Literature Review

Breast cancer rising among younger women and Asian Americans, report findsNBC News; by Kaitlin Sullivan; 10/1/24Even as death rates from breast cancer have fallen, rates of new diagnoses continue to tick upwards, according to an American Cancer Society report. Americans have benefited from huge leaps in breast cancer treatment over the last two decades, but diagnoses are becoming more common, especially among younger women, according to a report published Tuesday by the American Cancer Society. The new report shows that breast cancer mortality has decreased by 44% since the late 1980s. Rates of breast cancer, however, have increased by 1% every year since 2012. In younger women, rates have increased at a faster clip — by about 1.4% every year since 2021.

Leading causes of death by age groupBecker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 10/1/24Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of death for children, while accidental poisoning, cancer and heart attack were the leading causes of death for adults, according to a report from USAFacts, a nonprofit organization that conducts data analysis. The "America in Facts 2024" report, published in July, used CDC data to calculate the leading causes of death by age from 2020 to 2021. Heart disease and cancer have been the leading causes of death since 1950. COVID-19 became one of the leading causes of death at the onset of the pandemic but has since fallen to the fourth leading cause of death. The top five leading causes of death account for 58% of all deaths in 2022. Twenty-one percent of all deaths were from heart disease, 19% were from cancer and 7% were from accidents in 2022.Publisher's note: Please click the link above for leading causes of death by age group.

Dementia treatments frequently conflict with residents’ care goals: study McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Jessica R. Towhey; 9/30/24 New research into nursing home care for residents with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias found that they frequently experience costly and burdensome treatments that do not align with their own care goals. Overall, though, researchers found that residents who had comfort-focused orders in their treatment plans did receive goal-concordant care but said that improvements — especially in collecting data — are needed. The study examined the electronic health records for 4,285 long-stay nursing home residents who were diagnosed with moderate to advanced ADRD. The researchers analyzed care records and treatment plans to find comfort-focused orders and other indicators that treatments aligned with residents’ own goals as their health declined. Their results were published this month in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association.

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.

It costs nothing to be kind Parkview Health; 9/26/24 Throughout her life, Vera Jean Burnett lived by the motto, "It costs nothing to be kind." This ideology was present in everything she did and extended to all she encountered, from supporting local charities to helping animals in need. Recently, we spoke with her husband, Kevin Burnett, about how that kindness was returned to him and his family through the care provided to Vera in her final days at the Parkview Supportive Care Unit. ...

Man accused of choking terminally ill wife accepts plea deal KSL.com; by Pat Reavy; 9/27/24 A man who prosecutors say attempted to end his terminally ill wife's life by choking her has accepted a plea deal. DeWayne McCulla, 46, pleaded guilty on Thursday in 5th District Court to an amended charge of attempted manslaughter, a third-degree felony. The charge comes with a domestic violence sentencing enhancement. Arenda Lee McCulla, 47, died on Dec. 21, 2021, following her battle with breast cancer. The night before, however, as a small group of family members were by her side in La Verkin, DeWayne McCulla "choked the victim in an attempt to kill her to ease her suffering while they were with her during her terminal cancer and being on hospice," according to charging documents. Other family members pulled McCulla off of his wife.Editor's note: Crucial information that is not reported in this article: Where was the hospice team in managing this patient's pain? In educating and supporting the caregiver (the husband?) and family about contacting the hospice? In making required visits when the patient is actively dying? In assessing the caregiver's ability to provide care, especially any history or risks of domestic violence, neglect, or abuse? What safety-in-the-home protocols were used by this hospice, especially when hospice team members followed up? Aware of not-knowing these many factors, I do not ask these with judgment but rather to raise awareness of core, preventive measures for other hospice patients.

Hispanic Americans and Alzheimer'sAlzheimer's Association; Resources; ongoing webpage, retrieved from the internet 9/25/24 Approximately 13% of Hispanics who are 65 or older have Alzheimer's or another dementia. Learn what the Alzheimer's Association is doing to address health disparities and provide support for Hispanic community members living with Alzheimer's or another dementia. Quick Facts: ...

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.

Report: US has worse healthcare of 10 developed countriesMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer; 9/19/24Americans die earlier and are the sickest — and have the worst healthcare on the whole — compared with nine other developed countries, a new report shows. “The United States is failing one of its principal obligations as a nation: to protect the health and welfare of its people,” Joseph Betancourt, MD, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said in a HealthDay article... Despite its deficiencies, the US spends the most on healthcare, the report noted. Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom had the highest rankings, data showed. The other countries included in the report were Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, France, and Switzerland.

Wind phones help the bereaved deal with death, loss and grief − a clinical social worker explains the vital role of the old-fashioned rotary phone The Conversation; by Taryn Lindhorst; 9/20/24 My mother died in my home in hospice in 2020, on the day my state of Washington went into COVID-19 lockdown. Her body was taken away, but none of the usual touchstones for grief were available to our family. ... As a clinical social worker and health scholar with 40 years of experience in end-of-life care and bereavement, I knew that I needed some way to tend to my grief for my mother. While in lockdown, I began looking for resources to help me. Then I heard about the wind phone. What is a wind phone? At its simplest, a wind phone is a rotary or push-button phone located in a secluded spot in nature, usually within a booth-type structure and often next to a chair or bench. The phone line is disconnected. People use the wind phone to “call” and have a one-way conversation with deceased loved ones. Here they can say the things left unsaid. Wind phones offer a setting for the person to tell the story of their grief, to reminiscence and to continue to connect to the person who is gone. For many, it is a deeply moving, life-affirming experience. About 200 wind phones are scattered throughout the United States. Editor's note: This creative tool is similar to common clinical tools of writing a letter to the deceased person, and the "Empty Chair" technique. Caution: This should never be used as a gimmick. This can be terribly confusing and upsetting for persons with dementia, or supportive if used with professional sensitivity for the patient's awareness and experience. For persons with dementia, be familiar with the ground-breaking "Validation Therapy" techniques by Naomi Feil. 

Guidelines for supporting the dying and their families Psychiatric Times; by Ken Druck, PhD; 9/19/24 There are few subjects that most of us, including those who work in mental health, avoid more than death and dying. Meeting the needs of the dying and their families requires a deep and clear understanding of competent and compassionate care for health care professionals and caregivers. Since the death of my 21-year-old daughter several decades ago, I have had the honor and privilege of helping countless individuals, families, and communities that have suffered losses. I have also been given the opportunity to teach and train mental health professionals and developed several programs and guidelines for supporting the dying and their families. My top 7 guidelines to share with patients and their families are as follows:

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.

Family members' health can suffer when relative has cancer: Study Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 9/13/24 Individuals are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and psychological illness after a family member is diagnosed with cancer, according to a study published Sept. 9 in Cancer. Researchers from institutions across the U.S. analyzed data of patients diagnosed with genitourinary cancer between 1990 and 2015 who had first-degree relatives or spouses, from the Utah Population Database. The cohort of 49,284 patients and 77,938 relatives was matched with a similar control group and followed up within one-, three- and five-year periods. Among patients with genitourinary cancer, their family members had a "10% increased risk of developing a psychological illness and a 28% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease" one year after diagnosis, according to the study. "This study provides population-level evidence to support the hypothesis that cancer diagnoses will lead to adverse health outcomes for family members of patients with cancer," the study authors wrote.