Literature Review

Hispanic Americans and Alzheimer'sAlzheimer's Association; Resources; ongoing webpage, retrieved from the internet 9/25/24 Approximately 13% of Hispanics who are 65 or older have Alzheimer's or another dementia. Learn what the Alzheimer's Association is doing to address health disparities and provide support for Hispanic community members living with Alzheimer's or another dementia. Quick Facts: ...

The evolving landscape of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A fatal disease!  Delveinsight; 9/24/24 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately, death. ... Despite ALS being relatively rare, affecting 2-5 per 100,000 people worldwide, the question Is ALS on the rise? is gaining attention. While global prevalence has not significantly increased, improved diagnostic techniques, earlier detection, and greater awareness have led to a more accurate identification of ALS cases. Many researchers believe that enhanced surveillance and better tools for genetic testing are uncovering more cases than previously recognized, rather than a true rise in the disease’s incidence. However, with an aging global population, the burden of ALS may grow, as age is a major risk factor. Editor's note: Do you provide disease-specific training for your staff? ALS patients' and families' needs are unique. A significant disease comparison is between ALZ (Alzheimer's) and ALS. With ALZ (Alzheimer's), the brain decreases its abilities to function while the body can remain strong; the person is mobile with cognitive limitations. In contrast, with ALS, the body decreases its abilities to function while the brain/mind/emotions can remain strong. The person is immobile with cognitive awareness, but extreme physical limitations in communicating one's thoughts, emotions, and needs. ALS-specific communication tools provide crucial help for all. For more information in your location, visit The ALS Association's USA map.

10 most, least diverse states in 2024 Becker's Hospital Review; by Erica Carbajal; 9/17/24 ... For the ranking, the financial services company compared all 50 states across six key dimensions: socio-economic diversity, cultural diversity, economic diversity, household diversity, religious diversity and political diversity. ... Here are the 10 most and least diverse states in 2024, per the ranking: Most diverse: [Starting with highest diversity] 1. California 2. Texas 3. Florida 4. New Mexico 5. Hawaii 6. Nevada 7. New Jersey 8. New York 9. Maryland 10. ArizonaLeast diverse: [Starts with lowest diversity] 1. West Virginia 2. Maine 3. New Hampshire 4. Vermont 5. Montana 6. Kentucky 7. Wyoming 8. Iowa 9. Utah 10. North Dakota

How music therapy helps this young cancer patient in Louisville hold on to 'pure joy' ABC WHAS-11, Louisville, KY; by Brooke Hasch; 9/17/24Music therapists come prepared for any mood, hoping to bring light to a dark situation. Within the Norton Healthcare system, they help patients cope with pain, discomfort, and anxiety often associated with hospitalization. Brett Northrup's the music therapist for Norton Children's Cancer Institute, a role he stepped into 13 years ago. "I didn't know it existed, and then when I discovered this field, I said, 'this is it. This is what I'm going to do the rest of my life,'" he said. Northrup doesn't miss a beat when a patient's in need of a smile or a moment of normalcy. He's been there many times for 4-year-old Trey Lowman, who's gone through more than most people will in a lifetime. ... "When you put [Trey] and Brett together, it's magic," [Trey's mom] said. "He's full of joy and that's one thing that cancer hasn't been able to take from him."

[UK] End-of-life care demand for dementia patients set to surge, study warns Jersey Evening Post, United Kingdom; by UK News; 9/16/24 The number of people living with dementia who require end-of-life care is set to “substantially increase” in the coming years, according to a study. ... Researchers said: “Previous projections of the number of people with dementia who will have palliative care needs in England and Wales were based only on the number of people who died with dementia, and did not take into account people living with dementia. Thus, it is likely that the prevalence of palliative care needs among people with dementia in England and Wales has been considerably underestimated. Our analysis shows that even if dementia incidence declines between 2018 and 2040, the number of people living with dementia in England and Wales who have palliative care needs will increase substantially by 2040, reaching levels far greater than previous estimates based on mortality data.”Editor's note: How do these projection processes in the UK compare or contrast with the USA data you use? For more immediate information about current resources, click here for the Alzheimer's Assocation "Support for People Living With Dementia" and click here for 

Ribbon cutting for Tapestry Hospice & Palliative Care FetchYourNews.com; by Ellie Trammell; 9/12/24 Happy ribbon cutting day to Tapestry Hospice & Palliative Care at their new office in Blue Ridge, Georgia, serving patients in Fannin, Union, Gilmer and Pickens counties. 

Hospice of the Foothills announces umbrella name, Foothills Compassionate Care YubaNet.com; by Hospice of the Foothills; 9/10/24 As we celebrate 45 years as this community’s only nonprofit hospice, Hospice of the Foothills is excited to announce that we are formalizing our structure a bit to fit all of our programs under one all-encompassing organizational name. Going forward, Hospice of the Foothills, Sierra Community Palliative Care, Foothills Gift & Thrift Stores, and our Bereavement Programs will operate under the unified umbrella of Foothills Compassionate Care. Each program/service will maintain its name and identity but will be united under one umbrella.  We feel his strategic alignment will highlight all that we do more clearly and reinforce our commitment to providing compassionate, community-centered care without changing the ownership, staff, or core mission that our community has trusted for years. ... This is not about changing what works; it’s about creating a formal structure that reflects the comprehensive care we’ve always provided.

Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation announces $500,000 in funding for nine projects to improve serious illness and end of life care Globe Newswire; by Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation; 9/10/24 The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation ... announced nine grants to support innovative, early-stage interventions that address the serious illness and end of life needs of marginalized populations. The $500,000 in funding, part of a collaborative effort with The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, will advance nursing-driven initiatives that improve care for diverse populations and expand access to high-quality end of life services. ... This year’s grants demonstrate a commitment to the design, development, and delivery of better and more equitable care. The 2024 HSEI grant recipients are:

2024 NHPCO Facts and Figures Report now available National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 9/10/242022 Data Show First Increase in Hospice Utilization Rates Since COVID The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) published the 2024 edition of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Facts and Figures, an annual report on key data points related to the delivery of hospice care, including information on patient characteristics, location and level of care, Medicare hospice spending, and hospice providers. Facts and Figures – the leading resource for hospice providers and others interested in understanding the work of the community – has been published annually for over two decades by NHPCO. ... The findings in this report reflect patients who received care in Calendar Year (CY) 2022, or Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, provided by hospices certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and reimbursed under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This year COVID-19 continued to impact patient care as COVID-19 waivers were still in place through May 2023. These waivers included increased telehealth services. With 49.1% of all Medicare decedents in 2022 choosing hospice care, utilization of hospice increased in 2022 for the first time since 2019. The increase hints at a normalization of the utilization rates back to pre-COVID data. Hospice utilization rates increased across all race and ethnicity groups, with the largest increase among Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries seeing. The total number of beneficiaries enrolled in hospice care in 2022 was 1.72 million. Due to the unique impact of COVID-19 on 2020 data, those data are not included in many of the charts this year.

Nursing students learning to respect culture, tradition at the end of life St. Cloud Live, St. Joseph, MN; by Stephanie Dickrell; 9/6/24  It is called the golden hour — the hour before someone’s death. It’s a time of grief, but it’s also a sacred space. Two nursing instructors at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University are trying to make that time better for patients and their loved ones by better preparing their students who will be with them in their final moments. While the rituals surrounding death may vary by time, geography and culture, the program wants to make sure all cultures are respected. ... Julie Keller Dornbusch and Mary Pesch, both trained as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses ... received a prestigious grant from the Morgan Family Foundation of nearly $100,000 to create and test nursing simulations using culturally specific care for the Catholic community, Somali Muslims and Ojibwe people.Editor's note: This article indicates that "training material on culturally specific end-of-life care" is non-existent. This statement is misleading. Examine:

Norfolk woman celebrates 106th birthday after hospice discharge for being too healthy CBS WTKR 3, Norfolk, VA; by Vashti Moore; 9/6/24 A local woman not only celebrated good health on Thursday, but she also celebrated 106 years of life. Dorothy Southall was born in Whaleyville — a small neighborhood in Suffolk on Sept. 5, 1918. That’s two years before women received the right to vote and two months before the end of World War I. ... During the Civil Rights Movement, Dorothy worked as a licensed practical nurse at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York. She served her community as a healthcare worker for 20 years before moving back to Virginia in the late 1980s where she would live on her own and manage her own finances until she was 103. ... In August 2023, while living with her family, Dorothy was discharged from hospice because she deemed too healthy and no longer met the requirements. When admitted into residential care this summer in Norfolk, Dorothy said she “felt like she was home” when she arrived.

Flourishing at the end of life Public Discourse - The Journal of the Witherspoon Institute; by Xavier Symons, John Rhee and Tyler VanderWeele; 9/5/24 Dying is part of life, but most people dread their final days. The end of life, which often takes the form of protracted terminal illness, can involve significant pain and suffering as well as functional limits in day-to-day living. Is it still possible for human beings to flourish at the end of life? ... While dying may be a time when agency and quality of life are limited, the end of life also presents unique possibilities for the realization of human goods. Some dying patients discover meaning by reflecting on the events of their lives and come to a deeper appreciation of their own life legacy. Terminal illness also presents opportunities for a deepening of close social relationships and the fulfillment of relationship commitments. Paradoxically, the end of life can be a catalyst for gratitude and self-transcendence. It is worth asking, then: can we flourish even as we approach death? And how can we help our loved ones flourish in their final days? Editor's note: Take your time with this excellent essay, as it gets to our collective, core hospice mission, as described by Dame Cicely Saunders: "You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully but also to live until you die."