Literature Review

Navigating Aging: Does our society simply not care about our vulnerable older population? KFF Health News, by Judith Graham; 3/10/24 ... The pandemic made things worse. Prejudice against older adults is nothing new, but “it feels more intense, more hostile” now than previously, said Karl Pillemer, 69, a professor of psychology and gerontology at Cornell University. “I think the pandemic helped reinforce images of older people as sick, frail, and isolated — as people who aren’t like the rest of us,” he said. “And human nature being what it is, we tend to like people who are similar to us and be less well disposed to ‘the others.'" 

What deathbed visions teach us about livingDNYUZ; 3/12/24Chris Kerr was 12 when he first observed a deathbed vision. His memory of that summer in 1974 is blurred, but not the sense of mystery he felt at the bedside of his dying father. ... It would be more than 40 years before Kerr felt compelled to speak about that evening in the hospital room. He had followed his father, and three generations before him, into medicine and was working at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, where he was the chief medical officer and conducted research on end-of-life visions.

Oncology hospitalists improve hospice transitions for patients with advanced cancers Yale School of Medicine, by Osman Moneer; 3/11/24Unplanned hospitalizations for patients with advanced cancer often trigger discussions about care goals and transitions to hospice. Late referrals to hospice, particularly near the end of life, have been associated with reduced quality of life and increased healthcare costs. A new research study published in Cancer investigates the impact of oncology hospitalists on the timing of hospice transitions for patients with advanced cancers. 

Telehealth preferences among patients with advanced cancer in the post COVID-19 vaccine eraJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Kawoswi K Shih, MD; Adrienne B Arechiga; Xi Chen PhD; Diana L. Urbauer, MS; Aline Rozman De Moraes, MD; Ashley J Rodriquez; Lisa Thomas; Penny A Stanton; Eduardo Bruera, MD; and David Hui MD; 3/10/24 Background: Few studies have examined patient preferences for telehealth in palliative care after the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. We examined patient preferences for video versus in-person visits and factors contributing to preferences in the post-vaccine era. Conclusion: Patients expressed strong preference for video over in-person visits in the outpatient palliative care setting.

Whistleblower cases on the rise nationwide; Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank laws open door for more to speak out PressReader, Herald-Tribune; by Esteban Parra and Xerxes Wilson; 3/10/24A former medical director specializing in neurosurgery at southern Delaware's largest health care provider claims in a lawsuit that Bayhealth Medical Center misclassified "brain-dead" patients in order to overbill for services. 

Hospice provider experience underscores urgency of program integrity efforts: Findings reveal current audit process' shortcomings HomeCare News; 3/12/24 Following a series of meetings with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Members of Congress on efforts to improve and protect hospice program integrity, four national hospice organizations—LeadingAge, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI)—released findings of a hospice provider survey that the organizations say underscores the urgency and need for CMS and Congress to act. 

When health care is woven in our family fabric, we find support in unexpected places Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Voice, by Suzanne M. Mahon, DNS, RN, AOCN®, AGN-BC, FAAN; 3/7/24... We have a built-in support system in our family. We understand all of those feelings and stressors in each other. We just get it. ... Where is your dinner table of support? Who is your go-to person who just gets it and listens? My husband and daughters support me, and I also have friends from nursing school, the workplace, and ONS who support me. They make all the difference in the world. Today, take time to thank your own support team.

CT bill would create a statewide pediatric hospice program: 'Make this a reality for our children' The Darien Times, by Cris Villalonga-Vivoni; 3/11/24There are only a handful of agencies specifically providing end-of-life care to children in the state, said Moss, who is also the founder of Connecticut Children’s Hospital palliative care team, the Sunflower Kids. “Every dying child in the state of Connecticut deserves this expertise and support of the hospice program,” Moss said. “It is time we make this a reality for our children.” The need for pediatric hospice care is felt throughout the state, even if the volume of people seeking out these services is often low, said Tracy Wodatch, president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home.

Pennsylvania health systems are partnering up Becker's Hospital Review, by Andrew Cass; 3/8/24Kittanning, Pa.-based Armstrong County Memorial Hospital signed a definitive agreement March 6 to join Pennsylvania Mountains Care Network, marking the latest in a series of partnerships, mergers and acquisitions between hospitals and health systems in the Keystone State.

Operating in the red: Half of rural hospitals are losing money, as many cut servicesSource NM, by Jazmin Orozoco Rodriguez (KFF Health News); 3/7/24As half of rural hospitals lose money, many are cutting services

Detroit Lions fan who dyed his hair blue during playoff run has died CBS News 11 Detroit, by Sara Powers; 3/11/24A Detroit Lions fan in hospice care, who dyed his hair blue during the team's playoff run, has died.  Larry Benjamin, 83, of Saginaw, went viral after he dyed his hair Honolulu blue to support the Lions. He was inspired by Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who dyed his hair blue before the team's playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Editor's Note: We ran a couple of updates to this story during the NFL playoffs. 

Some report images and manifestations of departed loved ones Chicaog Daily Herald, by Susan Anderson-Khleif; 3/9/24Not often, but sometimes, a person sees an image of a beloved or dear friend. A visual manifestation of their spirit, one you can actually see while awake. It could be very clear or more in a fog. It happened to me the middle of the night, two years ago. ... I had friends and readers who’ve told me of such happenings — of seeing images of dear ones — sometimes during times of stress, sometimes for seemingly no reason. It could be a voice rather than an image. Or some other sign that assures you they are around. Editor's Note: Susan Anderson-Khleif has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard, taughts at Wellesley College, and is retired.

Seniors more likely to let conditions escalate into emergency if their only care options are digital, poll finds McKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 3/7/24 Although residents in senior living communities and nursing homes are becoming more accepting of artificial intelligence and other tools such as remote monitoring systems, that doesn’t mean they don’t still strongly prefer human caregivers to manage their healthcare needs, a recent poll finds. ... Among older adult survey respondents who had dealt with a recent emergency, 33% said that they felt as if the incident could have been averted if they had had access to a live, in-person caregiver to manage their health concerns and needs.