Literature Review

VITAS touts significant Q3 success, projects future growth McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/31/24 VITAS, the home care and hospice subsidiary of Chemed, achieved robust financial results in the third quarter of 2024 and is poised for continued growth, company leadership said Wednesday during an earnings-related conference call. “We are excited about the continued strong results of VITAS,” Kevin McNamara, president and chief executive officer of Chemed, said, according to a transcript. “We are very bullish on the prospects for VITAS for the remainder of 2024 and beyond.” In the quarter ended Sept. 31, VITAS generated $53.4 million in profits, a 20.6% increase compared with the prior year quarter. Revenues rose 17.2% to $391.4 million. Chemed as a whole produced $75.7 million in net profit, a 1% increase year-over-year, behind revenues that increased nearly 7.4% to $606.1 million, according to an earnings report.

Veterans Day 2024 Events (parades, celebrations, concerts) – listed by state VeteranOwnedBusiness.com; retrieved from the internet 11/6/24Here is a list of events being held in each state (also virtual) for Veterans Day 2024. Some of these events (parades, speeches, tributes and more) take place before, on and after Veterans Day (Monday, November 11, 2024).Editor's note: Veterans Day is Monday, November 11th. What are you doing for the patients you serve who are veterans? For your employees and volunteers who are veterans? For hospice-specific resources, click here for NHPCO/The Alliance's "News and Information from We Honor Veterans." For more generic location-specific event and resources click here for this list (by state) of Veterans Weekend events in your area.  

Statement from NPHI on US election results National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI); Press Release; 11/6/24On November 6th, the Associated Press declared that Donald Trump is the new president-elect of the United States. In response to this news, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) issued the following statement from Tom Koutsoumpas, our CEO: "Following the election of President-Elect Donald Trump, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) reiterates its dedication to advocating for high-quality, compassionate care for all patients and families facing serious illness. NPHI looks forward to collaborating with the incoming administration and new Congress to address critical needs in healthcare policy, expand support for advanced illness care, and work toward a stronger healthcare future for patients, families, and caregivers alike. ... [Click here to read the full statement.] ... At NPHI, we are committed to ensuring that every American has access to dignified, high-quality care. We will work with the new administration to protect and enhance the Medicare hospice benefit, expand access to high-quality care at home, and advance policy solutions that center on patient needs and community well-being."

PositivelyJAX Award - The purple bench of compassionate St. AugustineNews4JAX; by Melanie Lawson; 11/1/24 This month’s PositivelyJAX Award goes to something unique: a bench. But it’s no ordinary bench—it’s The Purple Bench, powered by people and conversation. The concept was brought to life by a group called Compassionate St. Augustine, sparking empathy and understanding in anyone willing to sit down and listen. This purple bench, located just outside the gates of the Lincolnville Community Garden in St. Augustine, often sits empty, waiting for someone to take a seat and begin a conversation.  When I approached, Eileen Reid was happy to join me. In just a short 10-minute conversation, I got to know her—a retired hospice nurse ... “I’ve been around a lot of endings, and endings are beginnings, but now, now I’m beginning a whole different phase of my life, and it’s interesting. ...”Editor's note: Click on the title's link for the community news article. Click here for a photo and description of this Purple Bench Initiative: "The Purple Bench initiative was formed to challenge the community to engage in compassionate practices despite different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, and views. In a world divided by polarizing opinions, it is increasingly important to find common ground to help those in need."

Mortality and function after widowhood among older adults with dementia, cancer, or organ failureJAMA Network Open; Rebecca Rodin, MD, MSc; Alexander K. Smith, MD, MS, MPH; Edie Espejo, MPH; Siqi Gan, MPH; W. John Boscardin, PhD; Lauren J. Hunt, PhD, RN; Katherine A. Ornstein, PhD, MPH; R. Sean Morrison, MD; 9/24In this cohort study including 13,824 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, widowhood was associated with functional decline and increased 1-year mortality in functionally impaired older adults with dementia and cancer. The study findings suggest that older adults with functional impairment and cancer or dementia are at risk of adverse outcomes following widowhood, including functional decline and a marked elevation in the risk of death, in the year after widowhood.

Patient, staff satisfaction biggest ROIs of trauma-informed hospice care Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/23/24 Improved patient and staff satisfaction are among the most significant returns on investment for hospices that are pouring greater resources into trauma-informed training. The ability to build a trusting relationship with patients and their families is a key skill set for any hospice professional to possess, but one that takes on a profoundly different meaning when caring for survivors of abuse, violence and trauma. This is according to Amber Ash, pediatric hospice and palliative care social worker at Ohio-based Hospice of the Western Reserve. Trauma-informed education should be a normalized part of hospice’s interdisciplinary training to help staff recognize and respond to a range of experiences, Ash indicated. This type of training can help provide opportunities for improved goal-concordant care while also aligning with staff’s professional goals and personal values, she stated. 

Family caregiver experience at heart of new project McKnights Home Care; by Foster Stubbs; 10/27/24 In healthcare, the needs of the patient are paramount. But for every patient there is at least one caregiver with needs of their own. Former first lady of the United States Rosalynn Carter understood this and established The Rosalynn Carter Insitute for Caregivers (RCI) to serve this underserved population. ... More than 40 years later, RCI continues Carter’s mission through its newest caregiver support resource. Using over two decades of research on caregiving combined with feedback from actual caregivers, RCI composed a series of 10 different Caregiver Profiles that reflect the unique and diverse experiences of family caregivers. These profiles revolve around the following:

LeadingAge: Diverting patients from SNF to home health does more harm than good McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/28/24 Mounting evidence suggests that Medicare Advantage plans are directing beneficiaries to home health when they should receive skilled nursing facility care, which is negatively affecting providers’ care quality, according to LeadingAge. The Senate Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations recently reported that MA plans may be diverting patients in need of SNF care to home health as a means of saving money. In an Oct. 25 letter, LeadingAge said this practice damages care quality and patient health outcomes, and asked the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to investigate the issue further. 

The ever-rising importance of hospital chaplains Religion News Service (RNS); by Robert L. Klitzman; 10/24/24 Frequently, chaplains are the only hospital staff member who has time to sit and speak with patients and families. ... “My religion is watching CNN,” a feisty elderly woman with cancer recently told a hospital chaplain who had knocked on the patient’s door to introduce himself. ...  [After initial resistance, they] developed a rapport, and she described her deep loneliness and terror of dying. At the end of their conversation, she felt better, grasped the chaplain’s hand firmly and said, “Thank you!” ... In recent decades, the proportion of Americans who are “religiously unaffiliated” has risen sixfold, and the percentage of “Christian” individuals has dropped about a third. Partly as a result, chaplains have, at the same time, increasingly gained training in interfaith and nondenominational approaches, and frequently see their profession as “post-religious” — extending beyond the boundaries of any one particular faith; taking nondenominational, multifaith and humanistic approaches; and commonly receiving training in counseling. With these skills they aid patients, from evangelical to agnostic, atheist and “nothing in particular,” in resetting priorities and finding sources of connection, meaning, purpose and hope. Strongly committed to aiding vulnerable and underserved populations, chaplains remind doctors to uphold the dignity of every patient.Editor's note: Call all executive leaders--whatever your faith background--click here to continue reading this excellent article with data, descriptions, and applications about the importance of your patients spiritual care needs and the unique training and skills for hospital/hospice/palliative care chaplains. For a recent, related post, see Research synthesis related to oncology family caregiver spirituality in palliative care.

The case for stronger caregiver vetting in home care Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 10/24/24 Direct care workers are, in many ways, the collective face of home-based care organizations. They are who clients and patients interact with. Therefore, regulators and providers are increasingly taking a closer look at who they’re hiring in the first place. While it is shocking to see caregivers commit crimes against clients, it does happen. About one in six people aged 60 and older experienced some form of abuse during 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Rates of abuse against older people have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic and are predicted to continue rising as many countries experience rapidly aging populations. To combat this trend, increased vetting is essential when hiring individuals to care for seniors in their homes. Editor's note: Related, disturbing articles we posted recently include ...

Awards and Recognitions: October 2024

Cemeteries no longer just for the dead: Spaces have a new life of their own USA Today; by Phaedra Trethan; 10/27/24 It all began with Rudolph Valentino. The silent movie star, one of cinema's first sex symbols, is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, one of many celebrities interred there. Showing his movies for the devoted fans who showed up to remember him decades after his sudden and shocking death in 1926 at just 31, the cemetery's operators noticed the gathering grew year after year. Why not host more movie nights, especially in the final resting place of Hollywood royalty: Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Mickey Rooney, Tyrone Power and Douglas Fairbanks, to name a few, they thought? ... Hollywood Forever isn't the only cemetery offering programs beyond the usual historic tours and talks. Visitors at many U.S. cemeteries can check out movie screenings, market days, concerts, art installations and dance and theater performances. Some are even finding ways to change the conversation around death itself − and bringing life to spaces previously thought of only for the dead. Editor's note: Happy Halloween!

Dia De Los Muertos can provide powerful healing for anyone who is grieving a loved one Santa Barbara Independent; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 10/29/24 Many of those who have lost a loved one are looking for ways to manage their grief and Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) helps to navigate this often-painful journey in a variety of ways.  This may include grief counseling, support groups, and healing modalities such as poetry and art.  ... Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) has become an increasingly popular holiday in the United States as it is seen as a valuable way to reconnect with those who have died and relieve grief in an individual and shared ritual of celebration. Dia De Los Muertos is a two-day holiday that reunites the living and dead, November 1 and 2. Families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their food and join in the celebrations. Day of the Dead is a holiday for celebrating death and life where mourning is combined with celebration.