Literature Review

Alzheimer’s risk rises when amount of deep sleep falls, study suggests CNN Health; by Sandee LaMotte; 4/8/25 Need another reason to prioritize your sleep? Not spending enough time in the two deep stages of sleep — slow-wave and rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep — may hasten the deterioration of parts of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found. Deficits in slow-wave and REM sleep appear to shrink parts of the brain known to be early indicators of cognitive deterioration and Alzheimer’s disease, said lead study author Gawon Cho, a postdoctoral associate in internal medicine at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. [Continue reading ...] 

Transforming communities through leadership with Quint StuderTeleios Anatomy of Leadership podcast; by Chris Comeaux, Quint Studer; 4/9/25In this episode, Chris sits down with Quint Studer, Founder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group and one of his most trusted mentors, to dive deep into the transformation of Pensacola, Florida. Quint reveals his powerful framework for community change, sharing essential leadership insights and the challenges of driving real transformation.

Stroke deaths and their racial disparities increased over last 20 years EurekAlert! - American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); by Peer Review Publication; 4/9/25 Over the last two decades, ischemic stroke mortality rates in the U.S. have grown, with almost 3 in 10 deaths occurring at home, and increases particularly among racial minorities and rural residents. These growing disparities were among the findings of a new study publishing April 9, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Jason Lim of Georgetown University School of Medicine, U.S., and colleagues. ...  The analysis included 237,617 recorded ischemic stroke deaths. The study found that age-adjusted ischemic stroke mortality rates, after years of decline, have increased across all urbanization levels since 2009, with the most pronounced rises in non-metropolitan areas. Additionally, there has been a noticeable shift in the place of death, with more people dying at home instead of in hospitals or other medical facilities. From 1999 to 2020, the percentage of at-home deaths increased from 8.44% to 29.31%.Editor's note: Pair this research with ongoing shut-downs of rural hospitals, rural emergency room access, and more. This ongoing increase is one of many, ongoing alarms. Ethics. Integrity. Mission. It's past time to improve patient care.

Heart & Soul: Nikki HarrisCharleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV; 4/8/25 Nikki Harris is a Charge Nurse on 4 West at Memorial Hospital. Harris’ coworkers say she always provides excellent care but went out of her way for one man who wasn’t even her patient. The man’s wife was near the end of life in Hospice at Memorial Hospital. He had not been able to see or visit her since his own hospitalization. Recognizing the importance of this moment, Harris went above and beyond by personally escorting him to his wife’s side. She ensured that he had the time he needed to hold her hand, express his love and say goodbye before her passing. Harris’ compassion and selflessness in providing this extraordinary gesture of care during such a difficult time was deeply appreciated. She made a meaningful difference in this patient’s life and honored the final moments of his wife’s life.

Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities The New York Times; by Paula Span; 4/7/25 Roughly 20 states now have laws permitting families to place cameras in the rooms of loved ones. Facility operators are often opposed. ... The assisted-living facility in Edina, Minn., where Jean H. Peters and her siblings moved their mother in 2011, looked lovely. “But then you start uncovering things,” Ms. Peters said. Her mother, Jackie Hourigan, widowed and developing memory problems at 82, too often was still in bed when her children came to see her in mid-morning. So Ms. Peters bought an inexpensive camera at Best Buy. She and her sisters installed it atop the refrigerator in her mother’s apartment, ... Monitoring from an app on their phones, the family saw Ms. Hourigan going hours without being changed. They saw and heard an aide loudly berating her and handling her roughly as she helped her dress. ... Though they remain a contentious subject, cameras in care facilities are gaining ground. By 2020, eight states had joined Minnesota in enacting laws allowing them, according to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. [Continue reading ...]

Rochester’s Art of Observation program helps medical students and clinicians cultivate essential clinical skills University of Rochester, Rochester, NY; by Melissa Pheterson; 4/8/25 After a day of seeing and treating patients, eight faculty-physicians from the University of Rochester Medical Center met at the University’s Memorial Art Gallery (MAG). They sat on folding stools before a painting of a woman and three children gathered around a table, on which the woman appeared to be cutting something. ... “What do you see?” said Natercia Rodrigues ’19M (MS), an assistant professor at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, a family physician in the UR Medicine Primary Care network, and the group’s facilitator. Designed to enhance observational skills for healthcare professionals, the sustained viewing and structured dialogue help participants unpack their assumptions, consider different perspectives, and avoid jumping to conclusions—among other cognitive biases— ... [Continue reading ...]

Hospice of Americus-Sumter County Georgia establishes nursing scholarship at GSW Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA; 4/9/25 The Hospice of Americus-Sumter County Georgia has announced the creation of a new scholarship aimed at supporting students enrolled in Georgia Southwestern State University’s (GSW) Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program. Designed to foster local talent and address the growing need for qualified healthcare professionals, the scholarship specifically targets non-traditional students with healthcare experience or those who are first responders from Sumter County and the surrounding region. ... By prioritizing individuals already embedded in healthcare and emergency services, the fund supports career advancement and ensures that compassionate, experienced caregivers remain within the community. [Continue reading ...]

Caregiving can test you, body and soul. It can also unlock a new sense of selfNPR; by Kat McGowan; 4/1/25Amanda Cruz took care of her mother, who died of cancer late last year. The experience changed her sense of identity. She is still sorting through what that means. When it was all over, Amanda Cruz felt like a phoenix, a new person rising from what had been. First, though, she had to go through the fire... In 2009, two researchers proposed an explanation for why caregiving for an adult who is ill or disabled can be so profound. Their argument, simply called "caregiver identity theory," is now widely accepted among psychologists and social workers who study and help caregivers.

A hospice nurse made a promise—and found homes for 1,300 pets  Miami Herald, Miami, FL; by Jen Reeder; 4/7/25Working as a hospice nurse, Joanne Bonicelli spent years offering comfort to dying people. Then, in 1998, a request from one patient changed her life. A young woman in her 40s had a fluffy white dog named Jasper, who never left her side while she was at Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  One day, the woman called Joanne to her bedside. “I don’t know where Jasper will end up or who will care for him when I am gone…it’s just too painful to bear,” she told Joanne as tears streamed down her face. “I can’t die in peace worrying what will happen to him…can you euthanize him in my arms as I pass?” The heart-wrenching request stunned Joanne. She asked a veterinarian about what they could do, and after meeting Jasper, the vet’s eyes welled with tears at the prospect of putting down a healthy dog. There has to be a better way, they both agreed. [Continue reading ...]

Hospices ‘tapping brakes’ on M&A in uncertain economy Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/8/25 Predictions of a hospice M&A rebound have fizzled as a volatile regulatory and economic climate threatens to curb transaction activity in 2025 and beyond. ... 

The cost of nurse turnover in 24 numbers | 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Molly Gamble; 4/7/25 Nurse shortages and mounting labor costs are among health system CEOs’ top concerns, and a new survey puts numbers to the financial risks hospitals face from nurse vacancies and churn. The 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report features input from 450 hospitals in 37 states on registered nurse turnover, retention, vacancy rates, recruitment metrics and staffing strategies.  It found the average cost of turnover for one staff RN grew from January through December 2024 to $61,110, among other dollar figures and statistics that are helpful to understand the financial implications of one of healthcare’s most persistent labor disruptions. Here are 24 numbers that illustrate the cost of nurse turnover, according to the most recent edition of the report, which is available in full here. [Continue reading ...]

Statement by the American Nurses Association on organizational restructuring within the US Department of Health and Human Services American Nurses Association (ANA); Press Release; 4/8/25 The American Nurses Association is aware of the recent personnel changes and organizational restructuring within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These developments have sparked concerns among nurses nationwide regarding the potential impact on essential programs and services delivered by HHS in collaboration with nurses, patient advocates, and other healthcare providers. ... The association will monitor that re-structured capacity and promptly report any gaps we identify to the Administration and Congress to ensure the needs of nurses, and the public are met by our federal partners. It is imperative that Secretary Kennedy and Administration leaders ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the vital work of these agencies. Federal agencies must have the necessary staff to carry out the public health, research, quality, and operational work that the American people rely on for their health and well-being. [Continue reading ...]