Literature Review

For people with dementia and their caretakers, Phoenix-area groups ease challengesazcentral / Arizona Repblic, by Alexis Waiss; 1/28/24Several Season for Sharing nonprofits provide support for people experiencing memory loss and respite for caregivers, including:

New blood test that screens for Alzheimer’s may be a step closer to reality, study suggestsCNN, by Jacqueline Howard; 1/22/24Testing a person’s blood for a type of protein called phosphorylated tau, or p-tau, could be used to screen for Alzheimer’s disease with “high accuracy,” even before symptoms begin to show, a new study suggests.

Hillman Foundation issues RFP for Serious Illness and End of Life program

Craft a memorial pillow for your loved one at this DeKalb workshopShaw Local News Network; 1/22/24The DeKalb Public Library will partner with Northern Illinois Hospice to host a workshop for patrons to create pillows out of a loved one’s shirt. ... Attendees can create up to two pillows out of a T-shirt or button-down shirt. Sewers will be available to assist. Participants should not bring denim, jackets or thick fabrics. Bereavement information and support will be provided.Editor's Note: Explore this lovely, meaningful activity for your hospice's bereavement care, volunteer services, and community outreach.

Inside AccentCare’s new, centralized approach to bereavement careHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/23/24After five years of planning, the post-acute services provider AccentCare recently re-organized its bereavement care services, which are now coordinated from a national center.

Hospice of the Valley launches living will campaignAhwatukee Foothills News, by Lin Sue Flood; 1/23/24National research shows that only about a third of Americans have created a living will or advance healthcare directive. ... Three nonprofit organizations — Mercy Care, Hospice of the Valley and Contexture — are launching a community education campaign to ensure that Arizonans’ wishes are honored. ... Choose Your Person is an awareness campaign urging all adults to choose someone to be their healthcare power of attorney. 

New research challenges the commonly held view that opioids are the most powerful pain relieversSciTechDaily, by University of Sydney; 1/21/24A University of Sydney-led study challenges the prevailing view of opioids as the most effective pain relievers for cancer, revealing significant evidence gaps and suggesting NSAIDs as a potential alternative. This research advocates for more informed choices in cancer pain management, emphasizing patient empowerment and the consideration of non-opioid options.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1: palliative care guidelinesBMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, by Derek Willis, Tracey Willis, Claire Bassie, Gail Eglon, Emma-Jayne Ashley, and Chris Turner; 1/22/24Palliative care for adults with neuromuscular conditions is an emerging field. Previous guidelines regarding myotonic dystrophy and palliative care have only mentioned end-of-life care and little else. The following guidelines have been written using national experts as a description of best practice as part of the Dystrophia Myotonica National Care Guidelines Consortium.Requires subscription or purchase

Cutting hair, growing care: Stylists volunteer for hospice patients Montrose Press, by Katharhynn Heidelberg; 1/22/24... [Kathy] King is among several stylists who volunteer to cut hospice patients’ hair — just a way, they said, of giving back by making others feel good. ... “Contributing is probably the highest gift you can give,” said King. “As far as HopeWest goes, I lose the word sometimes as to what they do, and what they do for the community. I’m just so proud to (volunteer) for them.”

Pressing questions about rural telehealth access and investments put innovation in dangerMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 1/22/24Proven healthcare technologies can help improve patient care and boost staff confidence, but in many rural areas, one major impediment remains: lack of high-speed internet.

Talking about death and dyingThe Saturday Evening Post; by N. West Moss; 1/19/24Last summer, my 88-year-old mother was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer and opted for in-home hospice. She died three months later. Talking about death can be difficult. It can bring up feelings of fear, anxiety, and sorrow. It can also feel awkward as it requires acknowledging one’s own (or a loved one’s) mortality. 

St. Jude Home Care is first U.S. pediatric home health agency to earn new category of industry certificationPress release; 1/18/24St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Home Care LLC earns dual certfication in pediatrics and home health from Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP), an independent, non-profit, accrediting body for home and community-based healthcare organizations. St. Jude Home Care LLC is the nation’s first agency to achieve that distinction. CHAP is the only organization in the U.S. that grants a discrete pediatric certification to home health agencies.

Penn Medicine provides parents tools to grieve and heal after lossPenn Medicine News, by Kim Maialetti; 1/11/24Perinatal loss is not uncommon in the United States. According to the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, 30 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage and 21,000 babies are stillborn each year. Additionally, more than three of every 1,000 babies born die before 28 days of life and more than five of every 1,000 die before their first birthday.