Literature Review

Hospice volunteering isn't for everyone but a rewarding way to give back News Talk 830 WCCO; by Susie Jones; 12/27/24 Volunteering is big part of the holiday season for some, with people wanting to help others even in difficult times. Being a hospice volunteer isn't for everyone.  It can certainly be scary to sit with someone who is dying. "It's not just a job, it's not just a volunteer gig, and I can always, always welcome new volunteers," says Allina Health hospice program administrator Erika Schuld. However, Schuld says it can be very rewarding. "You're in these really intimate, vulnerable settings, and you just form bonds really quickly, and it really is our honor in hospice to walk along with patients and families," explains Schuld. Doctor Glen Varns is the medical director of the program and he says volunteers do not administer medication. Instead they do other things to support families. Editor's note: The CMS standard 42 CFR §418.78(e) requires hospices to use volunteers for at least 5% of patient care hours. This was waived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then reinstated May 11, 2023 when the Public Health Emergency (PHE) officially expired. CMS's volunteer requirement is unique to hospice care. Ensure that your hospice provides appropriate selection, background checks, required TB tests, job descriptions for different volunteer roles, matching of the volunteer to the best role, training, supervision, and tracking of hours for CMS's requirement. Additionally, your hospice must adhere to applicable state laws and internal HR Policies and Procedures regarding volunteers. Click here for the CMS standard.

Sierra Hills employees strike for safer conditions to live and work Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne, WY; by Noah Zahn; 12/26/24 Employees at Sierra Hills Assisted Living protested Thursday outside the facility after Edgewood Healthcare, which owns Sierra Hills, has refused to budge in negotiations for safer working conditions for employees and residents after more than 10 months of negotiation. “We did include many things in our contract proposal that we feel will really benefit the residents,” said Taylor Ewig, who has been a CNA at Sierra Hills for around 10 years. ... There are currently between 70 and 80 residents at the facility and around eight under hospice care. Ewig and other CNAs participating in the strike said that many of the Sierra Hills residents are supportive of the strike. The issues began at the facility when Sierra Hills implemented a hospice care service a few years ago, shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... The company hires hospice nurses who are only on the facility about two hours per week, according to Sierra Hills staff. The rest of that time, the burden of care for the resident falls to the staffed CNAs and RNs.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100 Associated Press (AP), Atlanta, GA; by Bill Barrow; 12/29/24 Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. ...

Love remains the greatest gift of all The Eagle-Tribune; Commentary by Raymond Hackett, Jr.;  12/28/24 On Christmas Eve in the year 2000, an article I wrote, "Love is the greatest gift of all," was published in the Haverhill Gazette, a sister paper to The Eagle-Tribune. At the time, my grandmother Frances V. (Anderson) Marchand Mears, was a resident of Penacook Place nursing home on Water Street in Haverhill. She was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. As young as 6 years old I knew I loved writing. That year I handed my grandmother a birthday card I made for her on her St. Patrick's Day. ... She has since passed. However, on Oct. 7 of this year, we found ourselves at Penacook Place again, this time to bring our father, Raymond Hackett. It was a difficult day for my family. We knew he was at that stage of Alzheimer's disease when he really needed 24-hour care. ... A hospice nurse showed up and checked my father's vital signs. ... My father died about a month later on Dec. 15, but we forever have that day, when we left the nursing home saddened and facing the inevitable. We also left with the knowledge that blessings come in many – sometimes unexpected – ways, and that love will always and forever be the greatest gift of all.

Statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; by Matt Wilkinson; 12/29/24 With profound sadness, Tom Koutsoumpas, CEO of the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the leading advocate for not-for-profit advanced illness, hospice, and palliative care providers, today released the following statement on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter: “With heavy hearts, NPHI joins the nation in mourning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter — an incredible statesman and humanitarian. His long and impactful life, spanning almost a century, is reflective of a steadfast dedication to service. As a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, he will be remembered for his persistent efforts in seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, and promoting economic and social development. When President Carter chose to receive hospice care in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, he and his family made the decision that countless others do — to receive care in the comfort and solace of their homes, surrounded by the love and support of family. President Carter’s nearly two-year journey in hospice care highlights its profound value, challenging the misconception that hospice is solely for the final days of life. His experience illustrates how hospice can provide comfort, dignity, and compassion for those navigating life’s final chapter. Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the entire Carter family and to those who drew inspiration from his life’s extraordinary work.” 

EverHeart Hospice expands and offers growth in the community Mercer County Outlook, Mercer County, OH; 12/19/24 EverHeart Hospice is thrilled to announce the opening of its newly expanded Inpatient Care Center. This significant milestone marks a new chapter in their commitment to providing compassionate care to patients and families experiencing life-limiting illnesses. The grand opening event, held in their new space on the 3rd floor of Wayne HealthCare, was a resounding success, bringing together community members, healthcare professionals, and local dignitaries. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the new space, which featured enhanced patient rooms, advanced medical equipment, and comfortable family areas designed to create a serene and supportive environment.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. ~ Click here for its history: "... Well-known in many parts of the world with variations in lyrics and melody. Participants in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s sang this powerful anthem as they faced their oppressors with strength and dignity." Selected for Today's Encouragement to honor the December 26th start of Kwanzaa and its 7 candles:

Musician mom, 31, enters hospice in final days, writes song for young son: 'My art is all I have to leave behind'People, by Jordan Greene; 1/25/24Cat Janis shared her final wish – for her song 'Dance You Outta My Head' which she wrote for her 7-year-old son — to go viral. Editor's note: Click here for a follow-up article we posted on 2/19/24 about her song having hit number 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. 

An innovative take on transforming hospice spaces with Buildner for better well-being Arch Daily; 12/19/24 Buildner has announced the results of its Hospice - Home for the Terminally Ill competition, the third in a series of architectural idea challenges focused on creating compassionate spaces for individuals facing terminal illnesses. This competition encouraged architects to move beyond traditional medical models, designing environments that prioritize comfort, dignity, and community. Participants were tasked with envisioning a facility for up to 15 visitors and five staff members, incorporating essential spaces such as a library-equipped common area, gathering room, chapel, kitchen, dining area, nurse's station, and therapy room for psychological support. Designs were grounded in theoretical sites within participants' home countries, allowing for the integration of local cultural, social, and environmental contexts. The competition highlighted how innovative, thoughtful design can provide solace and strength during life's most difficult moments. ...

National Alliance for Care at Home and Transcend Strategy Group publish Rural American Hospice Insights Report National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 12/19/24The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and Transcend Strategy Group published the results of new research exploring perceptions of hospice care among rural and small-town communities. This survey of 400 people is part of the Alliance’s commitment to health equity and to breaking down barriers to accessing hospice and home care through knowledge sharing, data collection, and collaborative discussion. Along with key research findings, the Rural American Hospice Insights report offers recommendations for hospice providers to help increase understanding of hospice care and help overcome barriers to access. Key findings and recommendations include:

Just be a good person. Love who you can, help where you can, give what you can. ~LessonsLearnedInLifeInc.

10 Years of making the world a more livable place for all bereaved people Evermore; by Joyal Mulheron, Executive Director; 12/21/24   Fourteen years ago today, I was sitting on my couch, trying to make sense out of what just happened to our family. Our terminally ill daughter, Eleanora, had died a few weeks prior. While others sang holiday songs and gleefully exchanged gifts, it was a profoundly painful, dark, and isolating time for me. Within a few short years, I quit my career because I saw tragedies saturating our national headlines, leaving a trail of unseen and unsupported bereaved people in their wake, and I believed our nation should prioritize the needs of all bereaved people. ... This is what I set out to change. ... Evermore’s groundbreaking advocacy efforts resulted in our nation’s first Report to Congress, which provided an overview of grief and bereavement services in the United States. Next year, a report analyzing more than 8,000 scientific studies will be published, reviewing the highest quality interventions for bereaved people — which was championed by Evermore and endorsed by Congress. Editor's note: Click on the title's link to continue reading Evermore's trailblazing, state-of-the-art leadership and advocacy with Congress, with the government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Newsweek, PBS, Harvard's Public Health magazine, Penn State, the University of California, and more. Click here to join Evermore's mailing list, and to learn from Joyal Mulhuron, Evermore's innovative, inspirational Founder/Executive Director. 

Trends in private equity acquisition of pain management practicesJAMA Network Open; Geronimo Bejarano, MPH; James E. Eubanks, MD, MS; Robert T. Braun, PhD; 12/24Pain has the highest health care spending in the US and is expected to increase with the aging population, which may entice private equity acquisitions of pain management practices. Private equity has increasingly acquired physician practices and acquisitions are associated with higher spending, utilization of more expensive treatments, and increasing patient volume. In this cross-sectional study of private equity acquisitions of pain management practices, we found a rise in acquisitions over the last decade with almost 1 in 10 pain management physicians affiliated with a private equity–owned pain management practice. [The] ... high amount of consolidation within certain states poses concerns for private equity to have enough market power to control care delivery of several procedure-based specialties, including pain management. Policymakers and the Federal Trade Commission have taken notice of the harms of increases in both health care consolidation and private equity acquisitions, and there are ongoing efforts to curb their detrimental effects.