Literature Review

Hoffmann Hospice to host Grief Support Camp for Children of first responders KGET Bakersfield, California; by Jaspreet Multani; 8/29/24 Hoffmann Hospice will host its second annual free grief support camp for children and teens of first responders on Saturday, Sept 14, 2024. The event called “A Heart for Hero’s Art Camp,” provides a safe space for young people grieving the loss of a loved one such as a parent, sibling, or grandparent. ...  Led by experienced grief counselors, the camp offers therapeutic activities and support to help children express their grief in a nurturing environment. ... “We have a huge heart for kids, especially those who put themselves on the line for us every day,” said Ryan D’ Amato of Hoffmann Hospice.Editor's Note: While many hospices provide excellent grief camps for children and teens, this one stands out for tending the unique experiences for families of first responders. Many of these deaths will have been sudden and tragic--without hospice care--and often more complex to grasp and grieve. Hoffman Hospice's website indicates support for other non-hospice deaths: Miscarriage, Still Birth or Sudden Loss; Suicide. Bravo and thank you to Hoffman Hospice and other hospices who utilize your grief services to support your larger communities through often-disenfranchised deaths and grief.

Hospice student volunteers gain insight into dementia Ahwatukee Foothills News; by Lin Sue Flood; 8/23/24 Once a week, graduate nursing student Merle Tamondong pauses her busy college life to visit Micheline Schulte. They color together, play Micheline’s favorite songs and chat in French, her native language. “When I come here, the only time I’m on my phone is when I’m playing some music, which Micheline likes when we are coloring,” Merle said. “I feel very lucky.” Merle is part of Hospice of the Valley’s College Partners Program, an innovative collaboration with Maricopa Community Colleges, Arizona State University and other schools to provide socialization to people living with dementia and a much-needed break to family caregivers. Hospice of the Valley’s dementia and volunteer departments spearheaded this intergenerational program to help inspire careers in dementia care. ... To date, 106 students have been trained and paired with 123 patients since College Partners launched in 2021 with a grant from Community Care Corps. 

3 keys to palliative care marketing Hospice News; by Jennifer Murtoff; 8/16/24 While palliative care is an important part of medical care for many patients and providers, marketing messaging for these services must be carefully crafted. ... Given the rampant misconceptions about palliative care, education is an essential component of a marketing strategy, including for patients and families, referral partners and payers. A key point is to distinguish palliative care from hospice, according to Tony Kudner, chief strategy officer for Transcend Strategy Group. ... [Marketers] need to educate patients, family members, and payers as to the specific suite of services their organizations offer and how they can benefit patients. 

Aligning local marketing strategies with organizational vision Forbes; by Emily Burroughs; 8/15/24 ... In today’s interconnected world, achieving a cohesive and impactful narrative requires that local marketing strategies align with the organization’s broader vision. However, silos within a company can complicate this process, impeding clarity and effectiveness. Here’s how to bridge these gaps and foster a unified message. 

[Community & Caregivers] Stay ahead of Medicare fraudsters The NB Xpress, North Baltimore, OH; by Sue Miklovic; 7/26/24 Every day, criminals target older Americans with one goal – to steal their Medicare numbers and other protected health information. To fraudsters, this information is just as valuable as credit card information. These criminals steal Medicare numbers and unlawfully bill Medicare for medical services that were never provided to the patient or overbill for provided services. ... Consider these tips to help protect yourself against Medicare fraud and stay one step ahead of fraudsters: ...

What is palliative care, and can you get it at home?

Pasadena Hindu Temple offers health planning series for seniors: Interactive session to cover advance care, palliative care, and hospice services Pasadena Now; 7/2/24 The Pasadena Hindu Temple is hosting a health and wellbeing series for seniors, focusing on future healthcare planning. ... Doctors Alka and Pradeep Kapoor, both board-certified in internal medicine, hospice, and palliative medicine, will present on topics including advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice care. The doctors, who have over 45 years of medical experience, are also certified in Post Acute and Long-term care medicine. ... Established in 2002, the Pasadena Hindu Temple has evolved into a hub for Indian heritage and Hindu worship in Southern California. Now operating as the Hindu Temple and Heritage Foundation (HTHF), the nonprofit organization offers various community services. Editor's Note: What cultures and faith communities are in your service areas? Do you reach out to all? Does your staffing reflect your community? Click here for U.S. Census information and search for your geographical areas. 

"Message into the Community" with Tom Howell TCN Anatomy of Leadership; podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux; 6/26/24 In this episode of the Anatomy of Leadership, Chris Comeaux interviews Tom Howell, Principal with Hundred Trees LLC, about the importance of effective messaging in leadership and marketing. They discuss the role of listening and research in crafting impactful messages that resonate with the community. Tom shares his experience using focus groups and qualitative research to understand people's perceptions and values. Tom emphasizes the need for organizations to deliver on their promises and provide quality products or services. The conversation highlights the importance of communication as a two-way process and the value of engaging and involving people in discussions. 

UC San Diego receives $5M to support Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program UC San Diego Today; by Miles Martin; 6/25/24 The University of California San Diego has been selected for the third time to participate in the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). This highly selective program comes with a $5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). These funds will be used over the next five years to support the San Diego Imperial Geriatric Education Center (SDIGEC), which provides geriatric educational programming to health workers and other care providers across both San Diego and Imperial counties. SDIGEC is an ongoing collaboration between UC San Diego and San Diego State University (SDSU) that works to address the critical need for more aging-friendly communities and health systems. ... The grant will also support new programming to reach underserved communities and provide training for a wider variety of health workers and caregivers, emphasizing the needs of those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Project ECHO: 5 years of fostering learning in your community Dartmouth Health; by Connections Magazine and modified for the web; 6/25/24 Teach, teach, learn, learn. That is the model Project ECHO® at Dartmouth Health uses to connect people and their communities in a virtual setting, sharing knowledge between participants and subject matter experts. The program is especially helpful for rural communities seeking expertise on a broad range of health and medical issues. ... ECHO is an acronym for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes. ... The past three cohorts of the Palliative Care ECHO have been very successful, and the program content has continued to evolve over time. The sessions have had an average of 70 participants and have received high scores on feedback metrics. Fifty percent of participants were repeat attendees. “Our mission is to improve palliative care throughout our region, and our leadership is committed to the model,” Kathleen Broglio, DNP says. “This was the culmination of what I hoped to do in my career.” Editor's Note: Memorable quote from this article, "“Everyone is a teacher, and everyone is a learner,” says Kathleen Broglio, DNP, associate professor of medicine and a nurse practitioner of palliative medicine. Broglio has co-led the Palliative Care ECHO with Robin Larson, MD, MPH through three courses (cohorts) and with the support of the Project ECHO team at Dartmouth Health.

Unity launches Guide that enhances quality of life for dementia patients and their caregivers The Chamber - Manitowoc County, De Pere, Wisconsin; Press Release; 6/20/24 In honor of The Longest Day Of The Year which is celebrated on June 20th to raise awareness and outshine the darkness of Alzheimer's disease, Unity, in partnership with National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), announces the release of a new dementia care resources guide that will improve quality of life for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, reduce hospitalizations, and ease the burden for families and caregivers. ... The new guide represents the best standards of care for mid-, advanced-, to end-stage dementia and was put together with the collective input of 100+ not-for-profit hospice, palliative care, and advanced illness care organizations. [Click on the title's link for more information, and to download the free guide.]

When your parents die: Becoming an adult orphan The Montecito Journal; by Deann Zampelli; 6/18/24 Shortly after I got married, my 64-year-old mother lost her battle with breast cancer. Seven years later my father joined her. The loss isn’t any less painful just because you are a grown-up. ... Many don’t realize that grief isn’t linear. We don’t go through a neat little phase, checking off each stage as we complete it. The famous (and somewhat debunked) five stages of grief introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the 1960s (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) were from a study she did on the emotional states of patients who were dying. It was their stages she was referencing, not ours. ... I came to a frightening realization. ...  It suddenly dawned on me that my siblings and I were next in line to kick it. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]Editor's Note: While serving in your hospice leadership roles, you experience the ongoing aging, changes and likely even deaths of your own family members, friends, and mentors. Do you, your hospice communications, and/or your grief services rely on the outdated "Stages of Grief" model? These "stages" opened the door in the 1960's for talking about death and dying, but became overpopularizd for surviving and healing after the loss. These have been replaced with extensive bereavement/loss/grief research, clinical best practices, and more. For expert information, resources, and bereavement professionals, examine www.adec.org,  the Association for Death Education and Counseling. 

Hope in oncology: Where art and science collide Medscape; by Sharon Worcester, MA; 6/12/24 Carlos, a 21-year-old, laid in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life. Following a stem cell transplant for leukemia, Carlos had developed a life-threatening case of graft-vs-host disease. But Carlos' mother had faith. "I have hope things will get better," she said, via interpreter, to Richard Leiter, MD, a palliative care doctor in training at that time. "I hope they will," Leiter told her. "I should have stopped there," said Leiter, recounting an early-career lesson on hope during the ASCO Voices session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 annual meeting. "But in my eagerness to show my attending and myself that I could handle this conversation, I kept going, mistakenly." ... Carlos' mother looked Leiter in the eye. "You want him to die," she said. ...Editor's Note: Click on the title's link to continue reading this insightful reflection and discussion about the importance of "hope." Engage your oncology/palliative/hospice chaplains (hopefully CPE trained and Board Certified) with your medical team members to explore this core belief in "hope." Alert: AI referrals for palliative and hospice care are increasing exponentially. Clinicians must be sensitive to the human dimensions and dynamics of "hope" (which shift and change), and not be driven just by technological data.