DME is a frequent target for fraud – costing taxpayers billions of dollars and putting patients at risk. [Click above to view a three-minute video on this topic.]

[United Kingdom] Hospice to close dementia support service BBC News, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, UK; by Emma Petrie; 11/30/25 A hospice in Lincoln has announced the closure of a dementia support service because they say it is no longer financially viable. The Admiral Nurse Service, funded by St Barnabas Hospice, will close from March 2026. Admiral nurses are specialist dementia nurses who work across the UK to provide free advice and support to families and individuals living with dementia.

Awards and Recognitions: November 2025

Countryside Memory Center and St. Benedict’s House marks 45 years of service Capital Journal, South Dakota; by Iain Woessner; 11/29/25 Countryside Memory Center and St. Benedict’s House is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, marking more than four decades of support for patients, families and caregivers in the Pierre community. The organization, established in 1980 and incorporated two years later, originally operated as a hospice program. While hospice care eventually transitioned to St. Mary’s Hospital in 2003, Countryside expanded its mission, launching several new services that continue to shape its identity today.

'It has made my life a lot easier': New Ohio program pays people to care for their loved ones at homeWTOL-11, Columbus, OH; by Kevin Landers; 11/24/25 Mark Straub, of Delaware County, started caring for his 93-year-old mother about two years ago. As much as he loves to have his mother at home instead of a nursing home, caring for a loved one 24/7 brings with it stress, both emotional and financial. ... The average cost of in-home care in Ohio is $60,238, according to CareScout. The average cost of nursing home care is $108,500 a year, or about $9,000 per month. Thanks to a new program in Ohio, those who care for a loved one at home are about to get financially easier. It’s called Structured Family Caregiving, or SFC. Currently, at least 11 states have formal Medicaid SFC programs that pay family members. “I didn’t believe it at first, until I got that first paycheck and I really wanted to cry, “ said Tsavaris.