Literature Review

Carolina Caring celebrates fourth graduating class of CNA Training and Job Placement Program Focus, Newton, NC; 11/13/24 On the evening of Thursday, October 24th, Carolina Caring recognized the seven graduates of its latest Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Training and Job Placement Program. ... This state-approved CNA Training Program runs for eight weeks at Carolina Caring’s Newton campus on 3975 Robinson Road. Led by licensed nursing instructors, these courses provide expert hands-on education which prepares students to pass the intensive North Carolina Nurse Aide certification exam. Students receive financial aid throughout the program, and all graduates who successfully complete their certifications are offered positions with Carolina Caring. ... “Carolina Caring blessed me by selecting me for this program and providing me with an opportunity that I otherwise would not have been able to financially invest in at this current moment,” said Allison Ackley, class valedictorian. “They poured into me, and so I’m going to be pouring back into them.”Editor's note from Carolina Caring's website: "In 1979, Carolina Caring was established as one of North Carolina’s original three hospice providers. We were a small group of grassroots volunteers with a mission: to help our parents, grandparents and neighbors walk through their final moments with dignity and respect." We congratulate you on this innovative, mission-driven educational and staffing initiative.

Sioux City’s first Caregiver Olympics celebrates home care KCAU Sioux City; by Alyssa Tatsch; 11/7/24 November is National Care at Home Month, and to celebrate, several local healthcare organizations came together to participate in Sioux City’s first Caregiver Olympics. “I was watching the Olympics this summer and I was thinking of something fun to do with our caregiving team,” Visiting Angels owner and director Kristen Hammerstrom said. “Then I was at a meeting with some of the other [home care organizations] and I floated the idea to them and they said ‘that would be awesome.’” In honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care month, nine Sioux City caregiving teams went head-to-head competing in a relay race with specialized in-home care tasks. ... “As much as it is difficult to be a caregiver, it is also difficult for these employees too to help and take care of families, so this is just our light heartfelt fun moment to help people,” Hospice of Siouxland marketing & fund director Kim Wilson said. Despite the friendly competitive atmosphere, all nine teams shared one common goal. “While we might be competitors, at the end of the day our main goal is to care for patients and make sure that our patients and their loved ones are taken care of. That is our main goal,” Wilson said.

Polk County home health aide accused of sleeping on the job arrested in man’s death: ‘He was old anyway' Fox 13, Winter Haven, FL; by Fox 13 News Staff; 9/30/24 A home health aide in Polk County is being held without bond after investigators say she fell asleep, and an 86-year-old man died in her care. ... The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the victim’s family hired around the clock care from Assisting Hands, which consisted of two 12-hour shifts during the day and night. The victim had recently been hospitalized and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was also receiving services from Good Shepherd Hospice. ... After the day shift nurse left, investigators say Taylor fell asleep on the couch in the living room, which is against company policy that states she should not have been sleeping. Deputies say Taylor woke up around 1 a.m. on August 16 and heard a thump coming from the victim’s bedroom. According to PCSO, Taylor went into the bedroom and saw the victim lying on his right side, on the floor, with his head wedged in between the nightstand and the bed. She told detectives that she tried to help him back into bed but that he told her not to touch him, so she left him on the floor and did not call anyone, including 911 or her employer, which is against company policy. ... According to the Medical Examiner, had Taylor called 911 when she first found the victim, as required by her own company’s policy, the victim would not have died. The Medical Examiner ruled the victim’s cause of death positional asphyxia with a contributory cause of pre-existing health issues.

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.

Amid trauma and burnout, it ‘takes courage’ to reflect on mental, emotional well-being Healio; by Jennifer Byrne; 7/31/24 ... [William E. Rosa, PhD, MBE, MS] began to realize that in the stressful, devastating situations he and his colleagues faced daily, there was much to be learned from the principles of trauma-informed care. ... “This is the idea that cultivating an awareness can prevent us from re-traumatizing ourselves and others,” he said. “I think it starts with reflecting on — and telling the truth about — our mental and emotional well-being. That takes courage.” In acknowledging the emotional scars, brokenness and vulnerability that comes from tragedy and loss, individuals can begin to heal a lifetime of stored and unresolved trauma, Rosa said. “As a workforce, you and I see unacceptable rates of suicide, burnout, moral distress and attrition,” he said. “It’s time that we come to safe and supported terms with our trauma — not just as individuals, but as a collective, not only for the patients and families we serve, but for us to survive.”Editor's Note: In this article, Dr. Rosa identified "the emotional impact of taking yet another patient off the ventilator at the end of life." Recent articles we've posted in this newsletter about trauma-informed care been in our "Top Reads." While those articles focused on trauma-informed care of the persons you serve, this focuses on the persons who serve, your all-important direct patient care clinicians.

Proactive fall prevention: Elevating patient safety and healthcare excellenceHealthCare Business News; by Amy Hester; 7/26/24... The significance of fall prevention cannot be overstated, as it directly impacts patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality. With the patient safety solutions market growing at an expected rate of 11.2%, the importance of proactive fall prevention strategies becomes even more evident. ... In the United States, preventable medical errors, including falls, are the third leading cause of death. The impact of falls on patient health and recovery is profound, often leading to longer hospital stays, delayed recovery and increased risk of subsequent falls.Editor's Note: Proactive fall prevention is especially important for persons needing palliative or hospice care. As the person's health and mobility declines, they have to adjust to these changes mentally, emotionally, physically, and relationally. Recognizing decline can feel like defeat. Asking for help can be tough. Family members can expect the person to move more independently more than possible, leading to falls.

Homecare Homebase opens nominations for 2024 Home Care Aide Scholarship Program PRNewswire-PRWeb; 7/23/24 Homecare Homebase (HCHB) ... and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) are proud to announce the opening of nominations for the 2024 Home Care Aide Scholarship Program. This annual program awards $1,000 scholarships to 15 deserving home care aides across the country, recognizing their dedication to providing exceptional care and supporting their professional development. The scholarship program helps address the growing need for aides in the home care workforce, enabling these essential workers to pursue further education and advance their careers. ... Nominations for the 2024 Home Care Aide Scholarship Program are now open and will be accepted through September 30th, 2024.

Empowering ‘deeply undervalued’ caregivers would improve ‘lifeline for older adults’ McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 6/28/24 Direct care workers and family caregivers remain “deeply undervalued” and often overlooked despite calls for investment in the care economy, according to the authors of a new report. “These caregivers provide a lifeline for older adults, people with disabilities, and people living with chronic conditions,” PHI and the National Alliance for Caregiving said in an issue brief released Wednesday. “Empowering them in their roles will help to ensure high quality, responsive care to meet the needs and preferences of millions of Americans now and in the future.” The organizations called on providers, Congress, the Department of Labor, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, states, managed care plans and advocates to invest in the “essential partnership” between direct care workers and family caregivers. The new brief includes insights from a variety of stakeholders ...  The result is a list of recommendations that prioritize improvements to direct care jobs.Editor's Note: Our sponsor, Composing Life Out of Loss, equips hospice and palliative care organizations with caregiver education and support video libraries to strengthen relationships between the direct care professional and the family caregiver, with timely information for the entire family. Contents are written to CMS CoPs, CAHPS, and contemporary grief research; English and Spanish.

Celebrate CNA Week Toolkit: June 13-19, 2024 NAHCA - The CNA Association; retrieved from the internet 6/14/24 This year, CNA Week is from June 13th to June 19th. With the theme of "We'll Be There For You," NAHCA created this toolkit for CNAs and for the skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, and staffing and home health agencies they work for so that everyone can celebrate, recognize, and pay their respects to the incredible work that the nearly 1 million-strong contingent of frontline heroes does everyday for elders and people with disabilities. Editor's Note: We apologize for the late date of this notice, as it has not been showing up in our many newsfeeds. That fact illustrates how healthcare too often neglects our valued Certified Nursing Assistants. Are you doing something special to thank your CNA's? If you post something on your website to honor your CNA's, please let me know via jberger@hospicepalliativecaretoday.org. Thank you.

‘We don’t talk about death’: Winston-Salem journalist seeks to help people understand dying, deathbed visions Fox 8 WGHP - High Point, NC; by Bob Buckley; 5/29/24 There may not be anything that fascinates people more than death. It may be the thing many people avoid confronting the most. “In our culture, we’re pretty separated from death. And I don’t know the figures, but the vast majority … take place in hospitals. We don’t talk about death a lot in our culture,” said Phoebe Zerwick, a journalist based in Winston-Salem who recently wrote about deathbed visions for the New York Times Magazine. ... Zerwick became aware of the work of Dr. Christopher Kerr. ... “The biggest difference between hallucinations and these experiences is how the person is made to feel,” Dr. Kerr said. “Most hallucinations leave the person distressed and agitated and would be further confused. These experiences bring comfort. They bring meaning. They’re drawn from life. They really validate the life.” ... “I think the moral of the story is to be present and to be present with people when they are terminally ill. Be present when they’re dying,” Zerwick said.

Elder abuse is easy to missNextAvenue; by Leida Snow; 5/6/24 Here is what to look for if you suspect a caregiver--whether a relative or a professional--is mistreating a loved one. ... People are living longer in their own homes outside of nursing homes or other institutional settings, which means that at some point each of us is likely to be a caregiver or looking for continuing health care for a loved one or ourselves. ... "My husband was in home hospice for the last months of his life." ... [A bereaved caregiver describes incidents with her husband's care.]  Then I ... went to the other room and called the agency's 24-hour number. 'I want her out of here,' I said. 'Please send someone else as soon as you can.' Lou briefly rallied the next morning, but he died later that day. Did the aide hasten his death? I believe she did."