Literature Review

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain

I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all. ~ Simone Biles, Olympic medalist, gymnastics, 2016, 2021, 2024 

I wonder if my first breath was as soul-stirring to my mother as her last breath was to me. ~ Lisa Goich-Andreadis, 14 Days: A Mother, A Daughter, A Two-Week Goodbye

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. ~ Rumi

New HFSA Consensus Statement provides practical guide for implementing palliative care with heart failure patients PR Newswire; by Heart Failure Society of America; 11/26/24 Patients with heart failure (HF) suffer from compromised quality of life, high mortality, and complex medical decision-making. Palliative care is an essential part of a comprehensive HF care plan. Integration of Palliative Care into Heart Failure Care: Consensus-Based Recommendations from the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), published today in the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF), is a practical guide for implementing palliative care as a component of overall HF care. It has been shown that palliative care interventions improve disease-specific quality of life, symptom control, and caregiver burden among patients with HF. Authors of the statement are indicating that HF clinicians should be skilled in providing primary palliative care with competence in basic domains including the management of physical and psychosocial symptoms and serious illness communication.

Disclosure practices in Muslim patients and the impact on end-of-life care: A narrative review American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; by Mona Tereen; 11/26/24 ... Non-disclosure practices hold significant weight in end-of-life care for Muslim communities, where cultural and religious beliefs are deeply intertwined with healthcare decision-making. This narrative review explores the complexities of medical decision-making and disclosure practices among terminally ill Muslim patients, examining how these factors shape palliative care delivery. Conclusion: Non-disclosure practices present significant barriers to effective palliative care in Muslim communities. To improve care outcomes, culturally competent communication strategies and family-centered decision-making models are crucial.

How the St. Francis Foundation supports healthcare for Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable Noozhawk - Special to Good for Santa Barbara; 11/26/24 The foundation grants nearly a million annually to local organizations focused on health, end-of-life, palliative and geriatric care. Maximize the impact of your generosity this holiday season by supporting the nonprofits that matter most to you. There’s no better way to close out the year than by giving back to your community. This #GivingTuesday, Noozhawk invites you to contribute to one of the incredible local organizations featured in our  Giving Guide. On December 3, 2024, join us and nonprofits across Santa Barbara County in celebrating this global movement of giving. Together, we can make a difference! ...Editor's note: This interview provides a great example for ways that you, too, can still fast-track your community outreach before next week's December 3rd "Giving Tuesday."

Be a Santa to a Senior helps homebound seniors during holiday season The Joplin Glove; 11/26/24 Home Instead Senior Care is offering a chance to play Santa this year to homebound seniors who might be overlooked during the holidays. The Be a Santa to a Senior is a national program with Home Instead, a company that offers services for homebound seniors. These seniors might not have a family member close by or might not be able to travel to see family. Adam Bokker, owner of Home Instead in Joplin, said hundreds of thousands of gifts have been collected and given to seniors nationally during the holiday season over the years. "It's an opportunity for them to have a little gift, a little joy, some companionship even with someone delivering that gift," Bokker said. "We call it Be a Santa to a Senior because our seniors really benefit from having that extra gift, extra companionship when many times they're not able to go see their families."

Hospice & Palliative Care Today search feature added!Login to your account on the Hospice & Palliative Care Today website and you'll now find a search feature of all our stories (6000+ so far) located in the header! Try it out and email us your feedback!

HRRMC Foundation transfers $1.6 million to HRRMC for construction of the Delnay Guest House Ark Valley Voice; by Carly Winchell; 11/26/24 Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC) released a statement announcing a $1.6 million transfer from the HRRMC Foundation to HRRMC to help finance the construciton of the Delnay Guest House. According to the release, HRRMC credits the transfer to a donation: “Thanks to a generous $1.5 million donation from the Robert and Bernice Delnay Estate, and to contributions made by the community, HRRMC Foundation transferred $1.6 million to HRRMC for the construction costs of the Delnay Guest House .” The guest house is located on the HRRMC campus. It includes ten units. Four are designated for overnight charitable accommodation to support HRRMC outpatients receiving treatments at the hospital, their families, and caregivers of HRRMC patients. Some patients and caregivers live 30 miles or more from Salida. Hospice families traveling to Salida to support local hospice patients may also stay in these units. 

Pet Peace of Mind program alleviates stress for hospice patients Poteau Daily News; by Ashley Torres; 11/26/24 Heart of Hospice in Poteau has announced a new program that will be helping with pet care while patients are on hospice care. The Pet Peace of Mind program, which began at Heart of Hospice Poteau on Nov. 15, aims to support the bond between pets and hospice patients during their final days. According to Heart of Hospice, the Pet Peace of Mind program “recognizes and actively supports the unique bond between hospice patients and their pet,” and “aligns with the Heart of Hospice mission to provide exceptional care and unparalleled service to the patients and families who have placed their trust in us.” The program is funded through donations, and the work is done by volunteers.  ... The Pet Peace of Mind program is aptly named, because it is all truly done to alleviate the anxiety and stress that hospice patients often feel while worrying about what will happen to their beloved pets when they are gone. Knowing that their pet’s needs are being met while they are on hospice care, and knowing that their pet will be taken care of even afterwards, allows the patient to focus on their own comfort during their last days.

Nutrition Shake Drive supports local hospice patientsECB Publishing, Inc.; 11/26/24 Juanice Hughes Big Bend Hospice Advisory Council Big Bend Hospice is currently seeking donations of nutrition shakes, such as Ensure vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors for its local patients. These shakes are essential for maintaining health and comfort during care. From some patients, this is the only nutrition they can tolerate. As one Big Bend Hospice administrator indicated, there is always a need for these shakes. There is not time that there is too much Ensure on hand, because it is an important sustenance for patients under hospice care. ... Editor's note: This is such a simple, significant, practical donation! Bravo to Big Bend Hospice! The privilege of my lifetime was for my Mom to live with us--with hospice care--through the last months of her life. Her chocolate similar-to-Ensure mini-cartons were essential to giving her crucial nutrition, in the midst of her dying. What a wonderful way to support patient (and caregiver!) care. Perhaps, this might be an 11th-hour idea for other hospices to use for December 3rd's Giving Tuesday? Thanks, Big Bend Hospice!

Keeping referral partners happy after dropping contracts with Medicare Advantage plans Home Health News; by Audire Martin; 11/25/24 Home health providers may walk away from specific health plans due to financial feasibility, administrative burdens, or misalignment with their patient care values and priorities. However, this decision can create short-term challenges with referral partners and health systems, as they may have patients enrolled in those plans. “If a health plan consistently under-reimburses for services or requires excessive administrative hurdles, it may compromise the ability to deliver quality care efficiently,” Preston Lucas, chief financial officer at Interim HealthCare Great Lakes, told Home Health Care News. “Additionally, if the plan’s policies restrict access to necessary treatments or fail to support the level of care required for patients, it becomes difficult to sustain the partnership.” ... Maintaining open lines of communication and emphasizing the shared goal of providing high-quality care helps mitigate the short-term consequences of leaving a health system, according to Lucas.