Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Clinical News | Social Work News.”
How a novel coaching intervention is building resilience and hope in adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer: A conversation with Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA
09/18/25 at 03:00 AMHow a novel coaching intervention is building resilience and hope in adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer: A conversation with Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA The ASCO Post; by Jo Cavaloo; 9/15/25 Each year, nearly 90,000 adolescents and young adults (AYAs; aged 15–39) are diagnosed with cancer, and approximately 9,300 die of the disease. ... AYAs are at increased risk for developing adverse long-term side effects from cancer and/or its treatment, including chronic conditions, secondary cancers, infertility, poor psychosocial health, and financial toxicity. ... The findings from a recent randomized phase III clinical trial investigating a novel resilience coaching intervention for AYA patients with advanced cancer are showing promising results in improving feelings of resilience and hope, as well as longer-term improvement in quality of life for these patients. ... In a wide-ranging interview with The ASCO Post, Dr. Rosenberg discussed the psychosocial impact of cancer on AYA cancer survivors, the results of the PRISM-AC study, and how AYA survivors are able to cope with having a terminal prognosis.
‘A playbook for best practices’: ASCO and COA release updated Oncology Medical Home Standards
09/16/25 at 03:00 AM‘A playbook for best practices’: ASCO and COA release updated Oncology Medical Home Standards The ASCO Post; by ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology); 9/10/25 ASCO and the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) have released updated standards for its Oncology Medical Home (OMH) certification program, which were initially codified and published in 2021. The 2021 systematic literature review focused on the topics of OMH model of care, clinical pathways, and survivorship care plans. Among the 2025 updates are new standards that address “just culture” and safety in oncology, multidisciplinary team management, and geriatric assessment.
Family says bear attack victim to be transferred to hospice care
09/12/25 at 03:00 AMFamily says bear attack victim to be transferred to hospice care KNWA/KFTA FOX-24, Little Rock, AR; by Justin Trobaugh; 9/9/25 The family of a Franklin County man says Sept. 8 that his condition has worsened and that he has been moved to hospice care. Vernon Patton, 72, is being held at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences after being attacked by a bear in the Mulberry Mountain area of Franklin County on Sept. 3. Patton was working on a gravel road with his tractor near Mulberry Mountain Lodge Park when the black bear attacked, according to Keith Stephens with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). His son arrived to check on him and saw the bear actively attacking. Editor's Note: Executive leaders, traumatic events like this that lead to a hospice admission call for extra support for your clinical, direct care professionals and volunteers. They can experience secondary trauma as they tend horrific wounds, both physical (for the patient) and emotional (for family and friends). Also, what policies do you have in place to balance important community news and family privacy (e.g. staff or volunteers posting anything on social media).
Reducing family caregiver burden may prevent 30-day ED readmissions among community-dwelling older adults, study finds
09/11/25 at 03:00 AMReducing family caregiver burden may prevent 30-day ED readmissions among community-dwelling older adults, study finds McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 9/9/25 Alleviating caregiver burden may reduce returns to the emergency department for older adults up to 30 days after a discharge, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study examined 1409 dyads or duos of community-dwelling patients 65 years or older and their family caregivers. ... [Questions] included items about strain in the caregiver’s role and personal life associated with caregiving. ... "We interpret these findings as evidence that caregiver burden may contribute to a negative care transition, associated with 30-day ED revisits, ..."
When I go, I'm going green
09/09/25 at 02:00 AMWhen I go, I'm going green KFF Health News; by Paula Span; 9/8/25 More Americans are choosing burials in which everything is biodegradable. ... “Do you see a lot of interest in green burials?” I asked the friendly town cemetery commissioner who was showing me around. “I don’t think we’ve had a traditional burial in two years,” he said. “It’s all green.”
Shepherd’s Cove adds program
09/05/25 at 03:00 AMShepherd’s Cove adds program The Advertise-Gleam, Albertville, AL, by Anthony Campbell; 9/2/25 Shepherd’s Cove Hospice is proud to announce the launch of Shepherd’s Cove Counseling, a new program that provides professional mental health services for individuals, couples and families. This exciting expansion enhances Shepherd’s Cove’s care offerings by giving the community access to licensed therapy through insurance or private pay, without affecting the organization’s long-standing commitment to maintaining access, at no cost, to grief support. “Shepherd’s Cove Counseling creates space for healing, growth, and support during life’s most challenging seasons,” said Stacey Johnson, LICSW, Community Programs Director.
Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support
09/04/25 at 03:00 AMWhy palliative care is more than just end-of-life support MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Dr. Vishal Parackal; 9/1/25 ... Palliative care as a system requires strong interpersonal and cross-specialty communication for smooth functioning, as patients may require expert opinions from different fields to optimize their treatment plan. Patient education for systemic follow-ups and establishing a baseline of knowledge regarding their diagnosis and potential danger signs helps create a better environment for holistic care. While we focus on the physical aspects of care and diagnosis, we often fail to realize the psychological and mental impact that such conditions can have on the patient and their family. ... The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives by easing their suffering and enhancing their quality of life is profoundly fulfilling. ... Editor's Note: Excellent descriptions of palliative care.
[Global] Palliative care for special populations
09/04/25 at 02:00 AM[Global] Palliative care for special populations ehospice; by Howard Kinyua; 9/1/25
Social workers’ role in improving hospice live discharge processes
08/29/25 at 03:00 AMSocial workers’ role in improving hospice live discharge processes Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 8/26/25 A lack of standardized care coordination is challenging the ability for patients and families to receive support following a live discharge from hospice. Deeper integration of social work services may help address the issue. This is according to findings from a recent study published in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work, which examined different methodologies for preparing patients, family caregivers and providers for hospice-initiated live discharges from social worker perspectives.
Hospice was meant to offer dignity in death - but it fails the most marginalized. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind bars
08/27/25 at 03:00 AMHospice was meant to offer dignity in death — but it fails the most marginalized. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind barsSTAT; by Christopher M. Smith; 8/26/25I’ve spent more than a decade in hospice care, sitting at the bedsides of people facing the final days of their lives. I’ve held hands in hospital rooms, in tents, in prison cells, and in homes that barely qualify as such. And over time, I’ve come to see that dying in America is not just a medical event — it’s a mirror. It reflects everything we’ve failed to do for the living. Hospice was created to bring dignity to the dying — to manage pain, provide emotional and spiritual support, and ease the final passage for people with terminal illness. But the systems surrounding hospice care are riddled with inequity. The very people most in need of compassion — the unhoused, the incarcerated, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities — are systematically excluded, underserved, or erased. Access to a good death is too often reserved for the privileged, while everyone else is left to navigate a system that wasn’t built for them — or worse, actively works against them... The truth is, hospice care cannot achieve its mission unless it actively addresses the inequities built into the structures around it. We need hospice programs that go to the streets, into shelters, behind bars. We need training rooted in cultural humility, in antiracism, in trauma-informed care. We need to reimagine what it means to offer dignity to someone whose life has been defined by abandonment... Because dying is universal. But justice, even at the end of life, is still not.Publisher's note: STAT also references Dr. Ira Byock's article "The hospice industry needs major reforms. It should start with apologies, 8/22/23".
Musical organization brings comfort to hospice patients
08/20/25 at 03:00 AMMusical organization brings comfort to hospice patients CBS 19 News, Charlottesville, VA by Jadyn Howard; 8/14/25 The Front Porch, a nonprofit music organization, partners with Hospice of the Piedmont to give musical performances to patients in their final months. "Mom doesn’t know her grandchildren or great-grandchildren, but Clara sings the song and words come out it’s beautiful so something about the brain remembers music," said Beth Johnson, daughter of a patient at Linden House for Assisted Living. Clara George is a Front Porch musician who performs for Johnson's mother every Thursday. "People who have dementia a lot of times they can felt isolated or lonely or agitated and when I start playing with them I see their hands start to clap and sing along," said George.
Flu, COVID-19 vaccination rates falling among health care workers
08/19/25 at 03:00 AMFlu, COVID-19 vaccination rates falling among health care workers WWLP, Springfield, IL, originally Boston, MA; by Alison Kuznitz; 8/14/25 The rate of Massachusetts health care workers vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 is declining, despite state officials pushing for the vast majority of providers to get their shots in order to stunt the spread of illnesses. The Department of Public Health’s goal is to achieve an annual flu and COVID immunization rate of 90% or higher among eligible health care personnel at all licensed facilities and emergency medical services. ... During the 2024-25 respiratory virus season, an average of 83.5% of providers in acute care hospitals were vaccinated against the flu, ... That compares to ... 52.3% in nursing homes, 68.7% in rest homes, 52.2% in adult day health programs, 21.2% in EMS and 65.4% in hospice. Editor's Note: Is 65.4% high enough for health care workers who consistently tending many of the most vulnerable persons receiving health care? What are the vaccination rates for your organization?
Hands
08/19/25 at 03:00 AMHands Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); by R. Jordan Williams, MD, MPH; 8/13/25Lend me your hand Callused or calaminedWrinkled or plump,Nails bittenNails extendedSplintered and pittedNails neatly or never cropped.Lend me your hand Strong or weak Cold or warmingSwollen and swanned; Gnarled in knots ...Editor's Note: Continue reading this powerful poem. Additionally, JAMA published this description of the poem, "Poetry and the Medicine of Touch" by Rafael Campo, MD, MA: "In this deeply felt poem, the hand becomes a potent metaphor for our shared humanity ... Aspiring clinicians are still taught to assess, to palpate, to diagnose through touch. Yet, as “Hands” reminds us, patients’ hands hold far more than clinical signs—they reflect stories, histories, fears, and hopes. ..."
New report gives healthcare providers fresh guidance on communicating with older adults
08/11/25 at 03:00 AMNew report gives healthcare providers fresh guidance on communicating with older adults McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 8/7/25 A new report from the Gerontological Society of America reveals critical strategies for healthcare providers to improve communication with older adults, who now represent almost 17% of the US population. The comprehensive guide, titled “Communicating With Older Adults: A Review of What Really Works,” addresses the growing need for effective patient-provider interactions as America ages. Approximately one-third of adults aged 65 or more years have a disability that may affect communication, the report noted.
Demystifying dying in end-of-life-care: A phenomenological perspective
08/07/25 at 03:00 AMDemystifying dying in end-of-life-care: A phenomenological perspective Death Studies; by Elisabet Sernbo, Magnus Weber, Charlotta Öhrling, Stina Nyblom; 8/26/25 This article focuses on experiences of the process of dying. The empirical material consists of interviews with patients in palliative care and their significant others. The analysis draws attention to the lived experiences of the participants - embedded in time, identities, social relations, and everyday lives - and to how the possibility of sense-making is conditioned by the lifeworld. ... [This] needs to be understood as reorienting work: supporting people when their lines become disrupted or need to be altered. This requires a display of radical empathy ...
How one man’s dying wish was denied by the health care system
08/07/25 at 03:00 AMHow one man’s dying wish was denied by the health care system Synopsi, from MedPage Today; by Caitlin E. Morh, MD; 8/5/25 “This is Dr. Mohr.” I answered a number I didn’t recognize. “It’s Irving,” said the frantic voice. “He collapsed. The paramedics are working on him now.” “They’re doing compressions? Stop! Put the paramedic on the phone!” My father-in-law, Irving, the stoic Danish-American Navy veteran, had been on hospice for 3 months. His POST (physician order for life sustaining treatment) form was on file with the hospice agency and his custodial care facility: DNR/DNI, comfort measures only. ... “I’m Irv’s daughter-in-law. I’m a physician. He’s a DNR, he’s on hospice. Stop doing compressions.” 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ... I listened to the ACLS algorithm unfold in the background. ...
Grief and the road to resilience
08/05/25 at 03:00 AMGrief and the road to resilience Jewish Journal; by Chaim Steinmetz; 8/2/25 Mourning is unfashionable. A popular platitude is that funerals are meant to be a “celebration of life.” This seemingly innocuous phrase is actually a subtle form of peer pressure, demanding the heartbroken mourners remain upbeat so they don’t drag the mood down for the rest. The bereaved are counseled to look for “closure” and find a way to continue with their lives. ... This is a picture of mourning done wrong, an unwillingness to encumber one’s heart with the ugly and unruly emotions of loss and bereavement. Judaism emphasizes the importance of mourning; it affirms an ethics of memory, which obligates us to continue to honor our deceased family and friends. It is unthinkable for someone to pass away and for everyone else to just “move on” afterwards. Love demands that we mourn. Beyond the moral imperative, Judaism recognizes that mourning is transformative. Grieving is the first step towards resilience.
The heart of transformation: People, purpose and progress at City of Hope
08/05/25 at 03:00 AMThe heart of transformation: People, purpose and progress at City of Hope Modern Healthcare; by City of Hope; 7/14/25 As chief transformation officer at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., Debra Fields has spent nearly a decade guiding the organization’s evolution. In this conversation, Fields shares her perspective on what it takes to lead meaningful transformation in healthcare including the power of vision, the importance of culture and the responsibility leaders have to care for both their people and themselves.
Tennessee plans to execute inmate amid concerns his heart implant will shock him repeatedly
08/05/25 at 03:00 AMTennessee plans to execute inmate amid concerns his heart implant will shock him repeatedly CNN; by Dakin Andone; 8/4/25 Tennessee plans to execute Byron Black on Tuesday for the 1988 murders of a woman and her two young daughters, despite concerns from his attorneys that a device implanted to restore his heartbeat could repeatedly shock him as he’s put to death. The device – an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD – is at the center of a court battle that has been unfolding for several weeks. Black’s attorneys want the device deactivated at or immediately before his lethal injection Tuesday morning. If it isn’t, they say the effects of the lethal injection drugs will cause the ICD to shock Black’s heart, perhaps repeatedly, in an attempt to restore it to a normal rhythm. This will cause Black a prolonged and torturous execution, the attorneys argue, violating Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.Editor's Note: Though this is not a hospice case, this traumatic scenario for persons with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator being repeatedly shocked--even after death--is crucial for the hospice interdisciplinary to know. Clinical, ethical, and legal issues abound. Click here for Shocked at End-of-Life: An Educational Video for Hospice Workers about Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators, research published by the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, May 2024.
Casting hope: A last wish by the water
07/29/25 at 03:00 AMCasting hope: A last wish by the water The Citizen, Fayette County, GA; by Compassus Hospice; 7/27/25 For Compassus hospice patient Gerry Higginbotham of Fayetteville, GA, the simple act of casting a line into the ocean had long been a dream—one that felt just out of reach. But thanks to a compassionate care team and the support of the Angel Foundation, that dream became a reality. ... The Hospice Angel Foundation generously covered the cost of lodging near Tybee Island, GA. But transportation and food expenses remained a challenge. That’s when the Compassus Fayetteville hospice team did something extraordinary: they personally donated funds to cover the remaining trip costs, ensuring Gerry and his daughter could make the journey. ... This wasn’t just a trip—it was a moment of peace, purpose and joy for someone who had given so much of himself to others.
Why more seniors are going broke in the last 5 years of life
07/29/25 at 03:00 AMWhy more seniors are going broke in the last 5 years of life SavingAdvice.com; by Riley Jones; 7/27/25 ... According to recent data, more seniors than ever are entering the last five years of life with little to no savings, and some are accumulating serious debt. Despite years of work, careful budgeting, and modest living, the final chapter of life is becoming one of the most financially devastating. ...
When grief involves trauma − a social worker explains how to support survivors of the recent floods and other devastating losses
07/28/25 at 03:10 AMWhen grief involves trauma − a social worker explains how to support survivors of the recent floods and other devastating losses The Conversation; podcast by Gemma Ware with Dr. Liza Lane; 7/17/25 The July 4, 2025, floods in Kerr County, Texas, swept away children and entire families, leaving horror in their wake. Days later, flash floods struck Ruidoso, New Mexico, killing three people, including two young children. ... When death is sudden, violent, or when a body is never recovered, grief gets tangled up with trauma. In these situations, people don’t only grieve the death. They struggle with the terror of how it happened, the unanswered questions and the shock etched into their bodies. I’m a social work professor, grief researcher and the founder of The Young Widowhood Project, a research initiative aimed at expanding scholarship and public understanding of premature spousal loss. Both my personal loss and professional work have shown me how trauma changes the grieving process and what kind of support actually helps. To understand how trauma can complicate grief, it’s important to first understand how people typically respond to loss.
6 health systems that faced worker strikes this month
07/24/25 at 03:00 AM6 health systems that faced worker strikes this month MedCity News; by Katie Adams; 7/22/25 Healthcare workers at six health systems across the country have launched strikes in July so far. These healthcare employees cite unsafe staffing levels, low wages and retaliation against union organizers as their main reasons for going on strike. From hospice centers to emergency rooms, frontline healthcare workers across the country have been striking this month to protest what they say are unsafe patient care conditions and poor bargaining behavior. Below are six examples of union activity resulting in a strike — all of which occurred in July.
Caring for a difficult elderly parent during a transition
07/23/25 at 03:00 AMCaring for a difficult elderly parent during a transitionPsychology Today - Caregiving; "Personal Perspective" by Franne Sippel, EdD, LP; 7/21/25 I am the only child of an only child who lives in an assisted living facility thousands of miles away. I unofficially diagnosed Mom with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder after struggling for years with a relationship fraught with guilt and frustration. ... It’s difficult enough to care for a frail parent when their health is failing. However, the added OCD personality, with its micromanaging, rules, and demands, tests patience beyond compare. ... A good friend suggested I call hospice to evaluate her. Jim, a hospice RN in his 70s, arrived and instantly assessed the situation with laser-like precision. ... I spend many months going back and forth between South Dakota and Arizona to see my mom. Hospice continues to visit her three to four times a week at the assisted living facility, and a dear family friend also visits her several times a week. ... Editor's Note: Keep reading this article to its end. The insightful, practical, sensitive care from these hospice clinicians generated life-long transformations for this burdened caregiver-daughter.
Changing funeral preferences: NFDA’s first-of-its-kind generational report now available
07/22/25 at 03:00 AMChanging funeral preferences: NFDA’s first-of-its-kind generational report now available National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Brookfield, WI; Press Release; 4/2/25 The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, has released an unprecedented study examining consumer attitudes toward funeral service across generations. Available to funeral service professionals for download at no charge, Changing Consumer Preferences: A Generational Perspective on Attitudes Toward Funeral Service provides critical insights to help funeral service professionals adapt to evolving expectations and continue delivering meaningful memorial experiences. ... Key findings include: