Literature Review

Senators introduce bipartisan bill to expand access to senior care program [PACE] FCFreePress.com; by News Desk - Health News; 7/25/24 [Thursday, 7/25/24,] U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), leaders of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the bipartisan PACE Anytime Act. This legislative move seeks to broaden the accessibility of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) which serves thousands of lower-income seniors and individuals with disabilities by offering comprehensive, integrated care. ... Under current regulations, eligible individuals can only enroll in PACE programs at the beginning of each month. The PACE Anytime Act proposes to remove this restriction, allowing for enrollment at any time during the month, thereby making the program more accessible. 

Empath Health, Trustbridge leaders are setting home health sights high after integration Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/26/24 Empath Health is a company in transition. In the spring, it completed an affiliation process with Trustbridge, which formed the largest nonprofit post-acute provider organization in the state of Florida. ... Since completion of the affiliation process, the company has focused on integration, synergistic opportunities and determining how best to deliver care to the communities it serves. One of the people at the helm of this transition is Tarrah Lowry, Empath Health’s chief operating officer and Trustbridge’s interim president. [Click on the title's link to read the recent interview by Home Health Care News' with Tarrah Lowry.]

‘Green burials’ grow in popularity as alternatives to traditional funerals Planet Detroit; by Erica Hobbs; 7/24/24|... [Modern] funeral practices are wreaking havoc on the environment. Bodies are embalmed with toxic chemicals and buried in caskets placed in non-biodegradable vaults that take up increasingly limited space in cemeteries. According to a Cornell University study, an estimated 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid, 20 million feet of hardwood, 1.6 million tons of concrete and 64,500 tons of steel are used in American burials yearly. Even cremation — often thought of as a green alternative to burial — requires up to 500 gallons of fuel and releases up to 250 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a recent study from the Green Burial Council (GBC). However, for those looking to reduce their carbon footprints even in death, green options, though still relatively rare, are available in Michigan. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading these descriptions of "green burials."]

[CMS Fact Sheet] Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Hospice Payment Rate Update Final Rule (CMS-1810-F) CMS Fact Sheet - Final Rule (CMS-1810-F); 7/30/24 On July 30, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule (CMS-1810-F) updating Medicare hospice payment rates and the aggregate cap amount, for fiscal year (FY) 2025, in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. This rule also finalizes the proposal to adopt the most recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statistical area delineations, which impacts the hospice wage index and clarifies current policy related to the hospice “election statement” and the “notice of election” (NOE), as well as adds clarifying language regarding hospice admission and certification of terminal illness. The final rule summarizes public comments received related to the request for information regarding implementing a separate payment mechanism to account for high-intensity palliative care services. Editor's Note: Click here for the full Final Rule. 

Medicare Program: FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program RequirementsFederal Register; 7/30/24Highlights include finalization of a 2.9% increase in payment rate and Hospice Cap of $34,465.34 for FY 2025.

How well does Medicare cover end-of-life care? It depends on what type Medical Xpress; by Mark Harden, CU Anschutz Medical Campus; 7/19/24 Not all versions of Medicare are created equal—and when it comes to end-of-life care, some versions may serve a patient's needs better than others. That's the focus of newly published research by Lauren Hersch Nicholas, Ph.D., MPP, a University of Colorado Department of Medicine and CU Cancer Center health economist, and her colleagues. The researchers analyzed the experiences of more than a million people receiving Medicare-funded services in the last six months of their lives. ... Their paper was published July 19 in JAMA Health Forum. What Nicholas and her colleagues found is that the kind of Medicare a patient is enrolled in can make a difference in whether that patient gets certain treatments, and whether the patient dies in a hospital or in hospice care.

Top Projects of 2023: Our Lady of Peace Finance & Commerce, Minnesota Business; by Kate Leibsle; 7/19/24 Jamey Flannery and her team at Flannery Construction took seriously their obligation not just to their client, Our Lady of Peace, but to the patients, their families, and staff to make the construction project at the hospice center as smooth and transparent as possible. Limiting disruptions when you are renovating or adding on to an existing, occupied building is always important, but when the facility you are working on is a hospice center, it becomes paramount. ... The project turned the facility’s 21 double-occupancy rooms into private suites. Each room now is big enough for family and friends to gather in a living area, have a TV and offer more privacy, Flannery said.

Ethical challenges in the treatment of patients with severe anorexia nervosa Psychiatry Online; by Patricia Westmoreland, MD; Jole Yager, MD; Jonathan Treem, MD; and Philip S. Mehler, MD; 7/15/24 Ethical principles assist us in determining the best course of action with regard to patients with [anorexia nervosa] AN. The vast majority of patients with AN should be offered high-quality, restorative-informed care. But for a minority of patients (e.g., those with SE-AN) other treatment options need to be considered. Clinicians are obliged to realistically assess each patient’s potential for recovery or ability to engage in harm reduction and palliative care approaches, and be cognizant of the wishes of the patient, family, and treatment team. In addition, the burden on caregivers and stewardship in the expenditure of health care resources should also be considered when deciding whether involuntary treatment, harm reduction, palliative care, or end-of-life care be recommended for a particular patient.

Why home health providers should expect to see a ‘less draconian’ final payment rule Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/22/24 As home health providers continue to digest the proposed payment rule for 2025, National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) President William A. Dombi believes that the industry will ultimately see a comparatively toned down final rule. “We believe we will not end up with this proposed rule as a final rule,” he said during the opening presentation at NAHC’s Financial Management Conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. “We will end up with something less draconian. The cuts will be reduced because, No. 1, that’s what they’ve done for the last several years, and, No. 2, it’s an election year.” Even with a prediction of a “less draconian” final payment rule, NAHC is still gearing up to fight against home health cuts and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) payment-setting methodologies.

Sasha McAllum Pilkington on grace and storytelling at the end of life Psychotherapy.net; by Lawrence Rubin; 7/22/24 Narrative Clinician, Sasha McAllum Pilkington [of New Zealand],  shares poignant stories she co-created with hospice clients which honor and celebrate their lives. [This interview includes: ...

End-of-life care is a profound and essential aspect of medical practice Market.US Media, New York; by Samruddhi Yardi; 7/19/24 According to End-of-Life Care Statistics, End-of-life care, also known as palliative care, refers to the comprehensive medical, emotional, and psychological support provided to individuals who are nearing the end of their lives, often due to terminal illnesses or conditions. [This article includes data on the following:]

Celebrating the life and legacy of Marion KeenanCoastal Hospice press release; 7/23/24Salisbury, MD – Coastal Hospice announced today with profound sadness the passing of its inaugural President, Marion Keenan and extend heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. “On behalf of Coastal Hospice, I would like to express our sadness in the passing of our founder and former President, Marion Keenan. Marion was part of a committee of innovators that brought hospice care to our community over 44 years ago,” said Ann Lovely, Interim President and CEO of Coastal Hospice. “Her leadership and spirit of service made a profound impact in our organization and those we cared for during her tenure. Marion will forever be missed as we continue to carry on her vision.” Marion's obituary is posted here.