Literature Review

Getting muddy for Center for Hospice Care LaporteCounty.life; by Center for Hospice Care, Valpraiso, IN; 6/24/24The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend the South Bend Sod Busters hosted their annual mud bog. For years a portion of the proceeds from this event have benefitted Center for Hospice Care. One of the first times Red Fisher attended the event as the events manager for Hospice Foundation, he told the organizers, "When you go over $100,000 total for this event, I will go down the bog in a white tuxedo!" A couple of years ago, they surpassed that mark – and this year Red kept his word. Thanks to our friends at Louie's Tux Shop, Red got into one of the vehicles and went down the bog – not once, but twice – while wearing a stylish white tux!Editor's Note: Calling all leaders, what fun, fundraising challenge might you offer?

Jimmy Carter’s long stay in hospice dispels myths about end-of-life care Miami Herald; by Brian Dunleavy; 6/24/24 Former President Jimmy Carter's being in hospice for 16 months makes him an "outlier," but it also highlights the multifaceted nature of end-of-life care and dispels myths about that care, experts told UPI. ... [Dr. Joan Teno, a former hospice provider and an expert in geriatric care said,] "President Carter is an outlier in that only a small percentage of hospice patients survive more than 15 months," she told UPI in an email. "The fact that he has lived so long on hospice is testament to his excellent medical care at home and, if I had to guess, his will to live." It also illustrates the core focus of hospice, which is typically geared toward people with an anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less, for whom curing their underlying illness isn't an option, Teno added. Defying the odds: More than 90% of patients who enter hospice care die within the first six months, and nearly 40% die within the first week, according to the National Institutes of Health.Editor's Note: Too many hospice organizations and news outlets have used former President Jimmy Carter's longer-than-normal hospice stay to discount and ignore core "hospice" care. Rarely--if ever--have any of these news article been transparent to mention the CMS Hospice Face-to-Face Encounter Requirement. This article is more transparent by describing his hospice stay of 16 months as being as "outlier." Still, its headline can be misleading with its phrase "... dispels myths about end-of-life care."

Research uncovers racial disparities in hospice discharge outcomesMcKnight's Clinical Daily News; by Kristen Fischer; 6/20/24When Black patients leave hospice care alive, they have a higher risk for being admitted to a hospital, according to a study published on May 16 in JAMA Network Open. About 15% of patients who enter hospice actually wind up being discharged from it before they die. That can happen for various reasons such as unplanned hospitalization, getting other treatment for a terminal condition, transferring to another hospice service, or if their condition improves. The transition to hospice can be hard, but moving to a different care setting can be challenging as well.

Anatomy of hospice grief camps for children Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/20/24 Training staff and volunteers to provide developmentally-appropriate grief support is among the key parts of operating summer camp programs for children and adolescents suffering a recent loss. Whether rolling out summer grief camps for the first time or innovating these programs throughout the course of several decades, hospices need a firm grasp around the different emotional and cognitive needs of pediatric populations coping with the death of a loved one, according to Alissa Drescher, senior director of mission-based services at Alive Hospice. With a greater understanding of how children process death, hospices can ensure staff and volunteers are well-equipped to support their evolving needs as they grow, Drescher said. [Click on the title's link to continue reading, particularly "Common threads among children's grief programs."]

The 9 biggest challenges physicians face in daily practice: Survey Becker's Hospital Review; by Ashleigh Hollowell; 6/20/24 ... The following challenges are the ones physicians most often ranked as very or somewhat significant as they relate to their day-to-day work:

Tapestry Hospice settles healthcare kickback claims for $1.4 million United States Attorney's Office - Northern District of Georgia; Press Release; 6/20/24 Tapestry Hospice of Northwest Georgia, LLC, and its owners and managers, David Lovell, MD, Stephanie Harbour, Ben Harbour, and Andrew Nall (collectively “Tapestry”), agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by entering into kickback arrangements with medical directors in exchange for referrals of hospice patients to Tapestry. “By entering into kickback arrangements, health care providers can cause doctors to make medical decisions that are motivated by financial gain, rather than the patient’s best interest,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to ensuring the accountability of health care providers who put their own financial needs ahead of their patients.” “The False Claims Act settlement in this case will hopefully be a deterrent to those who selfishly evade our federal healthcare programs for their own benefit,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The message is clear, the FBI will not tolerate companies operating corporate-wide schemes to illegally line their pockets.” 

92-year-old Victoria woman under hospice care throws first pitch at Generals game Victoria Advocate; by Advocate Staff; 6/22/24A 92-year-old Victoria woman and hospice patient was thrilled to throw the first pitch at a recent Generals game. Virginia Hirsch threw the pitch at the June 15 game at Riverside Stadium after she was nominated by Hospice of South Texas, where she is a patient. Virginia was so excited to be nominated,” the woman’s daughter Teresa Diefenbach said. “She said she felt like a celebrity. She also said that this was one of the greatest nights she has had in a long time.” She is currently under outpatient hospice care due to having a brain tumor and lymphoma. At the June 15 game, Hirsch was accompanied by her children, grandchildren, relatives and many friends, including her hospice family, who all cheering her on.

Circle of Life Hospice opens guest house ABC KOLO 8 NewsNow, Reno, Nevada; by Emily Benito; 6/19/24The Circle of Life Hospice Foundation has just opened their first hospice care guest house for those that cannot afford room or board or end of life care. President of The Circle of Life Hospice Foundation Michelle Cagle says that if they had 10 to 15 beds in the house, they could help around 271 patients a year. The guest house currently has three beds for patients but with more land to build on, there are plans to build a second guest house on the property. “Whether they are homeless or just elderly or their wife can’t take care of them or they’re just not able to afford it or they don’t have any family or children, that’s what we do and opened this house to care for those people.” 

How Coastal Hospice improved clinical outcomes with AIHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 3/6/24Coastal Hospice & Palliative Care recently began exploring ways to improve clinical outcomes during the last days of life, an important quality measure in end-of-life care. The organization has found success utilizing an AI program that analyzes patient data using a palliative performance scale (PPS) indicator, according to Monica Escalante, president and CEO at Coastal Hospice. This window into a patient’s conditions has helped hospice teams better assess approaches to care delivery, Escalante said.Publisher's Note: I recently came across this article from a couple months ago and wanted to share it. An interesting article with impressive outcomes, I've also had positive experience with the PPS. Is your hospice using it?

Man living with ALS for the last 24 years knocks off an item on his bucket list: Skydiving CBS KCTV 5, Waldron, Missouri; by Joe Hennessy; 6/14/24 One of the longest-living people with ALS, 66-year-old Mark Johnson, achieved his dream of skydiving ... His passion for the skies started at a young age with his dad being an airline pilot. ... “I used to fly airplanes when I was a kid, I always wanted to jump out of one,” he said. “Being up there, being able to see everything. All of God’s creation out there.” Johnson is one of the longest survivors of ALS, living with the disease now for almost 25 years, getting assistance from the team at Shirkey Hospice in Richmond, Missouri. He’s traveled to Washington D.C. to raise awareness and pass bills to help those impacted too. ...  How did we get here ...? He was asked by the hospice care workers a while back what is one thing he wants to do and he said skydiving so they managed to find a place that would allow for that dream to come true. 

HHS to end Medicare pay program after Change Healthcare breach Bloomberg Law; by Tony Pugh; 6/17/24The Biden administration announced plans Monday to terminate a program that provided more than $3.2 billion in accelerated and advance Medicare payments to hospitals, physicians, and others suffering cash flow disruptions following the Change Healthcare cyberattack in February. Medicare payments under the Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) Program for the Change Healthcare/Optum Payment Disruption (CHOPD) will end on July 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.

Mt. Hood Hospice honors women veterans with event NewsBreak; by Brit Allen; 6/15/24 On Wednesday, June 12, Jolie Phanton, community outreach director for the organization took Mt. Hood’s veterans services a step further with a National Women Veterans Recognition Day celebration at Clackamas County Bank. The event featured a presentation on the history of women’s involvement in American-involved conflicts, as far back as the Revolutionary War up to current day. She spoke about how women have for a long time served as nurses, supply distributers, informants, and before they were allowed to fight alongside men, some disguised themselves as men and risked their lives on the battlefield. Women have also played many other roles in the military over the past 200 years. [Click on the title's link to read more.]Editor's Note: While we have highlighted various hospice veterans' stories, this brings fresh insights, information, and ideas. Thank you, Mt. Hood Hospice!