Literature Review

[Turkey] Actual roles of Occupational Therapists in palliative and hospice care: A scoping reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Güleser Güney Yılmaz, PhD, OT; Hülya Yücel, PT, PhD; Milda Gintiliene, MD; 1/25 Occupational therapists play a crucial role in coordinating and facilitating safe transitions from the hospital to home, aiming to improve the overall quality of life and reduce hospital stays. Various roles of occupational therapists have been defined in palliative care: discovering occupational meaning in the last periods of life and supporting occupational participation, management of persistent physical and psychological symptoms, especially pain and fatigue, improving or supporting the quality of life for individuals under palliative care, supporting mental well-being, supporting social participation, use of adaptive technologies, providing individuals with confidence and comfort. Occupational therapists also have various duties in maintaining palliative-hospice care at home include evaluating the individual at home and supporting home care and rehabilitation after discharge. Interventions for caregivers or supporting caregivers who have lost their roles, occupations or jobs in the care process are also among the roles of occupational therapists.

US flu cases are peaking for a second time this season. Now you can test for the virus at home CNN; by Neha Mukherjee; 2/5/25 The United States is seeing a second peak in flu cases this season. After doctor’s office visits for flu dipped early this year, they jumped past the previous season peak at the end of last month, with a 30% test positivity rate — and there are still months to go. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there have been at least 20 million cases and 11,000 deaths from flu so far this season. Hospitalizations are rising too, with an estimated 38,255 hospitalizations from flu last week alone. It’s not the only illness spreading, either ... But there are some new tools to help this respiratory virus season: over-the-counter tests that can identify whether an illness is Covid-19 or influenza. The tests are available for purchase at most pharmacies or online ... The tests won’t check for every respiratory virus, but they mark the first time the public can test for flu at home.  

The Handbook of LGBTQIA-inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care, 2nd edition Review in Ageing & Society, published online by Cambridge University Press; book authored by Kimberly D. Acquavia, review authored by Luis Stoisser; 1/23/25 The Handbook of LGBTQIA-inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care is a comprehensive guide to providing inclusive palliative and hospice care to everyone, regardless of their self-identification. Following the author's belief that LGBTQIA+ hospice and palliative care requires change at three levels - individual, institutional and systemic - the book extends state-of-the-art palliative and hospice practices (US focused) by including LGBTQIA+ perspectives. Such a rethinking educates hospice and palliative care practitioners on how to provide person-centered care, how to be self-reflexive on a daily basis and how to handle their own stereotypes and stigmas. [This book is available via Columbia University Press and Amazon.]

Hospice of Savannah awarded grant for safety improvements NBC WSAV Savannah News, Savannah, GA; by Eric Dorsch; 1/27/25 Hospice of Savannah Inc. (HSI) has announced it has been awarded a grant for repairs and home modifications. HSI will receive $1,999,111 in Older Adults Home Modification Program grant funding to complete safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs in the primary residences of two hundred eligible homeowners and renters over age 62 with low income. The work aims to improve general safety, increase accessibility, reduce falls, and improve residents’ functional abilities in the home for their safe and successful aging in place. 

Respiratory virus activity remains 'high' in US and will 'continue for several more weeks': CDC ABC News; by Mary Kekatos and Youri Benadjaoud; 1/20/25 Respiratory viruses are continuing to spread across the United States, sickening millions of Americans. Overall respiratory illness activity -- including flu, COVID-19 and RSV -- continues to be listed as "high" nationwide and is causing people to seek health care "at a high level," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Jan. 17, two states -- Hawaii and New Hampshire -- are listed as having "very high" activity while another 15 states are listed as having "high" activity, CDC data shows. 

Norovirus positivity rate hits 28%, double 2024's peak: 6 notes Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Alexandra Murphy; 1/15/25 A surge in norovirus infections this season has resulted in a 28% positivity rate, more than double 2024's high, alarming health officials, CBS News reported Jan. 14. The unprecedented spike is a part of a broader viral surge as the U.S. grapples with four major viruses — norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19. Hospitals across the country are also feeling the strain, as emergency departments struggle to accommodate the rising number of patients. ... Experts predict that the "quademic" — norovirus, syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19 — could worsen as hospitals are already overwhelmed. With more outbreaks likely, health systems are implementing stricter protocols including visitor restrictions and increased coordination between hospitals to maintain trauma care capacity.

Daughter arrested for neglect after elderly mother found stuck to mattress The Augusta Press; by Greg Rickabaugh; 1/6/25 An elderly woman from Augusta was found in a state of severe neglect last week, prompting her daughter’s arrest. The 82-year-old was discovered incoherent and physically stuck to her mattress during a medical emergency on Dec. 30 at the home they shared on Rollingwood Drive, authorities said. When paramedics arrived at the family’s home, they found the woman non-responsive, with her skin literally adhered to the mattress due to untreated bedsores. She was rushed to Wellstar MCG Health, where she was stabilized. Authorities later arrested 54-year-old Tyrossale Peak, the woman’s daughter, charging her with neglect of a disabled or elderly adult. ... Investigators revealed that Peak had discontinued hospice care for her mother in June but failed to provide adequate care or maintain a safe living environment. 

CDC weekly US map: Influenza summary update U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - HHS.gov; retrieved from the internet 1/2/25, with most current data from 12/21/24 A Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report Prepared by the Influenza Division: Outpatient Respiratory Illness Activity Map Determined by Data Reported to ILINet. This system monitors visits for respiratory illness that includes fever plus a cough or sore throat, also referred to as ILI, not laboratory confirmed influenza and may capture patient visits due to other respiratory pathogens that cause similar symptoms. Editor's note: Click here for the map and bookmark it to regularly monitor your service areas through this flu season.

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.

Hospice study reveals contrasting views on managing dementia behaviors McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 12/20/24 A new study finds that healthcare providers and family caregivers often disagree on how best to manage dementia behaviors during end-of-life care. The research, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, involved interviews with 23 hospice clinicians and 20 family caregivers. With dementia affecting 33% of adults over age 85 and now ranking as the primary diagnosis for Medicare hospice services, understanding these differing perspectives about managing dementia behaviors has become increasingly important. The study found that while both groups identified agitation as the most concerning behavioral symptom, they approached it from different angles. Clinicians primarily worried about physical safety risks, while family caregivers were more distressed by personality changes in their loved ones.

Convicted trio jailed for elder abuse Inland News Today, Riverside, CA; 12/18/24 A 7-year prison sentence has been meted out for the neglect and abuse of six severely disabled residents at an unlicensed Riverside care facility. Ronnel Tiburcio was convicted of six counts of elder abuse likely to produce great bodily harm. Earlier, co-defendants Joel Ombao and registered nurse Nimfa Molina were handed jail sentences. Ombao owned several hospice companies, including the unlicensed Secure Hands board and care facility where the victims were housed. Ombao, his assistant Tiburcio, and registered nurse Molina, were responsible for operating the facility and caring for the residents. When investigators first checked out the care facility, residents were being housed in squalor. Many of them were emaciated and dehydrated.

Tips for older adults and caregivers this holiday seasonAcantha Choteau, Choteau, MT; 12/16/24 The holidays are coming up, and many people will be celebrating with family and friends. The start of colder months also means flu, COVID-19 and RSV can surge. That can be dangerous for older adults. “Holidays are a time to gather with family and friends,” said Charlene Wong, MD, MSHP, senior advisor for health strategy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “but for older people, this can come with risk of serious respiratory illness. Get your updated flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines to reduce your risk and do more together.” Editor's note: Pair this with other posts in our newslettter today: Characteristics of patients enrolled in hospice presenting to the emergency department and Weekly US Map: Influenza summary update.

Watch: ‘Going It Alone’ — A conversation about growing old in AmericaKFF Health News; by Judith Graham; 12/11/24 KFF Health News’ “Navigating Aging” columnist, Judith Graham, spent six months this year talking to older adults who live alone by choice or by circumstance — most commonly, a spouse’s death. They shared their hopes and fears, challenges, and strategies for aging solo. Graham moderated a live event on Dec. 11, hosted by KFF Health News and The John A. Hartford Foundation. She invited five seniors ranging in age from 71 to 102 and from across the country — from Seattle; Chicago; Asheville, North Carolina; New York City; and rural Maine — to talk candidly about the ways they are thriving at this stage of life.