Literature Review

Gran comforted by cat in final moments at hospice: 'Never leaving her side' Newsweek; by Alice Gibbs; 9/17/24 A woman has shared the heartwarming moment her grandmother's final wish was fulfilled when hospice staff allowed her beloved cat to spend her last day with her. In a video with more than 2 million views on TikTok, Allison Kuhn shared the beautiful way her grandmother Elaine got to spend her final moments with her cat, named Baby. "I'll never stop thinking about how all my grandma wanted during her last month in hospice was her cat," Kuhn said in the video. "The same cat, who during that month started dying and was diagnosed with a 'heartbreak' from being away from grandma. Hospice let the cat stay with my grandma on her last day. The cat didn't leave that bed for 24 hours."

Top 5 topics at Modern Healthcare's Leadership SymposiumModern Healthcare; 9/16/24Here are five topics executives shared their thoughts on during the day-long event in Washington, D.C.:

After 138 years, the Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Philadelphia will shut down all health care services next month PBS WHYY NPR; by Nicole Leonard; 9/16/24 The Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit home health care provider, is shutting its doors after a 138-year run. All services, including hospice and palliative care, will cease Oct. 28. Complete details on reasons for the closure, and the long-term effects on patients and employees, are scarce at the moment, but in a statement on its website, the organization said “unsustainable financial losses” led to the decision. Nonprofit leaders said they are working to transition patients and families to new placements and care providers.

Breaking the barriers in information sharing: Changing the discussion from legal risk to C-suite opportunity N2K; by Rick Howard; 9/16/24 In the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, sharing information among institutions is critical to bolster defenses against increasingly sophisticated threats. Cooperation between organizations can strengthen everyone’s defenses, but such an approach requires openness and transparency, something that many organizations have been reluctant to do. ... The C-suite – comprising top executives such as the CEO, CFO, CIO, CISO, and others – plays a critical role in shaping an organization's approach to cybersecurity. In the context of information sharing, the C-suite's role is pivotal in driving the cultural and operational changes necessary to transition from a risk-averse stance to one that recognizes the strategic value of collaboration and information exchange. One of the most successful initiatives that C-suite leaders can champion is participation in industry-specific Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs). ... [Following discussions include:] The business case for information sharing ... Enhanced risk management ... Cost savings and resource efficiency ... Compliance and legal benefits ... Innovation ... Professional Development ... Challenges to information sharing ... Legal and regulatory complexities ... Risk of exposure and misuse ... Trust issues among organizations ... Technical barriers ... Cultural and organizational obstacles ... Sharing information ... Categorize information by sensitivity ... Assess recipients ... Vet the data ... Monitoring and oversight ... Engaging in industry-wide collaboration ... Real world examples - Health-ISAC and the faulty CrowdStrike update ... The path forward ... [Click on the title's link for the full article and a whitepaper.]

Talk about death, but live your life: What people working in end-of-life care have learned Yahoo Life; by Elena Sheppard; 9/16/24 Eventually, we are all going to die. It’s a reality that most people are uncomfortable with and do everything they can to avoid thinking about. But for people who work in end-of-life care, such as hospice workers and death doulas, death is both a fact of the job and a part of their everyday reality. While the work may sound grim, those who do it say that their daily proximity to death doesn't cast a shadow over their lives; rather, it has enabled them to more purposefully celebrate life’s beauty. ... Yahoo Life spoke to hospice professionals to hear the life lessons they’ve learned by working so closely with death. Here’s what they said. ...

Home care, hospice firms selected among top workplaces in senior care servicesMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 9/13/24Fortune magazine’s best workplaces list for 2024 included 15 aging services providers specializing in home-based care and hospice... [Hospice providers included] Butte Home Health and Hospice [CA, #4], Avow Hospice [FL, #10], Haven Hospice [FL, #13], and Chapters Health System [FL, #15].

Bayada, HomeWell leaders share strategies for recognizing and retaining office staff Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 9/13/24 Office staff have the highest client satisfaction scores among home health care provider employees. They also have the lowest administrative salaries. These salaries can impact job satisfaction and cause employees to seek employment elsewhere, according to the 2024 Activated Insights Benchmarking Report. Some organizations are turning to recognition to combat this trend. “Employee recognition is no longer a ‘nice to do,’” Michelle Cone, senior vice president of training and brand programs at HomeWell Care Services, told Home Health Care News. “Recognizing employees should be considered table stakes in this post-pandemic landscape. With a focus on employee retention, engagement, and overall satisfaction and its direct correlation to top-quality care, recognition to support retention and drive satisfaction is vital.” ... [Jeff Knapp, Chief People Officer of Bayada told HHCN,] “For office staff, excellence awards are one favorite. Employees are nominated and selected yearly and celebrated at our annual gathering. Categories include clinical leadership, client services leadership and enterprise support. We also give years of service awards to recognize employee loyalty and commitment.”

Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care is primed for continued success 9/13/24; Business Wire - Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care; by Lisa Simon; 9/13/24 Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care, the leading end-of-life care company, is affirming its commitment to growing its four Ohio locations in Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, Cincinnati and Dayton along with two others, one outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one in Memphis, Tennessee. “We are committed to building our remaining locations and we have the depth of talent and proven standards for the highest quality care and the most time spent bedside, including attended deaths, compared with any other hospice. This is an opportunity for Crossroads to reach its highest potential.” That’s after selling five locations in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Georgia to Spartanburg, SC-headquartered Agape Care Group, a portfolio company of Ridgemont Equity Partners, earlier this week. Crossroads had been considering a strategic sale of some locations for a number of reasons. Now company leaders are viewing the future of the 29-year-old leader in hospice and palliative care with enthusiasm as they become a more streamlined company with a smaller geographic footprint. “The potential for innovation has never been higher,” said Crossroads CEO and Co-Founder Perry Farmer. “We are committed to building our remaining locations and we have the depth of talent and proven standards for the highest quality care and the most time spent bedside, including attended deaths, compared with any other hospice." ... COO and Co-Founder Clayton Farmer agreed while acknowledging how entrenched Crossroads is in the markets where it operates. “We want our valued referral partners in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee to know we are here to continue serving their patients and families and we will strive to continue to beat all national averages on key hospice industry metrics.” 

Hospices improving on public measures Home Health Line - decisionhealth; by DecisionHealth Staff; 9/12/24 Hospice providers are seeing continued improvement on key measures in the Hospice Item Set, according to the latest refresh of Care Compare data on Aug. 28, 2024. [Subscription required] Editor's note: Use this summary information to check your own CMS Hospice Compare Scores at Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You | Medicare. Select Provider Type "Hospice Care." Type your location or "Name of Agency" and "Search." Select your hospice. For the Hospice Item Set (HIS), scroll down to "Quality" - "Quality of patient care." For your CAHPS data, scroll down to "Family caregiver experience."

Mary Lanning hospice agency changes ownership Hastings Tribune, Hastings, NE; by John Huthmacher; 9/11/24 Sanford Health-Good Samaritan Society assumed control of its first hospice agency in Nebraska Sept. 5 after purchasing the agency from Mary Lanning Healthcare. Carrie Edwards, administrator of home- and community-based services, said all 12 of the hospice staff previously employed by the former MLH agency have been retained, including herself, three full-time nurses, two full-time aides, a full-time social worker, full-time business office coordinator, and four part-time or occasional employees. 

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.

Agnesian HealthCare Foundation 2024 Charity Open has successful year envision - Greater Fond du Lac, WI; by Agnesian HealthCare Foundation; 9/11/24 The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation recently hosted its 36th annual Charity Open, presented by the Michels Corporation, celebrating another successful year supporting local hospice and cancer patient care. Since 1989, the Charity Open has raised more than $7.6 million. Thanks to the generosity of those attending and sponsoring the event, the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation raised approximately $455,000. Proceeds from this year’s event are supporting SSM Health at Home Hospice and SSM Health Cancer Care services within the greater Fond du Lac area – helping ensure that all patients have access to these vital services regardless of their ability to pay. “Our hospice team supports our patient’s last days by offering comfort and dignity,” according to Kim Laws, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation director of development and interim leader. “Our goal is to provide this service regardless of the family’s ability to pay." 

The psychological impact of inclusive leadership Psychology Today; by Priya Nalkur Ed.D; 9/9/24 Here's how empathy can drive organizational success. Key Points: