Literature Review

Examining education models for clinical staff working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in hospice and palliative care: A narrative literature reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; Caitlyn M Moore; 5/25Despite individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) living longer with serious illness, healthcare professionals report inadequate training in this area. Additionally, IDD specialists consistently express discomfort and limited knowledge regarding HAPC [hospice and palliative care]. Findings indicate that while several studies demonstrate positive outcomes regarding knowledge, self-efficacy, and satisfaction among participants, there is a lack of standardized training and patient-centered metrics. Existing interventions largely focused on improving the knowledge of IDD staff regarding HAPC, with limited attention given to educating HAPC professionals on the nuances and complexities needs of people with IDD. This review underscores the importance of developing and implementing evidence-based and standardized training programs that encompass the needs of both HAPC and IDD specialists.

Sky Harbor program teaches TSA to help passengers with dementia. It's the 1st of its kind in U.S. 91.5 KJZZ Phoenix; by Kathy Ritchie; 6/17/25  For the first time anywhere in the U.S., Transportation Security Administration officers at Sky Harbor Airport are learning how to help travelers living with dementia. "So during this simulation, we're going to be wearing sunglasses, headphones, and both pairs of gloves," said Calli Carlson with Hospice of the Valley during a recent training session. "It's going to be about an 8-minute experience.  So those headphones are going to tell you what to do with your blue bag. Do the best that you can." She’s leading the agents in a simulation so they experience what it's like to have dementia. "So this interactive Dementia Moments training is one of the first trainings that has been provided to TSA agents." This simulation uses special glasses that impair vision, headphones to mimic audio distortion and gloves which affect dexterity.Editor's Note: Bravo! Do you provide any similar type of training for your employees and volunteers, designed to simulate contexts and interactions with persons with dementia? Surely, you can! 

Celebrating Father’s Day when Dad is on hospice Roze Room Hospice, Culver City, CA; retrieved from www.rozeroom.org on 6/12/25Father’s Day is often synonymous with backyard cookouts, gifts, cards and large family gatherings. Honoring your father or a father figure means celebrating the role this important person has played in your life. It can be a sentimental day where we slow down and consider the gift this person has been in our lives. But if your father is in hospice care, Father’s Day can take on even more significance. You may believe the day will be filled with sadness and unease. But truly capturing this day will be a gift to your dad and all those who love him. Here are five ways to celebrate Father’s Day when your dad is on hospice.

Implementing palliative care in nursing homes: A podcast with Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe, and Cari Levy GeriPal; podcast by Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe and Cari Levy; 6/5/25 Consider this: the majority of the 1.4 million adults residing in U.S. nursing homes grapple with serious illnesses, and roughly half experience dementia. Many also suffer from distressing symptoms like pain. In addition, about 25% of all deaths in the United States occur within these facilities. Despite these substantial needs, specialized palliative care beyond hospice is rare in nursing homes. Furthermore, only about half of nursing home residents nearing the end of life receive hospice care. So, how can we improve palliative care for individuals in nursing homes? [This] podcast explores this crucial question with three leading experts: Connie Cole, Kathleen Unroe, and Cari Levy. 

Describing the impact of physician end-of-life communication training on simulated stress using a novel stress marker American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Amy H. J. Wolfe, MD, MEd, Pamela S. Hinds, PhD, RN, FAAN, Adre J. du Plessis, MD, Heather Gordish-Dressman, PhD, and Lamia Soghier, MD, MEd-2; 3/25/25 Introduction: Empathetic end-of-life (EOL) communication is important for high quality pediatric patient and family outcomes. Trainees may have limited exposure and training in caring for patients at EOL which may impact communication-related stress. ...  Conclusions: Pediatric residents report limited opportunities to communicate with patients/families at EOL, which may impact stress responses when communicating life-altering news to families. Simulated communication encounters can be designed to evoke subjective and objective stress which can be measured using novel technology and may help address limited EOL opportunities.

AMA advocacy: Graduate Medical Education and student loans American Medical Association; 6/3/25 The American Medical Association is committed to supporting medical students and residents as they attend school and enter their training years. As part of this the AMA believes that the cost of a medical education should never pose a barrier to a career in medicine and has long-standing concerns about the high and increasing costs of medical education and supports efforts to ensure that individuals are offered fair loan terms and are provided with the ability to make meaningful progress towards paying off their student loans. In alignment with this, the AMA collaborates with our partners in the Federation of Medicine, and engages in consistent and ongoing advocacy work in the public- and private-, to ease the financial burden medical students, residents and physicians by: ...

‘A missed opportunity’ for small systems needing nurse Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 5/8/25  In February, South Dakota officials approved the state’s first registered nursing apprenticeship program through Huron Regional Medical Center. The apprenticeship is designed to attract English-as-a-second language nurses into the field, Sioux Falls Live reported May 7. The program was started by Norma Torres Ortiz, RN, a travel nurse contracted with Avera Health who works part time at the Huron Regional Medical Center. Ms. Ortiz is originally from Puerto Rico where she worked as a nurse. When she moved to the U.S., she found herself struggling to pass the NCLEX and find a nursing job due to language barriers. ... Large systems are building international nursing programs that recruit and hire nurses through work visas; however, smaller systems don’t have the funds to hire large numbers of international nurses through an agency. This is where a nurse apprenticeship program can fill the gap. Huron Regional Medical Center launched its practical nursing apprenticeship in 2018. ...

Primary mental health competencies for hospice and palliative medicine physicians: A Delphi studyJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Lisa Podgurski, Danielle Chammas, Keri O Brenner, Leah B Rosenberg, Neha G Goyal, Maria I Lapid, Sue E Morris, William F Pirl, Bridget Sumser, Benjamin W Thompson, Lindsey Wright, and Daniel Shalev; 5/20/25  Objectives: To establish and prioritize 'primary mental health competencies' for specialist hospice and palliative medicine physicians using expert consensus methods. Results: The expert panel proposed 68 competencies divided into: (A) psychological foundations of serious illness care, (B) diagnosis and management of mental health disorders in serious illness, and (C) systems-based practice. After first-round voting, 23 competencies were recirculated for a second vote. Following second-round voting, 32 competencies were included in the final list: 7 from part A, 20 from part B, and 5 from part C.

[Taiwan] Spiritual well-being of terminally ill patients and next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care: A quantitative and qualitative approachPalliative and Supportive Care; Er-Jung Hsueh, Shu-Chun Tsai, Jun-Hung Lai, Chi-Yu Lu, Tsai-Wei Huang, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama; 4/25Terminal cancer patients often endure significant distress, impacting their quality of life. Spiritual well-being provides peace and meaning during this challenging period. This mixed-methods study included 30 terminally ill patients and 17 next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care. Spiritual well-being was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), and symptom distress with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Patients showed a significant improvement in spiritual well-being over time, ... [and] symptoms such as shortness of breath ... , drowsiness ... , and anxiety ... were negatively associated with spiritual well-being. Caregiver spiritual well-being positively influenced patient scores, especially with female caregivers ... Qualitative findings supported these results, revealing themes of spiritual adjustment, the impact of physical symptoms on spiritual well-being, and the crucial role of caregivers in providing emotional and spiritual support.

White coats, heavy hearts: What to expect as a med student after your first patient death Medscape; by David Brzostowicki; 5/21/25 The first death of a patient represents a profound emotional turning point that reverberates throughout one’s career as a physician. In that critical moment, the shield of clinical detachment gives way to inevitable self-reflection. Daryl Eber, MD, recalls a jarring case of an intubated patient who extubated himself and quickly died after coding. The incident occurred in 2005 while Eber was doing rounds as a medical student at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center (renamed UF Health Jacksonville) in Jacksonville, Florida. Although the patient was not in his direct care, the swiftness with which death took the man has lingered with Eber for two decades. 

6 ways to successfully implement clinical communication tools Forbes; by Judit Sharon; 5/19/25 In the high-stakes environment of healthcare, communication breakdowns can have life-or-death consequences. Yet too often, hospitals and healthcare systems assume that simply deploying new clinical communication and collaboration (CC&C) tools will solve the problem. The reality is more complex: Successful implementation depends just as much on operational alignment, cultural change and thoughtful execution as it does on the technology itself. To turn communication tools into real transformation, here are six ways to drive successful CC&C adoption.

A narrative review—Characterizing palliative care curriculum aimed at high school adolescents and young adultsIllness, Crisis and Loss; Austin B. Elder; 4/25The aim of this narrative review is to explore the characteristics of palliative care curriculum developed for high school adolescent and young adults (AYAs). Characteristics including a variety of designs, methods, and strategies were all identified to have positive participation, feedback, and experiences from high school AYA being provided palliative care curriculum. Conclusions: The literature indicates that the use of subject matter experts within palliative care curriculum for high school students is a core characteristic in meeting the World Health Organizations recommendation to embed palliative care curriculum into public awareness strategies.

Dementia patient discharged from hospice over Medicare requirement. Here’s why it happened WKMG-6, Deltona, FL; by Erika Briguglio and Louis Bolden; 5/14/25A Volusia County family is left scrambling after their loved one is abruptly dropped from hospice care. To qualify for hospice, patients must have a life expectancy of six months or less. However, for dementia patients, the prognosis can be unpredictable. Hospice care can be extended as long as the patient continues to meet Medicare requirements. Unfortunately, these requirements are why Amy Yates lost coverage for her 91-year-old grandmother. ... “I think it’s she hasn’t died fast enough, and it’s costing them money that they don’t want to spend,” Yates told News 6. ... What Yates’ family is dealing with is what Medicare calls live discharge, and they are not alone. The Hospice Foundation of America reports that 17% of people in 2022 who were admitted to hospice care were discharged; about 6% of the total caseload was discharged because they no longer met Medicare requirements for care under the hospice benefit.Editor's note: What are your hospice stats for live discharges? For Length of Stay (LOS)? This factor--with the face-to-face recertification requirement--is crucial. Unfortunately, many hospices misused President Jimmy Carter's extraordinarily long LOS with misleading information about hospice care. They watered down "end-of-life" care and never mentioned anything about a basic recertification process. Warm, user-friendly language can be used with integrity, authenticity, and patient/caregiver support.