Literature Review

NHPCO hosts final Annual Leadership Conference, welcomes evolution to National Alliance for Care at Home NHPOC / National Alliance for Care at Home; by Elyssa Katz; 9/20/24 The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) hosted its annual leadership conference (ALC2024) in Denver, Colorado September 14–18, 2024. This conference is the final conference that legacy NHPCO is hosting as it joins with the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) to become the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance). NAHC will host its final conference on October 20-24, 2024, in Tampa, Florida.  Over 1,000 attendees and exhibitors joined for the in-person program which included action-packed days of keynotes, concurrent education sessions, networking opportunities, award presentations, and celebrations. ... Thanks to the generous support of attendees [at Tuesday evening's Gala], the National Hospice Foundation, NHPCO’s fundraising affiliate, raised over $200,000 throughout the evening. All funds will support the Lighthouse of Hope fund to help fulfill patients’ last wishes. ... As NHPCO celebrates the lasting impact its member have had since 1978 and looks ahead to the Alliance, ALC2024 also served as an opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and honor the many leaders from across the nation who played critical roles in shaping the hospice and palliative care community. 

End-of-life care demand for dementia patients set to surge, study warns Jersey Evening Post, United Kingdom; by UK News; 9/16/24 [United Kingdom] The number of people living with dementia who require end-of-life care is set to “substantially increase” in the coming years, according to a study. ... Researchers said: “Previous projections of the number of people with dementia who will have palliative care needs in England and Wales were based only on the number of people who died with dementia, and did not take into account people living with dementia. Thus, it is likely that the prevalence of palliative care needs among people with dementia in England and Wales has been considerably underestimated. Our analysis shows that even if dementia incidence declines between 2018 and 2040, the number of people living with dementia in England and Wales who have palliative care needs will increase substantially by 2040, reaching levels far greater than previous estimates based on mortality data.”Editor's note: How do these projection processes in the UK compare or contrast with the USA data you use? For more immediate information about current resources:

CMS teases new cybersecurity policies for third-party vendors Modern Healthcare; by Bridget Early; 9/13/24 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is planning oversight of third-party healthcare vendors in the wake of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, said Jonathan Blum, the agency's principal deputy administrator. Blum, who also serves as chief operating officer for CMS, said at Modern Healthcare's Leadership Symposium Thursday that the agency is working to determine what levers it can pull to ensure severe disruptions in care like those linked to the cyberattack on the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary aren’t repeated. ... Almost 133 million individuals were affected by healthcare data breaches last year, more than double the number of those affected in 2022 and a number equivalent to about 40% of the U.S. population.

What is hospice?JAMA Patient Page; by Vanessa Wagner, Adam Marks; 9/11/24Hospice is a specialized model of medical care for people with terminal illness. The goal of hospice is to provide compassionate care to maximize a person’s comfort and quality of life during the natural dying process. Hospice care teams are composed of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other individuals who work together to address the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of people with a terminal illness and to support their families. This generally includes alleviating symptoms (such as pain, shortness of breath, or anxiety), establishing a comfortable and peaceful environment, and facilitating meaningful time with loved ones.Publisher's note: Written by two physicians and appearing in JAMA, this "hospice introductory piece" might be helpful for new employee orientation or community outreach.

Honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month CMS.gov - CMS Office of Minority Health Menu; for 9/15-10/15 September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to honor the 63.7 million Hispanic people living in the United States. This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) would like to raise awareness of the health disparities that impact Hispanic Americans and highlight efforts to reduce gaps in health care. Hispanic Americans are at greater risk of various health conditions due to a lack of preventive care and health insurance, as well as language barriers. In 2022, almost 28% of Hispanic adults didn’t have health insurance compared to Black (13.3%), White (7.4%), and Asian (7.1%) adults. Resources:

Simon Boas’ ‘inspirational’ book A Beginner’s Guide to Dying is published posthumously Jersey Evening Post; by Rod McLoughlin; 9/13/24 Friends and family of the late Simon Boas gathered ... to celebrate the posthumous publication of his book, A Beginner’s Guide to Dying. The former Jersey Overseas Aid chief executive – who died from throat cancer on 15 July at the age of 47 – spent his last months developing into a book ideas first explored in articles for the Jersey Evening Post. Described by the Daily Mail as “an inspirational paean to the joy of life”, Mr Boas’ words reached a huge audience after they were reprinted in the national press and broadcast on the BBC’s Today programme. A proportion of the proceeds are being donated to the African Palliative Care Association and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network. Mr Boas’ inspiring writings in the face of his terminal diagnosis saw him awarded the Bailiff’s Silver Medal in May. Shortly before his death, he also received a personal letter from the King and Queen ahead of their visit to Jersey.Editor's note: This follows up the inspirational story we posted on July 8, 2024, 'I'm as happy as I've been in my life,' says aid worker Simon Boas as he faces death. This book is available on Amazon in book, Kindle, and Audible formats.

The 9 college majors that lead to the most fulfilling careers ... [Music therapy]NBC 7 San Diego, CA; by Kamaron McNair; 9/14/24 If you want your degree to help you land a fulfilling job, consider studying music therapy. The medical and therapeutic fields are among the college majors helping graduates get jobs that make the world a better place, according to graduates surveyed in a recent Payscale report.24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Alumni with bachelor's degrees in music therapy are most likely to do this kind of fulfilling work, with 95% of degree-holders saying their work makes the world a better place, Payscale finds. Music therapy programs cover coursework in music, music therapy, science and psychology, according to the American Music Therapy Association. ... Music therapists may work in traditional settings, offering services to clients working through physical disabilities or mental health issues. People in hospice care, substance abuse programs and cancer treatment centers have also benefited from music therapist visits, according to the AMTA.Editor's note: Click here for facts and descriptions about "Music Therapy in Hospice Care," by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). To recruit a certified music therapist for hospice (or other setting), visit AMTA's Job Hotline.  

NHPCO and the National Alliance for Care at Home celebrate healthcare leader and volunteer award honorees at final NHPCO Conference NHPCO Press Release; by Elyssa Katz; 9/19/24This week, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the new National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) honored standout members of the hospice and palliative care community during the 2024 NHPCO Annual Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado. [Click on the title's link for the full list and its descriptions.]

Historic numbers of Americans live by themselves as they age California Healthline, originally published by KFF and ran in The Washington Post; by Judith Graham; 9/17/24Gerri Norington, 78, never wanted to be on her own as she grew old. ...  Norington is part of a large but often overlooked group: the more than 16 million Americans living alone while growing old. Surprisingly little is known about their experiences. This slice of the older population has significant health issues: Nearly 4 in 10 seniors living alone have vision or hearing loss, difficulty caring for themselves and living independently, problems with cognition, or other disabilities, according to a KFF analysis of 2022 census data. ... Multiple studies find that seniors on their own are at higher risk of becoming isolated, depressed, and inactive, having accidents, and neglecting to care for themselves. As a result, they tend to be hospitalized more often and suffer earlier-than-expected deaths. ... The most reliable, up-to-date data about older adults who live alone comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. According to its 2023 Current Population Survey, about 28% of people 65 and older live by themselves, including slightly fewer than 6 million men and slightly more than 10 million women. (The figure doesn’t include seniors living in institutions, primarily assisted living and nursing homes.) By contrast, 1 in 10 older Americans lived on their own in 1950. ... [Click on the title's link for the full article. Includes information to republish for free.]

As a nonprofit, Hospice of Dubuque among minority of similar entities Telegraph Herald; by Lavonne Noel; 9/15/24   Last month, HBO and Max aired an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” in which the satirist discussed hospice care in America. Although raunchy, the episode highlighted some of the positives of hospice care with the commentator noting that “at its best, it’s great.” The episode also underscored concerns with fraud, abuse and program integrity, which stem from a profit motive that has taken hold in hospice. Oliver noted, “Hospices can be big business,” pointing out that “today, of the country’s nearly 6,000 providers, three-quarters are for-profit.” Unfortunately, this does not align with the roots of the hospice movement. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this important response to "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" episode.] 

Private equity acquisitions of hospices are increasing; Ownership remains opaqueHealth Affairs; by Melissa D. Aldridge, Lauren J. Hunt, Zelle Halloran, Krista L. Harrison; 9/24Private equity ownership across the US health care system is rapidly increasing, yet ownership structures are complex and opaque. We used an economic data set tracking mergers and acquisitions linked to Medicare data to identify private equity hospice acquisitions. Given the influence of for-profit ownership on hospice quality, transparent data on private equity investment are fundamental to ensuring high-quality end-of-life care.

The 'great disruption' coming for Medicare Advantage Becker's Payer Issues; by Jakob Emerson; 9/9/24 Come mid-October, the Medicare Advantage program will enter its annual enrollment period, marked by significant changes for older adults. Among these changes are increased government scrutiny, tighter CMS regulations, reduced base payments, and rising healthcare costs. ... "Taken together, some are calling these cuts 'the great disruption,'" wrote Sachin Jain, MD, CEO of SCAN Group, a nonprofit MA carrier with more than 285,000 members, in a LinkedIn post on Sept. 4. Dr. Jain outlined five key observations about the evolving landscape: