Literature Review

Try and fail, but don't fail to try. ~ Stephen Kaggwa

[UK] Students face the realities of hospice care in powerful visitDevonLive; by Lewis Clarke; 5/27/25 A visit to Exeter Hospice gave South Devon UTC students a moving insight into care careers—and the deep compassion behind them. Students from South Devon UTC in Newton Abbot have been given a rare glimpse into the realities of end-of-life care during a visit to Exeter Hospice, in what educators described as an eye-opening and inspiring experience. The visit formed part of the students’ health and social care curriculum and broader enrichment programme. Involving pupils from Years 10 to 13, the day provided an in-depth look at the range of careers within the hospice setting—from nursing and palliative care to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, counselling, and volunteer coordination.

WHO unveils new guideline to improve global access to controlled medicines World Health Organization; by Departmental update; 5/26/25 The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a rapid communication outlining its comprehensive new guideline on balanced national policies for controlled medicines. The guideline’s recommendations were officially presented during a high-level side event at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly on Friday 23 May 2025. It is designed to support countries in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable access to essential controlled medicines which are critical for treating acute and chronic pain, mental health conditions, substance use disorders and other serious health issues.

Valir PACE acquires Cherry Blossom PACE in Alexandria, Virginia - expanding quality senior care in Northern VirginiaKTLA-5 Los Angeles and CISION PR Newswire, Oklahoma City, OK; by Valir PACE; 5/22/25Further expanding its footprint in the senior care market, Valir PACE, a recognized leader in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), has acquired Cherry Blossom PACE from One Senior Care. This strategic acquisition strengthens Valir PACE's commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive care to seniors in Northern Viriginia.

Colorado end-of-life care residency requirement challenged Bloomberg Law; by Ryan Autullo; 5/22/25 A terminally ill Minnesota man is asking a federal court to let doctors in Colorado administer drugs to him so he can die peacefully there, a challenge to the state’s residency requirement in accessing end-of-life care. Prohibiting Colorado doctors from giving non-residents drugs to ease suffering in their final months is unconstitutional, lawyers for Jeff McComas wrote in a complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the District of Colorado.

UnityPoint Health PACE Senior Care in Hiawatha opening June 1, now enrolling participants  Corridor Business Journal, Iowa City and Cedar Rapis, IA; by CBJ News Staff; 5/21/25 UnityPoint Health has announced that its new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Senior Care Center in Hiawatha is now accepting enrollment applications ahead of its official opening June 1. Located at 1450 N. Center Point Road in Hiawatha, the PACE Senior Care Center center aims to help eligible older adults remain in their homes by offering coordinated medical and support services. The program provides a comprehensive range of care, including primary and specialty medical services, therapy, prescription medications, transportation, and in-home support. 

[Australia] What voluntary assisted dying options are available for those with dementia? ABC News Melbourne, Australia; by Emily JB Smith; 5/24/25 John Griffiths suspects his mind is starting to fail. It is a horrifying prospect for the father-of-three, former Monash University engineering lecturer and CSIRO research scientist. The Melbourne man spends much of his time with his wife Rachel, who lives in residential aged care, reading her poems and short stories. While doctors say he is all clear at the moment, he will be assessed for dementia in the next year. If he does develop the condition, he would rather die than let it take hold. But his options are limited. Although voluntary assisted dying (VAD) will be legal in every Australian jurisdiction except the Northern Territory by the end of this year, it remains entirely off-limits for people with dementia. ...

Addressing barriers in palliative care for rural and underserved communities American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book (ASCO); by Matthias Weiss, MD, PhD, Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC, Julia Frydman, MD, MS, and C.S. Pramesh, MS, FRCS; 5/21/25 Thirty-two million Americans live in rural counties and have no access to multidisciplinary cancer care, and patients with cancer describe a greater number of unfavorable social determinants of health (SDoH), experience more serious financial hardship as well as greater symptom burden, and are more likely to die of cancer. Delivering effective symptom management may be achieved through adoption of a hub and spoke model, which connects rural community care sites with a cancer center. Modern technologies (electronic medical record and virtual telehealth), advanced practice provider care models, and engagement in symptom management clinical trials can extend more optimal care to connected rural sites. Pragmatic examples of addressing these care barriers include systematic and proactive assessment of SDoH, supported by navigation and social services, and telehealth-enabled palliative care (PC). 

I work with dying Veterans. Here's why I don't automatically thank them for their service.HuffPost Personal; by Scott Janssen; 5/26/25“'What’s it like having people thanking you for your service everywhere you go, James?' I asked. 'You might think this is an exaggeration but you asked,' he said. 'It’s an act of violence.'” ... “When you’re looking back on a life that includes the cataclysmic violence and horrific loss and grief of war, this life review process can be psychologically and spiritually complex ― even painful.”Publisher's note: An interesting reminder that care is individualized.

85-year-old philanthropist has quietly given millions to health causes in Bellingham  Cascadia Daily News, Bellingham, WA; by Charlotte Alden; 5/22/25Amy Chan Wolsdorf, former day trader, has donated funds for a new dementia center, Amy's Place. Amy Chan Wolsdorf gets up at 2 a.m. every morning, eats breakfast, preps her meals for the day and goes to the gym. Then, she checks the stock market. Wolsdorf, 85, is a self-taught stock market whiz who has amassed her wealth with smart investments, including in Microsoft, she said. Standing at 4 feet, 8 inches, the slight, gray-haired woman from Hong Kong doesn’t match the stereotypical image of a stock trader. ... Since she began accumulating her fortune, Wolsdorf hasn’t held onto it for herself: She’s given much of it away. ... In 2018, she was honored as PeaceHealth’s Philanthropist of the Year, after nearly 20 years of donations and 45 “significant gifts” at the time. She donated to cancer research, cardiovascular services, palliative care, women’s and children’s services, and more, totaling around $2.4 million in donations, according to PeaceHealth. ... [The article also mentions Whatcom Hospice in Belllingham.]

From an old ambulance, they help the growing homeless population CT Mirror; by Ginny Monk; 5/25/25 The needs of the unhoused are becoming more complex, and the fight for state support is fierce. ... Launched in 2021, the [Neighborhood Health workers] team drives a refurbished ambulance to shelters or encampments, then provides health care on-site for people experiencing homelessness. They’re out nearly every day. In recent months, as more people, particularly seniors, have lost their housing, health workers are finding that the cases they handle are more complicated. People often have multiple diagnoses, and with older age groups, there are often health complications that make the illnesses or injuries harder to treat. Sometimes, conversations are veering to end-of-life care. These conversations between health care professionals and patients are poignant as state lawmakers debate funding for the systems that offer shelter and other services for the unhoused population. ...

66 top hospitals for patient experience, safety: Healthgrades Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 5/14/25 A total of 66 hospitals received both Healthgrades’ Outstanding Patient Experience and Patient Safety Excellence awards. Healthgrades released its 2025 Outstanding Patient Experience Award, which recognizes hospitals that provide top-quality care while ensuring a positive healthcare experience for patients. The company analyzed data from 3,059 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to CMS between January and December 2023. It used 10 metrics from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey data. ... Read more about the methodology here. For patient safety, Healthgrades analyzed 14 patient safety indicators using inpatient data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Patient Safety Indicators Technical Specifications and AHRQ WinQI software. Read the methodology here. ...

CMS rolls out aggressive strategy to enhance and accelerate Medicare Advantage audits CMS Newsroom; Press RElease; 5/21/25 Agency Will Begin Auditing All Eligible Medicare Advantage Contracts Each Payment Year and Add Resources to Expedite Completion of 2018 to 2024 AuditsToday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a significant expansion of its auditing efforts for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Beginning immediately, CMS will audit all eligible MA contracts for each payment year in all newly initiated audits and invest additional resources to expedite the completion of audits for payment years 2018 through 2024.