Literature Review

Your children or spouse might not be the best power of attorney — what you can do about it Medical Economics; by Howard Enders; 11/25/24 It’s easy to assume that your spouse or children will be the most suitable candidates for this role, but that isn’t always true. Family members may be emotionally compromised or lack the expertise needed to handle complex medical or financial decisions. So, how can you ensure that your health, finances and legacy are protected? Let’s explore the key elements of estate planning, including setting up the right power of attorney, maximizing savings for future medical expenses and preventing unnecessary financial burdens on your loved ones. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

If my dying daughter could face her mortality, why couldn’t the rest of us? DNYUZ, appearing first in The New York Times; Ms. Wildman; 11/25/24 The first week of March 2022, I flew to Miami with my 13-year-old daughter, Orli; her 8-year-old sister, Hana; and my partner, Ian. We were, by all appearances, healthy. Robust, even. In reality, we were at the end of a reprieve. Orli’s liver cancer had by then been assaulted by two years of treatments — chemotherapy, a liver transplant, more chemotherapy, seven surgeries. Now new metastases lit up a corner of one lung on scans, asymptomatic but foreboding. We asked her medical team if we might show her a bit of the world before more procedures. Our oncologist balked. Hence, this brief weekend away. When we arrived at the beach Orli ran directly to the water, then came back and stretched out on a lounge chair. She turned to me and asked, “What if this is the best I ever feel again?” Three hundred and seventy-six days later, she was dead. In the time since she left us, I have thought often of Orli’s question. All that spring, Orli asked, pointedly, why did we think a cure was still possible, that cancer would not continue to return? Left unspoken: Was she going to die from her disease? It was a conversation she wanted to have. And yet what we found over the wild course of her illness was that such conversations are often discouraged, in the doctor’s office and outside it. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this profound story.]Editor's note: While families are gathered for Thanksgiving, many health changes will be observed since this time last Thanksgiving, with countless unknowns to unfold until Thanksgiving next year. Tune into the wide scope of conversations that people do want to have, don't want to have, and--perhaps--that your own family needs to have, with grace and care for all.

Rise in pancreatic cancer tied to better detection, study suggests Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 11/19/24 The rise in pancreatic cancer diagnoses can be attributed to previously undetected disease and not a rise in cancer occurrence, according to a study published Nov. 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers from Boston-based Brigham and Woman's Hospital and Austin, Texas-based Dell Medical School analyzed U.S. Cancer Statistics and National Vital Statistics System data of adults aged 15-39 from between 2001 and 2019 for the study. Here are five notes from their findings:

Is your doctor using ‘never words’ that make you feel worse? Everyday Health; by Lisa Rapaport; 11/19/24 Words matter — especially when it comes to how doctors speak to patients and families facing a scary medical diagnosis. That’s because the exact words doctors use to explain complex health situations can make or break whether people feel heard and respected during appointments — and influence whether they follow doctors’ orders afterwards, according to a new survey published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Key Takeaways:

How to keep loved ones in hospice care included during the holidays WHSV 3, Harrisonburg, VA; by Olivia Whitehouse; 11/14/24 The holiday season can be difficult to navigate when a loved one is in hospice care. Legacy Hospice in Fishersville said there are ways to keep them included in the holiday festivities. RN Clinical Director Sarah Campbell said you can move a loved one’s bed to the living room so they can be a part of the conversation. For example, if the patient can still speak, they may ask to make their favorite meal or recipe. “They are still included in that meal, even if they may not want to eat it or be able to get up to the table — they still feel part of the process,” Campbell said. Campbell said hearing is one of the last senses to go. Even if a hospice patient can’t respond to you, she said it is important to talk to them and you should refrain from talking about them like they are not in the room. 

Hazel Dell couple face manslaughter charges in death of relative, 87, in their care The Columbian, Clark County, WA; by Becca Robbins; 11/14/24A Hazel Dell couple are facing charges of manslaughter and criminal mistreatment for the 2022 death of an 87-year-old relative who was under their care. ... In April 2022, state Adult Protective Services referred a report to Clark County sheriff’s detectives about the March 18 death of Marilyn Rogers at a Longview hospice facility. The woman had lived with Joel and Kathryn Rogers, her son and daughter-in-law, at their apartment before her death, according to a probable cause affidavit. ... Emergency room staffers noted Marilyn Rogers had multiple ulcers and pressure wounds that appeared to be infected. She also showed signs of dehydration and malnourishment. Blood work showed she also suffered from sepsis due to infection. ... Doctors recommended Marilyn Rogers be placed in hospice, and once she was, staff said Kathryn and Joel Rogers never visited her. Hospice staff said they struggled to get in touch with the couple for the roughly 10 days Marilyn Rogers resided there, the affidavit states.

Tech executive's moving goodbye as he enters hospice goes viral: ‘I love that we existed together’ NBC Today Show; by Alex Portée; 11/13/24 In the final stages of Stage 4 cancer, former Postmates executive James Butts shared a heartfelt message that is resonating with thousands: “Be principled, be an idealist. Most importantly, be a decent human.” In a post shared on his X account Nov. 13, Butts confirmed that he was entering hospice. Butts was a senior vice president of product and design at Postmates for nearly six years and is a co-founder of OrderAhead, according to his LinkedIn page. “I’m entering hospice today. Will probably update (very) little if at all,” Butts announced on X regarding his transition to end-of-life care. ... Butts’s words have received nearly 7.6 million views on the platform and over 98,000 likes within the day of being posted. “I don’t know you, but I am moved by your message,” one user wrote in response to his X post. “Sending you and your loved ones strength.”

New Health Equity Guide from Center to Advance Palliative Care provides a roadmap to transform care for black patients with serious illness Cision PRWeb; by Center to Advance Palliative Care; 11/13/24 Having medical concerns dismissed, not being believed when reporting pain, and facing multiple barriers to care are just three of the experiences reported to Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) in a focus group of Black patients with serious illness. In fact, when Black people in the United States are living with a serious illness like cancer, heart failure, or dementia, they experience disproportionately high suffering compared to white patients—often due to poor pain management, low-quality communication from their care teams, and high family caregiver burden. To address these inequities, CAPC has released a new, comprehensive guide, Advancing Equity for Black Patients with Serious Illness, to equip palliative care leaders and health equity change agents with practical tools to implement meaningful change. Drawn from research, examples of health equity initiatives from across the country, and the wisdom of health equity leaders, the guide provides a practical roadmap for transforming care for Black patients, and their families and caregivers.

Startup Guaranteed looks to improve end-of-life care Healthcare Brew; by Cassie McGrath; 11/6/24 After losing her father, Jessica McGlory founded a startup to improve end-of-life care. In August 2019, Jessica McGlory got a call that her father had had a double heart attack and was admitted to a hospital in Chicago. As his health declined, McGlory became his caregiver and healthcare proxy. But she said she never got the opportunity to discuss her father’s end-of-life care or his wishes. “I thought it was going to be an opportunity to really focus on my loved one, but instead, [I] had to focus on everything else and really didn’t get the support [I] expected from the hospice,” she told Healthcare Brew. Hospice is palliative care that typically includes counseling, physical care, medicine, and equipment for patients with terminal illnesses. Two years later, despite having no previous experience in healthcare, McGlory decided to take action. In 2022, she launched Guaranteed, a New York-based hybrid end-of-life care startup that works to support people with terminal illness as well as their loved ones and caregivers. ... Guaranteed has raised $10 million to date and is looking to expand into three more states next year, she said.

Veterans and Alzheimer's: 6 lifestyle tips for staving off the disease NOLA.com, New Orleans, Louisiana; by Dana Territo; 11/11/24 Are veterans more prone to Alzheimer’s disease? According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and other dementias than the general public, and the number of veterans with Alzheimer's is expected to grow. For instance, in 2021, an estimated 457,391 veterans had Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is projected to increase by 8.4% to more than 488,000 by 2033. Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease as a whole, and veterans are more likely to have health conditions that further increase that risk, including high cholesterol, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Additionally, homelessness contributes to that risk as homeless veterans are more likely to have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis than those who are stably housed.

The dozen phrases doctors warned never say to patients, including ‘everything is going to be fine’ What's New 2Day; by Alexander; 11/8/24 “Everything is going to be okay.” No doubt you or someone you know has heard those words from a doctor, but doctors are now being warned to stop doing so because it could raise false hope. A new report has identified 12 “never phrases” that doctors should never use with patients with serious illnesses, such as heart failure, cancer and lung disease. They explain that these “isolated words or phrases not only lack benefits but can also cause emotional harm and accentuate power differences.” If a patient is seriously ill, for example, a doctor should never mention the words “withdraw care,” as this implies that the medical team is “giving up.” While “everything will be okay” may seem like a comforting phrase, researchers say this could offer false hope when dealing with a serious illness and a better expression might be “I’m here to support you through this whole process.” [Click on the title's link for the dozen phrases they identify, with alternative language and rationale.]

Study: People with dementia more apt to be admitted to nursing homes with lower star ratings McKnights Long-Term News; by Kristen Fischer; 11/5/24 People living with dementia are less likely to be admitted to high-rated nursing homes compared to people who don’t have the disease, a new study finds. Researchers looked at admission to nursing homes with higher staffing ratings after hospitalization and how individuals fared in the nursing homes based on having or not having dementia. The report was published on Oct. 29 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The team evaluated traditional Medicare beneficiaries discharged to nursing homes between 2011 and 2017 along with the relationship between facility staffing star-ratings, short-term readmission and mortality. The number of vacant beds in nursing homes with high ratings was also considered. Data was derived from 5.6 million people who were discharged to nursing homes; 23.1% of the people had dementia.

How four partnerships are advancing cutting-edge cancer care Modern Healthcare; by Caroline Hudson; 11/4/24 Top cancer treatment organizations are leaning into partnerships to take care delivery to the next level. The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 2 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. Healthcare leaders say collaboration among technology companies, research institutes, academic medical centers and universities allows them to combine resources and develop cutting-edge treatments more quickly — potentially at a fraction of the cost of standalone projects. ... Here’s what executives say about how four partnerships are advancing cancer care and why collaboration made the most sense for their systems.