Literature Review

Referral criteria for specialist palliative care for patients with dementiaJAMA Network Open; Yuchieh Kathryn Chang, DO; Jennifer Philip, PhD, MMed, MBBS; Jenny T. van der Steen, PhD; Lieve Van den Block, PhD, MSc; Allyn Yin Mei Hum, MD; Pedro E. Pérez-Cruz, MD, MPH; Carlos Paiva, MD, PhD; Masanori Mori, MD; Ping-Jen Chen, MD; Meera R. Agar, PhD, MPC, MBBS; Laura Hanson, MD, MPH; Catherine J. Evans, PhD, MSc, BSc; David Hui, MD, MSc; 5/25Dementia is an ever-growing public health issue with currently more than 55 million people worldwide living with this disease. Due to an aging global population, this number is projected to triple by 2050. As the number of people with dementia continues to grow worldwide, there is a need and an opportunity to collaborate and provide seamless integration of specialist palliative care with the primary palliative care already delivered to enhance the care of patients with dementia. To help advance this goal, the 15 major criteria identified here represent a first step toward clarification of primary and specialist palliative care roles and consideration for systematic screening of symptom and supportive care needs.

SpiriTrust Lutheran says Home Care & Hospice operations will wind down across three counties, end service on July 18th Tri-State Alert, Chambersburg, PA; Press Release; 5/29/25 Earlier on Thursday [5/29], News Talk 1037FM was alerted to a WARN notice from SpiriTrust Lutheran as to a closure of a portion of their business. Throughout the process, that notice has been narrowed down to their Home Care & Hospice (HCH), with the company announcing their plans to discontinue operations out of their Franklin County office which serves clients in Franklin, Adams and York counties. The official closure will be July 18, 2025. ... SpiriTrust Lutheran says that roughly 65 home care and hospice employees will be affected by the shutting, but  some are expected to be reassigned or offered positions within the SpiriTrust Lutheran family of Life Plan Communities ... SpiriTrust Lutheran officials cited the organization’s ongoing challenges mirrored those confronting many similar organizations nationwide – significant increases in the cost of delivering care due to staffing shortages; rising benefit expenses; and the escalating prices for medical supplies and pharmacy. 

Empathy meets efficiency: Voice AI in law, healthcare and debt collection Forbes; by Kumar Abhirup; 5/29/25 When a grieving daughter calls a probate firm at midnight or a worried parent rings a pediatric clinic after hours, the first voice they meet decides whether they stay or stray. As organizations adopt AI, especially voice and conversational AI, that voice is increasingly synthetic. A recent survey from the American Bar Association found that the share of firms using AI tools rose from 11% in 2023 to 30% in early 2025. Healthcare has sprinted even faster: The American Medical Association found 66% of physicians now use some form of AI, up from 37% two years earlier. Collections agencies are also hopping aboard this trend ... 

Capito sees earmark results in hospice renovations CBS 13 WOWK, Charleston, WV; by Sarah Davis; 5/28/25 U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) visited the Hubbard Hospice House in Charleston Wednesday to see her congressionally directed spending in action. The senator got an exclusive tour of the renovations being made, including a new roof, HVAC system and a fresh paving job on the facility’s parking lot. The construction project is supported by Capito’s 2024 congressional directed spending, also known as an earmark, which she said is a necessary investment for the welfare of West Virginians.

[Canada] Strengthening hospice care through strategic partnerships Investors Hangout; by Addison Perry; 5/29/25 HealthPRO Canada is making waves in the healthcare sector with an important new collaboration that promises to enhance the quality of care provided by hospices in Ontario. The strategic partnership with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) seeks to benefit over 140 hospice programs across the region by leveraging HealthPRO’s extensive buying power. This initiative is set to bolster operational efficiency and support hospices in delivering high-quality services to families in need.Editor's note: Trends continue. 

Door remains closed on CMS forums as new rules, requirements are phased in McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 5/28/25 Four months into the new presidential administration, skilled nursing leaders have had no opportunity to hear directly from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services staff during traditional Open Door Forums or National Stakeholder Calls. Open Door Forums have been held three-to-five times annually in a practice that started more than 20 years ago. The online meetings give providers, vendors and other stakeholders an opportunity to learn more about regulatory and logistical changes being pursued by CMS, as well as providing question-and-answer sessions with policy architects. In addition to skilled nursing forums, CMS has in the past also hosted similar events for home health, long-term care services and supports, rural health and other provider types. But CMS in January cancelled a skilled nursing forum and all others planned for February and has yet to add any new forums or stakeholder calls — which often feature the administrator discussing major policy or clinical updates — to its calendar.

A ‘cloak of comfort’: an integrated approach to palliative care for cancer patients Sinai Health; 5/26/25 At Mount Sinai Hospital, palliative care is fully integrated into cancer care, providing comprehensive, person-centered support for those with advanced illness. Palliative care, derived from the Latin pallium meaning “cloak,” offers comfort and support to individuals with serious illnesses. Often misunderstood as solely end-of-life care, it actually provides relief at any stage of a life-threatening illness and can be provided in tandem with cancer treatment. This holistic approach addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, aiming to improve quality of life for both patients and their families. In fact, early integration of palliative care can enhance symptom management, extend life and offer greater support to caregivers. Patients can receive care at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Cancer Care Clinic, at home through the Temmy Latner Centre’s home palliative care program, and in the palliative care unit at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital.  

Hospitalists should champion hospice as ‘life with dignity’ Medscape; by Julie Peck; 5/29/25 If anyone can put a positive spin on the end of life, it’s Charles Vialotti, MD, director of Hospice Care at Holy Name Medical Center’s Villa Marie Claire in Bergen County, New Jersey. Violotti, who at the age of 80 lives at the 20-bed Villa Marie Claire to serve its residents full-time, says the hospice industry needs hospitalists’ help with sort of a rebrand, one that will almost certainly have a positive effect on patient and family satisfaction. “Providers used to stress offering people death with dignity. And if you think about that, who is ever going to choose anything that offers death? Death in any form is still death,” Vialotti said. “So, we really like to focus on offering people life with dignity, giving people back choice, giving them the option to structure their final days, weeks, or months the way they would most like to see it happen."

Remove barriers that restrict hospice care, Alliance offers in new report McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/28/25 Hospice providers can boost quality and patient satisfaction with a focus on transparent, culturally sensitive communication with clients, according to a new report by the National Alliance for Care at Home. ... For the report, the Alliance surveyed 2,000 adults who either recently experienced the death of a loved one or have been involved in healthcare decisionmaking for a person with a serious illness. Respondents included individuals of a variety of ages, income levels, ethnicities and educational backgrounds. ... . For many seniors, one of the largest barriers to care is ineffective communication, the survey found. Language barriers are a significant hurdle for non-English speaking older adults, particularly those who are first generation immigrants, it noted. Many seniors are also less comfortable with technology-based communication than younger people, and prefer face-to-face conversation over text messages.

Five Questions With: Diana FranchittoProvidence Business News, Providence, RI; by Katie Castellani; 2/14/25 Diana Franchitto | CEO, HopeHealth | Chair, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation 

CMS: Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model CMS.gov - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 5/27/25 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing a coordinated set of changes to the Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model starting in performance year 2026 that are expected to improve the model test by adjusting the financial methodology and participation options to improve model sustainability. In addition, the model is being extended by one year for continuation of quality care to beneficiaries through 2027. For more information, please visit KCC Model Performance Year 2026 Updates. 

I quit my healthcare job to take care of my grandmother. It’s a mix of happy and sad moments, but ultimately has been life-changing for us. DNYUZ; "as-told-to essay based on a coversation with Kristina McDonald"; 5/26/25My grandmother is 80, and my grandfather is 83. I quit my full-time job to care for my grandmother as I noticed that her undiagnosed dementia was worsening. ... 

All You Need is Love The Republic; by Sharon Mangas; 5/28/25The call came in at 4:00 a.m., waking me from a deep sleep. It was the kind of call that puts you on high alert; like when you have a teenage driver at home, or a mother-in-law on hospice care. ... “Hello. Is this Sharon Mangas? I’m calling from the hospice center. I wasn’t able to reach Mike. I’m sorry to share this news…your mother-in-law, Carmen, passed away a few minutes ago.” ... To the best of my knowledge, I was privy to her last spoken words to family. After Mike and I helped Carmen settle in at the Hospice Center near midnight Saturday, May 3—barely 24 hours before she passed—I bent over to tell her we’d see her in the morning. She looked deeply into my eyes and said, “I love you, Sharon.” I took her hand gently and said, “I love you, too.” ... As the first daughter-in-law in Carmen’s orbit, the two of us had occasional dust-ups and misunderstandings that challenged our family bond. But we shared a lot of love, too, and love is healing.