Literature Review

Who gets to access a “good death"? Adelphi University, New York; by Zainab Toteh Osakew and Jennifer McIntosh; 10/23/24Socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods have fewer home hospice agencies, study shows. ... “We know that poorer neighborhoods have continued to lag behind in utilization of hospice care. For decades, scientists have attributed it to cultural values or preferences about care,” said Zainab Toteh Osakwe ’06, PhD, associate professor in the Adelphi University College of Nursing and Public Health and an expert in home healthcare. ... Dr. Osakwe partnered with a geospatial analyst at the University of North Dakota to uncover patterns in the locations of hospice offices. Drawing on information made publicly available by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, they culled data related to 3,447 hospice providers and 4,584 Medicare-certified hospices nationwide. Next, they geocoded hospice agency addresses to the social vulnerability index (SVI), a measure developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that geographically ranks at-risk communities. ... Dr. Osakwe and her team found that hospice agency offices were far more likely to be clustered in neighborhoods with greater socioeconomic advantage. Predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods also contained significantly fewer hospice agency offices. While the results align with prior studies on hospice supply and community-level wealth, theirs is one of the first to investigate hospice agency availability by neighborhood.

Enhabit Home Health & Hospice Becomes Age-Friendly Health Systems participant HomeCare, Dallas, TX; 10/21/24 Enhabit Inc., a home health and hospice provider, announced it has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as an Age-Friendly Health Systems participant. The Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of the John A. Hartford Foundation and the IHI, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The Age-Friendly Health Systems aims to follow a set of evidence-based practices, cause no harm and align with what matters to the older adult and their family caregivers. Age-Friendly Health Systems participants are recognized for aiming to become an Age-Friendly Health System and have submitted examples of how they put four elements of care—the “4Ms”—into practice with older patients. ...

Aging Mastery: 10 weeks, 10 topics to empower seniors for healthy living New Hampshire Union Leaders; by Kathleen D. Bailey; 10/20/24 Jen Brechtel, director of Community Health for the Granite VNA, said one of the biggest issues in the agency’s “Aging Mastery” program” is sleep. “It’s the topic people come in most for,” she said. “We partner with a sleep center to help them out. Another big one? Community engagement.” The Granite VNA and Hospice is interested in all factors affecting their senior clients. With a menu of data-driven programs, the agency is reaching out to help seniors master aging. The “Aging Mastery” program is a project of the National Council on Aging, according to Brechtel. ... The 10-week class, ongoing now in Sanbornton, has sessions devoted to the concepts that please (or plague) elders: navigating longer lives, exercise, sleep, healthy eating/hydration, financial fitness, advance planning, healthy relationships, medication management, community engagement and falls. Experts from the community take turns teaching the topics, with a VNA staffer as moderator.

Hospice Sabbath Progressive Journal; by Hospice of Chesterfield County Foundation; 10/14/24 As you attend your place of worship the weekend of November 1-3, 2024, you may see a single white carnation displayed in a prominent location. Hospice of Chesterfield County Foundation has chosen the white carnation as a symbol for the observance of Hospice Sabbath. Churches are being asked to participate by displaying a white carnation in memory of all who have received Hospice services. ... These individuals were significant to their families and to our community. They were our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, and our loved ones. ... In its simple elegance, the white carnation symbolizes the hope and dignity which Hospice helped to ensure for these individuals and for their families. In its fragile beauty, the carnation reminds us of the sacredness of life and the mystery of death. Hospice recognizes that endings are inevitable; yet, life is affirmed as persons are encouraged to live each moment to its greatest capacity.

Death cafes: Demystifying the inevitable over tea and cookies MD edge - Internal Medicine News; by Megan Brooks; 10/15/24 “Death cafes” — where people gather to discuss death and dying over tea and cookies — have gained momentum in recent years offering a unique way for people to come together and discuss a topic that is often shrouded in discomfort and avoidance. It’s estimated that there are now about 18,900 death cafes in 90 countries, with the United States hosting more than 9300 on a regular basis. This trend reflects a growing desire to break the taboo surrounding discussions of death and dying. But these casual get-togethers may not be for everyone, and their potential benefits and harms may depend on who attends and who facilitates the discussion. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading these significant cautions.]

Top questions people ask about hospiceThe Star News, Medford, WI; 10/9/24

Helene will likely cause thousands of deaths over decades, study suggests USA Today; by Doyle Rice; 10/2/24 [Note the 10/2 date of this article. Helene's death toll is now 230+ and rising. Hurricane Milton's predictions were new.] A new study ... says that hurricanes and tropical storms are far deadlier than initial death tolls suggest. ... Overall, the death toll of a tropical cyclone may be a broader public health issue than previously thought, as disasters frequently trigger a domino effect of other threats to affected populations. ... Researchers found that these excess deaths were due to causes such as diabetes, suicide, sudden infant death syndrome or another cause that was not recorded. Cardiovascular disease was the next most common cause, followed by cancer. Official government statistics record only the number of individuals killed during these storms. Usually, these direct deaths, which average 24 per storm in official estimates, occur through drowning or some other type of trauma, according to the study. "People are dying earlier than they would have if the storm hadn't hit their community," said senior study author Solomon Hsiang, a professor of environmental social sciences at Stanford University. Looking at the death and destruction from Helene, Hsiang told the Associated Press that "Watching what’s happened here makes you think that this is going to be a decade of hardship on tap, not just what’s happening over the next couple of weeks.”

World Hospice & Palliative Care Day - Saturday October 12, 2024 WHPCA - Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance; webpage retrieved 10/7/24 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world. WHPCD has been marked every year for the last 20 years. Join us on Saturday 12 October to advocate for better hospice and palliative care services around the world. The WHPCD theme for 2024:Ten Years Since the Resolution: How are we doing? The year 2024 marks 10 years since the World Health Assembly (WHO’s Governing Body) passed the only stand-alone resolution on palliative care, calling for all countries to “strengthen palliative care as a component of comprehensive care throughout the life course.” This is what inspired the theme for 2024. [Click on the title's link for this article and to download a wealth of resources.] 

West Des Moines teacher battling cancer hopes to inspire his community KCCI Des Moine, IA; by Nicole Tam; 10/4/24 Luke Miller's passion is teaching. Two and a half years ago, he faced the biggest test of his life. "I went into the doctor with a pain on my side," Miller said. An MRI showed tumors in his liver that spread from his colon. "I was told I might have a year to live and I would never have surgery," Miller said. He beat those odds but the battle continues. Through it all, nothing stopped him from doing what he loved. ... This fall, Miller stepped away from the classroom. Even as he goes through a hospice at EveryStep's Kavanagh House, the students are still with Mr. Miller. His room is filled with handwritten notes, pictures and reminders of hope. ... At Westridge Elementary School, starting from the outside as people are driving to school to the inside, there are signs of support for Miller including the digital message board and posters in the hallway. "We want to support the Millers, not only now but in the future as well. We want them to know we'll always be here for them because Luke was always here for us," Troy Ellerbroek, Westridge Elementary School teacher, said. 

Food with love: A Lafayette kitchen provides meals and 'walks that final walk with families' Nola.com; by Catherine S. Comeaux; 10/6/24 Approaching retirement, Kent Zerangue had the idea of running a small catering business in his backyard kitchen. A bowl of gumbo changed those plans. Now, from that kitchen, he and a team of volunteers operate Food With Love — a ministry that brings food, love and guidance to hospice families. ... In 2016, as his own father was in hospice care, a neighbor brought over a shrimp and okra gumbo. It not only comforted and fed the family, but it also set Zerangue to think, “Why not just cook for people and give it away? By 2017, he and his wife Susie began doing just that — first for a friend whose son had a stroke, then another whose husband was terminally ill. Word-of-mouth spread and by the end of that year, they were feeding 10 families. They also began leaving food for families in the freezers at Hospice of Acadiana. Knowing the hospice nurses’ workload didn’t always allow time for food delivery, a hospice volunteer coordinator asked Zerangue if he would like to deliver the meals to families. His initially declined since he was content with just cooking. That is, until he realized that the frozen meals weren’t moving as frequently as he was cooking them. ....Editor's note: What a meaningful ministry that surely makes a difference. This can be easy to adapt for you own hospice. Assess needs. Brainstorm ideas. Find partners and sponsors. As this article's title voices, "walk that final walk with families."

TCNtalks - Hurricane Helene

[CBS Evening News] Home hospice care in the spotlight as former President Jimmy Carter turns 100 CBS Evening News Segment; by Jon LaPook and Winick, anchored by Norah O'Donnell; 9/30/24This past spring, Joan Prum's advanced age and increasing frailty ushered in a new reality when she became a hospice patient. "I thought that unless you were really infirm and bedridden, you wouldn't be a candidate for hospice, but it turns out not to be true," Prum said. Healthcare teams provide comfort to hospice patients expected to live no longer than six months. As with all palliative care, trained professionals offer medication and treatments to decrease pain and increase quality of life. But with hospice, attempts to cure a person's illness are stopped. Connecticut Hospice, which oversees Prum's care, became the first hospice in the nation 50 years ago. Predicting how long somebody has to live is difficult, but CEO Barbara Pearce says the patient and their families make the decision to enter hospice. ... "Hospice care involves sitting down at the very beginning and say, what are your goals of care? What do you want your life to look like in the next few months? And how can we help?" Pearce said. Hospice care can be given in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and places like Connecticut Hospice, but about 99% choose to receive services at home, just like Prum and former President Jimmy Carter. Carter, who turns 100 years old on Tuesday, Oct. 1, is the oldest former president in U.S. history, and has been in home hospice care for the past 19 months.

Community partnership helps Veterans navigate their health care U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC; by Dr. Chien Chen; 9/27/24 VA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) helps create and manage partnerships between VA and community organizations. The goal is simple: bring together VA and those in the community who share the same goals and mission when it comes to providing Veterans with outstanding health care and support. They are called Veteran Community Partnerships, or VCPs. “Developing and nurturing strong partnerships with VA and community providers is crucial to supporting Veteran health care,” said Dr. Jamie Davis, HAP health system specialist. “VCPs are instrumental in ensuring these partnerships enhance the health and well-being of Veterans across the country.” The East Bay VCP at Martinez VA is part of Northern California VA. Martinez VAMC and Veteran Community Partnerships focus on getting Veterans access to all available health care services.