Literature Review

Spread some love to seniors this Valentines Day WKBN Youngstown, OH; by Dave Sess; 1/21/25 As you’re making Valentine’s Day plans, consider spreading some love to local seniors. You can make special cards or buy a thoughtful card and share the love. Home Instead is organizing the collection again this year. It has three schools already committed to making cards as it hopes to double last year’s total of 1,000. Each of the Valentine’s Day cards will carry a heartfelt message to seniors in nursing homes and assisted living communities that they’re loved, appreciated and remembered. ... The seniors will also receive flowers from Harmony Hospice. “These seniors appreciate anything from a simple smile to a card or a flower and just a simple hello,” said Sara Stevens with Harmony Hospice.Editor's note: Calling community outreach professionals--what a simple, meaningful way to engage your community for meaningful, intergenerational engagement and support. Now's the time! What can you do?

Free Death Cafés provide a venue for difficult conversations The Northern Virginia Daily. Stephens City, VA; by Brian Brehm; 1/20/25... Blue Ridge Hospice, in partnership with Bowman Library, wants to spark the death-related conversations that many people want to have but are comfortable initiating. Starting this month, the two organizations will be hosting a Death Café on the fourth Thursday of every other month. ... According to a media release from Blue Ridge Hospice, “Death Café is not a grief support group or a counseling session, but rather a casual and welcoming space for people to reflect on death-related topics, with the aim of helping us live life more fully. Whether you’re curious, thoughtful or seeking meaningful conversation, come as you are and engage in this judgment-free, agenda-free discussion.”

Michigan hospice's training empowers African Americans to dialogue Catholic Health world; by Lisa Eisenhauer; 1/16/25 Rev. Diane Smith knows the hospice education program she leads for predominantly Black churches resonates with those who enroll. ... Rev. Smith directs The African American Church Empowerment Project at Livonia, Michigan-based Angela Hospice and gives certificates those who complete the training. She is also the hospice's director of ministry engagement and chief diversity officer. The Empowerment Project isn't about promoting Angela Hospice's services, Rev. Smith explains, but rather about educating the community on hospice care and listening to concerns about end-of-life issues. Rev. Smith sees another primary reason for the disconnect between Black Americans and hospice providers. She says many people of color have a distrust of the medical community that is rooted in historically being both denied care and exploited ...

I’m moving forward and facing the uncertainty of aging California Healthline; by Judith Graham; 1/15/25 It takes a lot of courage to grow old. I’ve come to appreciate this after conversations with hundreds of older adults over the past eight years for nearly 200 “Navigating Aging” columns. Time and again, people have described what it’s like to let go of certainties they once lived with and adjust to new circumstances. These older adults’ lives are filled with change. They don’t know what the future holds except that the end is nearer than it’s ever been. And yet, they find ways to adapt. To move forward. To find meaning in their lives. And I find myself resolving to follow this path as I ready myself for retirement. Patricia Estess, 85, of the Brooklyn borough of New York City spoke eloquently about the unpredictability of later life when I reached out to her as I reported a series of columns on older adults who live alone, sometimes known as “solo agers.” ...

Bestselling author: I asked 26,000 people around the world their biggest regrets—these were the top 4 NBC News NECN Channel 4, Boston, MA; by Aston Jackson, CNBC; 1/11/25 Living life without regrets is impossible, says bestselling author Daniel Pink. "Everybody has regrets. It's one of the most common emotions that human beings have," said Pink, in a podcast episode that published last month. "And yet, we've been sold such a bill of goods about positivity and being positive all the time that when we feel regret, we think we're the only one." Pink combed through decades of research and surveyed more than 26,000 people from 130 countries about their biggest regrets for his 2022 book, "The Power of Regret," according to his website. Most of those people struggled with four core regrets:

The anonymous advantage: How anonymous patient surveys can improve healthcare outcomes Forbes; by Lauren Parr; 1/9/24 When it comes to improving patient care, feedback is the compass that guides healthcare providers in the right direction. But here’s the catch, traditional feedback often fails to capture honest patient opinions due to fear of judgment, privacy concerns and other potential repercussions. This is where anonymous surveys prove to be valuable. Studies have demonstrated that anonymous surveys yield more candid responses, leading to a deeper understanding of patient experiences. This increased transparency fosters trust between patients and healthcare providers, enabling a more collaborative approach to care. Free from fear of judgment or consequences, patients can provide honest feedback, highlighting strengths and identifying areas for improvement. This ultimately leads to better healthcare outcomes.

‘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.

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.

UnitedHealthcare taught us ways to deny claims: Former employee NBC News Channel 8, Tampa, FL; by Damita Menezes; 12/30/24A former UnitedHealthcare claims representative says employees were systematically trained to deny medical claims and rush distressed customers off phone lines, revealing internal practices at the nation’s largest health insurer amid growing scrutiny of the industry. Natalie Collins, who worked for UnitedHealthcare for nine months, said Saturday on “NewsNation Prime” that staff received “so many different ways to deny” claims during their two to three months of training, with supervisors often standing behind representatives instructing them on denial methods. “We weren’t given proper instruction to actually pay the claim, and there wasn’t enough monies in certain files in certain companies to pay medical claims,” Collins said. “We would have to just get the client off the phone as fast as we could.” Collins described crying at her desk while handling calls from desperate patients, as supervisors laughed.

MCS students make gifts for Iowa River Hospice patients Times-Republican; by Lana Bradstream; 12/26/24 Marshalltown Christian School students put their creativity to work and brought some Christmas cheer to Iowa River Hospice patients this year. “This is the first time we have initiated this type of request,” said Pamela Wells, Iowa River Hospice volunteer coordinator and community liaison. “We thought it would be a wonderful collaboration for the holidays. I’m hoping that we can continue to work with them throughout the year.” Seventeen first-grade students gave 40 patients cards or door hangers, using designs they created. Before the holiday arrived, the handmade gifts were delivered to the patients via chaplains, nurses, aides, social workers and volunteers. 

Congress extends hospice telehealth flexibilities Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/21/24 Congress has extended the pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities through March 14, 2025. Early Saturday, legislators approved a continuing resolution to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. The bill contained language to extend the flexibilities, which includes the ability to perform face-to-face recertifications via telehealth. They were originally slated to expire on Dec. 31. The extension is a win for health care providers, including hospices, who have come to rely heavily on virtual services during the past five years.   

An innovative take on transforming hospice spaces with Buildner for better well-being Arch Daily; 12/19/24 Buildner has announced the results of its Hospice - Home for the Terminally Ill competition, the third in a series of architectural idea challenges focused on creating compassionate spaces for individuals facing terminal illnesses. This competition encouraged architects to move beyond traditional medical models, designing environments that prioritize comfort, dignity, and community. Participants were tasked with envisioning a facility for up to 15 visitors and five staff members, incorporating essential spaces such as a library-equipped common area, gathering room, chapel, kitchen, dining area, nurse's station, and therapy room for psychological support. Designs were grounded in theoretical sites within participants' home countries, allowing for the integration of local cultural, social, and environmental contexts. The competition highlighted how innovative, thoughtful design can provide solace and strength during life's most difficult moments. ...

Veteran’s body sent across state lines without family’s knowledge USANews.net; by Michael Carter; 12/17/24 In a shocking turn of events, Karen Wandel received a distressing message last year that her father, Libero Marinelli Jr., had passed away over five months earlier in a South Carolina hospital. What came as an even greater shock was the revelation that his body had been sent to be used for medical research without the knowledge of his family. This troubling incident sheds light on the complex and often unregulated practices surrounding the use of unclaimed bodies in the healthcare industry. ... The treatment of Marinelli, a former Army service member entitled to burial in a veterans’ cemetery, underscores the ethical dilemmas surrounding the supply of unclaimed bodies for medical research. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the unethical nature of this practice, it continues to persist due to the healthcare industry’s demand for human specimens and local officials’ struggles with the rising number of unclaimed bodies without next of kin.Editor's note: This demonstrates yet another example of the shocking story that received extensive national network news (and that we posted 9/17/24), "As families searched, a Texas medical school cut up their loved ones."