Literature Review

Teen honored with Meritorious Civilian Award after rescuing grandparents in house fire [grandmother in hospice care] Chattanoogan.com, Chattanooga, TN; 11/12/24The Whitfield County Fire Department awarded the Meritorious Civilian Award for Bravery to 15-year-old José Fernando Espinoza on Monday in recognition of his exceptional courage during a house fire on Oct. 19. The award honors civilians who show extraordinary heroism in life-threatening situations, celebrating Fernando’s selfless actions that saved his grandparents. Shortly after midnight on Oct. 19, firefighters were dispatched to a fire on Ricky Drive, where flames had rapidly overtaken the home. Though most of the family managed to escape safely, Fernando’s grandparents remained trapped inside. His grandmother, bedridden and in hospice care, and his grandfather, who chose to stay with the grandmother, were unable to make it out on their own. In an extraordinary display of bravery, Fernando reentered the burning home through a window and, pushing through thick smoke and flames, managed to pull both grandparents to safety.

National program helped 27 states develop background check processes for long-term care McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 11/11/24 A national background check program was so successful in helping states develop or enhance systems for conducting background checks of prospective long-term care employees that more than a quarter million prospective employees were disqualified from working in the sector, even after funding for the program ran out, according to a final report on the program. The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released a final analysis on Thursday of the National Background Check Program for long-term care providers. The agency reported that 29 states participated in the program between 2010 and 2024 and that the program helped 27 of them develop programs to identify efficient, effective and economical procedures for conducting background checks on prospective long-term care employees. During the National Background Check Program, states disqualified at least 106,000 individuals with criminal convictions from employment. Disqualifying criminal convictions included offenses of murder, assault, battery, robbery, theft, fraud and forgery. 

After Hurricane Helene, the VA in Western NC is making sure that no veteran is left behind  Southern Living; by Abigail Wilt; 11/11/24The agency has contacted 100% of the high-risk veterans they identified before the storm—some visits requiring mile-long hikes up unstable mountainous terrain. As Western North Carolina continues to pick up the pieces on a long road to recovery following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, teams from the local VA are going above and beyond to care for veterans. ... That service extended deep into the mountains. Prior to the storm, the VA identified over 2,600 vulnerable veterans at highest risk, including patients going through chemo treatments and those with spinal cord injuries, mobility issues, and home oxygen needs. When the floodwaters hit, the Emergency Department never closed. Immediately following Helene, the VA began addressing the oxygen needs of 1200 vulnerable veterans, Young shared, and a task force was mobilized to perform wellness checks. But as many roads were washed out and phone and internet service inconsistent, these wellness checks often took the form of compassion on foot. “We contacted 100% of the high-risk veterans, either by phone or in person at their homes,” Young said. “Some visits required mile-long hikes up unstable mountainous terrain to reach veterans, including those determined to stay in their homes."

Fear of falling: Do you have an emergency plan? Harvard Health Letter - Tribune Content Agency; by Heidi Godman; 11/1/24 You’re doing everything you can to avoid a fall, but sometimes tumbles occur despite best efforts: one in four U.S. adults ages 65 and older report falling in any given year. As common as these accidents are, most of us never consider what to do in the event of a fall. How would you get help? Should you contact your doctor or go to a hospital? What would happen after that? If you haven’t already, it’s time to come up with a basic emergency plan, while you’re healthy and can think calmly and clearly.

Advance Directives: How to make sure your end-of-life decisions are followed Bottom Line Inc; by Mathew D. Pauley, JD; 10/24/24 Nearly 40% of older Americans have some form of advance directives, such as a living will to communicate wishes about life-saving treatment…or a medical power of attorney appointing a loved one as proxy if they’re incapacitated.  Problem: Your wishes may not always be followed in real-world situations. Examples: Emergency paramedics typically provide CPR to restart a patient’s heart even if that patient’s living will says otherwise. And complex medical circumstances at the end of life often arise that force your loved ones to make judgment calls about what you really want. Bottom Line Personal spoke to clinical ethicist Mathew Pauley about how to make sure hospitals, medical providers and family members follow your medical wishes.

Victim of hospice nurse wonders how she could've stolen from them NBC News KUSA-TV 9, Denver, CO; Newscast video, reported by Rhea Jha; 10/24/24 A home care hospice nurse has been sentenced to 32 years in prison for stealing more than $100,00 from multiple patients. Victims are wondering how this happened.  ... "That loss of trust, I don't know how you recover from that." Editor's note: This news story identified "All Generations Home Care" as the agency involved, and that they did not respond for comment.

De-Escalating angry people: A critical safety skill in education and healthcare Campus Safety; by Jacob Milner; 10/15/24 These five de-escalation disciplines will help you effectively deal with angry students, family members, visitors, and patients. ... But before we dive into de-escalation itself. It’s crucial to remember that no matter the situation, your primary goal should always be safety, then de-escalation. If you don’t feel safe attempting to de-escalate someone, then don’t. But if you feel that you are in a situation where de-escalation can be attempted, carry on. Now that being said, let’s get into it. ...

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 catalyst for a 25% drop in sepsis mortality at Jefferson Health Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Erica Carbajal; 9/19/24 In the healthcare quality space, clinicians must track a plethora of metrics and measures, creating an environment where it can be easy to lose focus of ongoing priorities. To help center focus and ensure alignment of clinical priorities, Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health developed a quality and safety management system called OnPoint, which is now in place across all of its 17 hospitals. ... The platform is central to strides Jefferson Health has made in managing sepsis in recent years, ... Since 2021, the system has achieved a 25% reduction in average annual sepsis mortality, which is estimated to have saved the lives of nearly 700 patients and $30 million in costs.

Hugo man dies in house fire  [hospice patient] KXII 12 TV, Hugo, OK; by KXII Staff; 9/5/24 A fire at a home in Hugo claims the life of a former Choctaw County assistant district attorney. Officials said the fire happened Sunday afternoon. The Choctaw County Emergency Manager told News 12 that John Bounds, who was in hospice care, was unable to escape. All others in the house got out safely.Editor's note: What emergency discussions do your interdisciplinary team members have with home hospice patients and their caregivers? Regular fire safety training (and other forms of patient care safety, workplace safety, etc.) are required by OSHA and accreditation organizations. 

Elder abuse is unreported. City employees will now be trained to recognize it. San Antonio Report, TX; by Iris Dimmick; 8/21/24 City of San Antonio employees will soon be trained on how to identify and report elder abuse thanks to a collaborative effort to increase awareness of the underreported “crisis” gripping the community. City Council’s Public Safety Committee greenlit the policy Tuesday, which directs the city’s Department of Human Services and Texas Adult Protective Services (APS) to develop training curricula for staff. ... The largest share of elderly abuse cases in Bexar County is reported by medical personnel, followed by relatives, community agencies and the victims themselves. In 2022, a woman died in a local hospital after her three adult children allegedly neglected her hospice care. In 2018, a caretaker in San Antonio was charged with several felonies after police found an elderly, disabled woman was languishing in soiled clothes for months at a time.Editor's Note: What elder neglect and abuse training do you require for your hospice and palliative care interdisciplinary team members and volunteers? What incident reporting and follow-up systems do you have in place? The CMS Hospice Conditions of Participation requires the patient's comprehensive assessment to include "a thorough evaluation of the caregiver's and family's willingness and capability to care for the patient." Subpart A, § 418.3 

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.

HIMSSCast: Improving patient safety and employee retention with best incident reporting practicesHealthcare IT News; by Andrea Fox; 7/26/24 By modernizing systems and improving leadership and culture to embrace reporting, healthcare organizations can better address the top 10 patient safety concerns for 2024, says Heidi Raines, founder and CEO of Performance Health Partners. Ultimately improving the quality of care healthcare systems deliver and preventing harm requires a degree of self-reflection. Along with digital transformation, putting an easy-to-use incident reporting system in place can help healthcare organizations address today's chief patient safety concerns, including medication errors, care delays, workplace violence and preventing patient falls, said Raines.