Literature Review

Masonicare completes merger with UMH, facility acquisition McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/6/25 Wallingford, CT-based Masonicare has completed its planned merger with United Methodist Homes, the companies said Thursday in a joint statement. Masonicare Corp. is Connecticut’s largest not-for-profit senior living and care organization, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing as well as short-term rehabilitation, respite care and hospice care. UMH, a 150-year-old organization, has five locations in the Nutmeg State. The communities provide independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and short-term rehab. The merger moves UMH under the Masonicare brand and extends to UMH access to Masonicare’s comprehensive continuum of care, the companies said.  Also on Jan. 2, Masonicare announced the acquisition of Atria Greenridge Place in Rocky Hill, CT, rebranding the assisted living and memory community to Masonicare at Greenridge Place.

The beginning is the most important part of the work. ~ Plato

Daughter arrested for neglect after elderly mother found stuck to mattress The Augusta Press; by Greg Rickabaugh; 1/6/25 An elderly woman from Augusta was found in a state of severe neglect last week, prompting her daughter’s arrest. The 82-year-old was discovered incoherent and physically stuck to her mattress during a medical emergency on Dec. 30 at the home they shared on Rollingwood Drive, authorities said. When paramedics arrived at the family’s home, they found the woman non-responsive, with her skin literally adhered to the mattress due to untreated bedsores. She was rushed to Wellstar MCG Health, where she was stabilized. Authorities later arrested 54-year-old Tyrossale Peak, the woman’s daughter, charging her with neglect of a disabled or elderly adult. ... Investigators revealed that Peak had discontinued hospice care for her mother in June but failed to provide adequate care or maintain a safe living environment. 

Managing clinical care after M&AHealthleaders; by Christopher Cheney; 1/6/25Coping with the challenges of mergers and acquisitions has become an essential responsibility for CMOs.

The Jimmy Carter White House Connection to Hospice & Palliative Care TodayCohen-Fyfe Communications; by Mark Cohen; 1/3/25Jimmy Carter’s impact on the hospice movement goes further than his very public decision to be admitted to hospice in February 2023 ... and even further than his administration’s decision in 1980 to launch the Hospice Demonstration Project that directly led to congressional passage of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, with strong bipartisan support, in 1981 during the first year of the Reagan Administration. How much further? You might not be reading this daily newsletter if were not for the Carter White House. If you were a fan of Hospice News Today, which I published from 2012 to 2023, and/or if you’re a fan of Hospice & Palliative Care Today, then you should know that Jimmy Carter(and his long-time senior aides Jody Powell and Hamilton Jordan) deserve some of the credit for these two unique daily environmental scans that have served the hospice movement now for more than a dozen years. ... [Fascinating story and with this spoiler alert:] So, Inauguration Day in 1977 found me walking into the Old Executive Ofice Building as the youngest person on the 369-person staf of The Office of the President. My job? One of six stafers who produced the daily News Summary for the President and nearly 200 senior oficials throughout the White House and the Cabinet and executive agencies. [Click on the title's link to read more.]Editor's note: As President Carter's body is taken to the Capitol today, we celebrate the simple moments that can change the course of another's life. Did you read Jimmy Carter's questions to the young Mark Cohen? At Hospice & Palliative Care Today, we are grateful for Mark's journey and long-lasting impact. What interest are you taking in the lives of those who serve in your organization? May we pause. Learn. And live.

Top hospice trends to watch in 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/3/25 Hospice leaders will need to keep their eyes on five key trends in the new year when it comes to compliance, business operations and finance. Coupled with these trends is rising utilization. Hospice utilization reached 51.7% among Medicare decedents in 2023, up more than two percentage points from the prior year, according to recent data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). This is the highest rate since 2019. ... The number of hospice care days also saw increases, as did average length of stay and average number of patient visits per week. Total Medicare hospice payments in 2023 reached $25.7 billion. ...

Santa Maria investment advisor pleads guilty to federal wire fraud chargeSannta Maria Times, Santa Maria, CA; by Dave Minsky; 1/2/25 A Santa Maria registered investment advisor pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge after admitting to stealing $2.25 million from mostly elderly clients who put her in charge of their assets, according to a plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court earlier this month. ... Federal officials alleged that [Julie] Darrah’s scheme ran from November 2016 until about July 2023 and involved at least 11 victims who were mostly elderly, including some who were receiving end-of-life care. ... Prosecutors alleged Darrah would gain control of her clients’ assets in several ways, including making her the trustee of their trusts, having the victims executing standing letters of authorization that gave Darrah control of their accounts, making Darrah a signatory on their accounts and giving Darrah power of attorney over their property.

Now open: VITAS Healthcare inpatient hospice unit in Fort Worth South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by cfelixcpa; 1/3/25Easier access to compassionate end-of-life care is now available for patients and families in Fort Worth and surrounding communities. The new freestanding VITAS Healthcare Inpatient Hospice Unit (IPU), located within five miles of the medical district, provides high-quality hospice services in a homelike environment for patients nearing the end of life. The IPU is expected to care for more than 500 patients each year, particularly those whose pain and symptoms cannot be managed effectively at home. A grand opening celebration was held to commemorate the addition to the Fort Worth community. 

From immortality to ugly people: 100-year-old predictions about 2025Akron Beacon Journal; by Mark J. Price; 12/30/24Nearly 100 years ago, a group of deep thinkers dared to imagine what life would be like in 2025. Some of their prophecies were completely off target, while others proved to be weirdly accurate. [Including:]

‘Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable’: Coloradans gather at Death Cafes to discuss mortalityKUNC; by Gabe Allen; 1/1/25 On the first Sunday afternoon of each month, a cozy table tucked between bookshelves in the back corner of the Bean Fosters coffee shop in Golden becomes a portal to the other side. Agroup of people, some newcomers and some regulars, gather to eat homemade baked goods, drink tea and coffee and talk about the ultimate taboo: death. Karen Keeran, a death doula and former hospice aide, organizes the Golden Death Cafe. ... “It’s an open forum,” she said. “We’re here to talk about anything related to death and dying.” The discussion never strayed from mortality, yet there was a lightness and optimism to it. Death Cafe, a loosely affiliated international organization, claims to have no guiding ethos or philosophy, yet its participants are united by at least one shared idea. The belief that death is just another part of life — and we should talk about it a whole lot more.

4 new healthcare laws in 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 1/3/25 Through recently passed ballot initiatives and legislation, states across the U.S. are implementing healthcare and workforce-related changes in 2025.

Family advocates for hospice care, says it doesn't always mean end-of-life: Highlights case of the late Former President Jimmy Carter who spent nearly 2 years in hospice CBS WTKR 3, Hampton Roads | Northeast NC; by Jay Greene; 12/20/24 Dana Romano's mom, Marilyn, headed home from the Dozoretz Hospice House of Hampton Roads in Virginia Beach on Monday evening after spending a few days in respite care while her family was out of town. "The whole reason not to have my mom in a facility is we want her with us. But when you're doing long periods of time, every once in a while, you need a break, so having a place where you know they're going to take care of her and treat her like, almost like family," Dana said. "We kind of look at this more like a resort than a hospice." ... When at home Marilyn receives hospice care, but it's not because she needs care, the Romano's said. It's because she needs supervision. ... The family told News 3's Jay Greene this is a case where hospice does not mean end-of-life. It actually helped alleviate some stress. ... The Romano's told News 3's Jay Greene hospice ["has no time limit"] is all about extending life as comfortably as possible, citing Former President Jimmy Carter who died at the age of 100 this weekend.Editor's note: These misunderstandings by the family about hospice care is both alarming and expected. Throughout Jimmy Carter's extended hospice Length Of Stay (LOS), far too many hospice organizations misused messaging for its marketing purposes. We have addressed this discrepancy in a dozen posts throughout the year. Click here for the CMS "Face-to-Face Requirement Affecting Hospice Recertification." Disclaimer: We do not specifics about what this hospice communicated with this family. We simply refer readers to this as publicly reported news story.