Literature Review

Not all mourning happens after bereavement – for some, grief can start years before the death of a loved one The Conversation, by Beth Daley; 2/22/24For many people, grief starts not at the point of death, but from the moment a loved one is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Whether it’s the diagnosis of an advanced cancer or a non-malignant condition such as dementia, heart failure or Parkinson’s disease, the psychological and emotional process of grief can begin many months or even years before the person dies. This experience of mourning a future loss is known as anticipatory grief.Editor's Note: All clinical team members need to be equipped to tune into and validate grief that is already underway. Social workers and chaplains--especially--need to be trained to tend grief in the present, and to know how to make high-acuity referrals to bereavement counselors.  

Utah bill would strip funding from agencies that discriminate against medical marijuana patients Utah News Dispatch, by Alixel Cabrera; 2/22/24Some Utah municipalities have asked employees to disclose if they are medical cannabis cardholders and then used that information to retaliate against them, said Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, who is sponsoring the bill. That’s against state law. Utah code, however, doesn’t delineate any consequences for those who break the law. SB233, titled Medical Cannabis Amendments, tries to find punishment for those discrimination cases by withholding future state appropriations from state agencies or other political subdivisions, the bill reads. 

WiHPCA: Applauds State Assembly for approving bill establishing a state Palliative Care Council WisPolitics; 2/22/24[Wednesday,] the [Wisconsin] State Assembly approved Assembly Bill 736, a bill that would establish a state Palliative Care Council. The Wisconsin Hospice and Palliative Care Association (WiHPCA) strongly supports this legislation, which would ultimately help increase awareness and utilization of palliative care throughout the state. The Assembly Committee on Health, Aging, and Long-Term Care voted 16-0 on January 17 to recommend approval of this legislation. This bill would establish a council of individuals with palliative care and other medical expertise to consult and advise the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) on this type of specialized medical care. 

From classroom to clinic: End-of-life conversations — there’s empathy in foresightThe Tufts Daily, by Deeksha Bathini; 2/21/24Palliative care physicians have conversations with families to identify patient wishes, particularly when they are facing death. These physicians are equipped with training that emphasizes empathy, comfort and patient autonomy. Freedom of choice during the dying process gives patients the power to reclaim their agency amidst a process rife with uncertainty.

Providers urge CMS to use caution in midst of hospice VBID implementationMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 2/23/24With the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design (MA VBID) model, which allows MA organizations to participate in the hospice benefit, underway, advocates have voiced concerns that critical safeguards be put in place.

Death and redemption in an American prisonKFF Health News / NPR, by Markian Hawryluk; 2/19/24Publisher's note: This is a "must read" article about Steven Garner, including circumstances regarding how he was sentenced to life without parole at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, his 26-year service in their hospice program, his release two years ago, and his hospice work since.Notable mentions: Warden Burl Cain; Jamey Boudreaux, Louisiana ~ Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care Organization; Cordt Kassner, Hospice Analytics; Kim Huffington, Sangre de Cristo Community Care.

South Dakota campaign joins state and federal efforts to expand rural telehealth accessMcKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 2/12/24The continued need for telehealth options is particularly important for older adults living in rural areas. That reality may explain, in part, why South Dakota is working on legislation that would grant $5 million to assisted living communities and nursing facilities in the state to implement telehealth and telemedicine technology. 

Live discharge of hospice patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A systematic reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, by Stephanie P Wladkowski, Cara L Wallace, Kathryn Coccia, Rebecca C Hyde, Leslie Hinyard, Karla T Washington; 2/24This systematic review summarizes the growing body of evidence on live discharge among hospice patients with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD), a clinical subpopulation that disproportionately experiences this often burdensome care transition.

NJ's 'medical aid-in-dying' law upheld by state Supreme Court Public News Service, by Roz Brown; 2/13/24After a five-year court battle, New Jersey's medical aid-in-dying law has been affirmed by the state's Supreme Court, which rejected an attempt to overturn the statute. Signed by the governor in 2019, the law was soon challenged by a physician based on religious, personal and constitutional grounds. It allows mentally capable, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to get a prescription they can use to end their lives.

A year after Jimmy Carter entered hospice care, advocates hope his endurance drives awareness ABC News, by Bill Barrow, Associated Press; 2/18/24Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years. Rosalynn Carter, who died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis, lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside. Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. They express hope that the attention spurs more Americans to seek out services intended to help patients and families in the latter stages of life.Editor's Note: How are you addressing this length of 1+ year with the patients you serve? Click here for the CMS pdf of the 6-month rule, "Face-to-Face Requirement Affecting Hospice Recertification." 

Sunday NewslettersTop read stories of the last week (in order) is the focus of Sunday newsletters - enjoy!

I think the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice. — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar