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.

Crafting holiday joy for Hernando Pasco Hospice patients Hernando Sun, New Port Richey, FL; by Megan Hussey; 8/26/24 It is the mission of Hernando Pasco Hospice and HPH Hospice Women of Giving to make this coming holiday season a brighter one for all patients served by HPH, and for HPH staff and team members, with the help of beautiful, jubilant holiday cards custom-made for them. It is their goal, in fact, to create at least 1,000 cards for these deserving individuals based in Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties through the Crafty Christmas Campaign. ... “This is our second year for Crafty Christmas,” said Andrea Arflack, Director of Philanthropy Chapters Health Foundation In support of HPH Hospice. “It was created by one of our staff members in the spirit of giving. We made more than 1,000 cards last year for HPH patients and workers and plan to do the same thing this year.”Editor's Note: Now's the time to adapt this easy, meaningful community engagement with your volunteers and community partners. 

Austin architects unveil plans for rare pediatric respite and hospice facility CultureMap Austin, TX; by Brianna Caleri; 8/26/24 Few people want to think about the end of a child's life, but pediatric care is a need nonetheless — and it's an underserved one. According to Children's Respite Homes in America, as of 2023, there were only six of such homes in the United States, which makes the plans unveiled at the August 24 Abbey Lights Up COTA Gala incredibly unique. ... The first of its kind in Central Texas, Abbey House will serve as a pediatric respite and hospice facility, meaning that it will provide full-time care to children at various stages of their illness, giving family members a chance to catch up on life outside of medical settings. ... “What we have found is that the design has to find balance between two potentially conflicting concepts – respite and hospice,” said Dr. Patrick M. Jones of Dell Children's Medical Center in a press release. He's the section chief of pediatric palliative care.

Hospices facilities launch, renovate with growth in mind: Julia Hospice & Palliative refuels de novo plans Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 8/23/24 Pennsylvania-based Julia Hospice & Palliative (JHPC) has reignited plans to launch a de novo after experiencing pandemic-related setbacks. Dubbed Julia House, the facility will provide inpatient hospice and serve as an outpatient palliative care clinic. It will be the first hospice center in Erie County, Pennsylvania, the provider indicated. The new location will allow for improved support for serious and terminally ill patients that lack caregiver support or need higher levels of care, said Dr. Christopher Strzalka, medical director at Julia Hospice & Palliative Care. “For people who don’t have a caregiver in their home, we can put them in our facility and they can live there until their natural death, and they’ll have access to specially trained caregivers in end-of-life care,” Strzalka told local news.

How to integrate AI into your business: A 2024 guide eWeek; by Sam Rinko; 8/22/24 If you’re an IT professional or executive, the question of how to integrate AI into your business has probably been top of mind since the recent generative AI boom. You know you should be using AI tools to improve your operational efficiency, but you might worry you lack the policies, data quality and implementation strategy to do so effectively. ... Key Takeaways:

Granite VNA launches virtual nurse program Eagle Times, Concord, NH; by Eagle Times Staff; 8/22/24 Granite VNA recently introduced a virtual nurse program, connecting patients with skilled home and hospice care nurses through telephone and video calls. The virtual nurses complement the agency’s field nursing team by conducting regular check-ins with their patients, reinforcing education, addressing patients’ physical and mental health needs, supporting case management and more. Granite VNA currently has three virtual visiting nurses, two who specialize in home care and one who specializes in hospice care. Similar to the agency’s field nurses, the virtual visiting nurses see multiple patients each day. “Virtual visiting nurses play a crucial role in enhancing community health and providing support to Granite VNA’s home and hospice care field nurses,” said Granite VNA Vice President of Education and Quality Tammi Mozier, MBA, PT, ATC, COS-C. 

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 

New York State Department of Health Launches Center for Hospice and Palliative Care New York State Department of Health; Press Release; 8/19/24 The New York State Department of Health today announced the new Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, which will be under the Department's Office for Aging and Long Term Care (OALTC). The new Center, established under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, will be led by Kara Travis, a health care executive who most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care in Gloversville, New York. "This new center will help us remove barriers that impact access to the profound comfort, support and dignity that palliative and hospice services can provide for individuals and families facing the end of life," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "Launching the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care was a top priority for this Department and highlights Governor Hochul's ongoing commitment to eliminating healthcare disparities for all New Yorkers."

Honest conversations and cherishing the day: Leadership advice from oncology leaders Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 8/16/24 Leaders from two of the top five cancer centers, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, shared with Becker's the best leadership advice they have received. ...

How Texas healthcare facilities can prepare for new workplace violence prevention standards for healthcare workers JW News; by Jeffrey H. Frost; 8/14/24 ... On May 15, 2023, Governor Abbott signed SB 240, relating to workplace violence prevention in certain healthcare facilities. ... Texas healthcare facilities must meet Chapter 331 workplace violence prevention requirements by September 1, 2024. ... Covered facilities [which includes hospice] must establish a workplace violence prevention committee, prevention plan, and policy. ... At a minimum, the prevention plan must: (i) be tailored to the practice setting; (ii) define “workplace violence”; (iii) provide for annual training; (iv) review physical security and safety; (v) create a reporting system; and (vi) adjust the care assignments (if possible) of employees and providers who have been assaulted or threatened. Editor's Note: For non-Texas hospice and palliative providers, what Workplace Violence Prevention Plan do you have in place, or not? This article provides excellent information and action plans for you to use.

The Hastings Center awarded $1.5 million by PCORI to study organizational trustworthiness and community-engaged research  EurekAlert! AAAS; Susan Gilbert, The Hastings Center; 8/13/24 A research team at The Hastings Center has been approved for $1.5 million in funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study organizational trustworthiness as it relates to community-engaged research. Led by Virginia A. Brown, PhD, a research scholar at The Hastings Center, the study will be the first to investigate the role of organizational trustworthiness in shaping research engagement processes and outcomes. 

Health group expands to Presque Isle The County, Presque Isle, ME; 8/14/24 Andwell Health Partners (formerly Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice) has expanded its hospice services to Aroostook County. “As Maine’s largest non-profit home and community-based healthcare and care management organization, we are driven to meet the growing and evolving needs of individuals and families,” said Ken Albert, president and CEO, Andwell Health Partners, who has deep family roots in Aroostook County. ... Serving all ages of hospice patients, from infancy to those who have lived full lives, Andwell’s hospice services are available to individuals regardless of ability to pay.

Person-centered, goal-oriented care helped my patients improve their quality of life Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine; by Lee A. Jennings and James W. Mold; orignially posted 5/24 issue, again on 8/15/24 When the goal is to help patients improve their quality of life, it makes sense to focus directly on the activities and relationships that are most important to each patient. This can be accomplished most effectively by following a three-step process that includes 1) connecting with the patient around what matters to them, 2) co-creating a goal-oriented plan, and 3) collaborating with patient, family, team members, and consultants to increase the probability of success. Once this approach has been mastered and the necessary systems, processes, and relationships are in place, this should not take more time than a problem-oriented approach, and it will almost certainly be more satisfying for both physician and patient. Editor's Note: Simple. Effective. Meaningful.