Literature Review

Why hospice utilization rates have fallenHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/25/24National hospice utilization rates have fallen since 2020, though the total number of patients served remains consistent. ... Mathematically, the percentage declined in part because of continually changing demographics.Publisher's note: This article quotes a decline in Medicare hospice utilization rates through 2021, which is true. However, we are seeing a rebound / increase in 2022 and 2023 information.

Health system execs revitalize the nursing workforce 

Tournament raises over $10k for hospiceAlbert Lea Tribune; 1/24/24The 21st annual Mayo Hospice Tournament took place Dec. 8-10 at the Albert Lea Moose Lodge, ... [raising] $10, 762. ... The tournament has now raised over $115,000.

Hospice providers must be better regulatedScientific American, 2/1/24 (also ran last week)Too many hospice providers in the U.S. are run by private equity and for-profit corporations. A lack of regulation allows them to provide abysmal end-of-life care.

A guide to paying for hospice care at homeMediaFeed.org, by Claire Samuels; 1/23/24 According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which sets benchmarks for hospice care costs based on the payments they make to providers, here’s what two types of in-home hospice care will cost in 2024’s fiscal year ... [Additional descriptions include insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA health care, private health insurance.]

Race, ethnicity, and cancer type influence which patients access hospice careOncology Nurse Advisor, by Jennifer Larson; 1/19/24... [A] researcher from a comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina conducted a clinical literature review to investigate research outcomes of hospice use in the United States. ... A total of 17 quantitative studies, published between 2017 and 2023, was included in this review. Notable differences by cancer type were found. ... The analysis also showed disparities in hospice use by race and ethnicity.

How Medicare Advantage, labor, AI will shape home-based care in 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/18/24Home Health Care News recently spoke with 15 home-based care leaders for our annual “Executive Forecast” articles, which we published at the end of last year. Those executives’ responses covered a wide range of topics, and were surprisingly and refreshingly diverse. But, in the end, a few themes emerged.

'Snow was up to my knees': Iowa hospice nurse walks through blizzard to reach patientKETV (NE), by Maddie Augustine; 1/20/24Iowa — Communities across Nebraska and Iowa have felt the impact of recent snowfall and below-zero temperatures, but that weather didn't stop one Iowa hospice nurse. Tiffany McArdle, hospice nurse for St. Croix Hospice, told KETV that in her seven years of working as a hospice nurse, she never imagined she would be walking through a blizzard to reach a patient, but she said she never doubted she would find a way to make it to the family in need on Sunday.

Grief care’s 2024 outlook in hospiceHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/11/24Finding the right balance of support and career development for bereavement care professionals is key to recruitment and retention as hospices combat labor strains. ... The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospices to offer bereavement care for a minimum of 13 months following a patient’s death. Many providers extend this care to communities across their service regions, regardless of whether the deceased was a patient.

Social determinants of health play 'an important role' in end-of-life pain strategiesHealio, by Jennifer Byrne and Timothy M. Pawlik; 1/16/24Patients with gastrointestinal cancers face ongoing racial/ethnicity-based disparities in end-of-life pain management, specifically in terms of access to and utilization of opioids, study results showed.

Local non-profit organizations receive over $424,000 in grant funding from Dignity HealthKEYT3, by Dave Alley; 1/16/24Dignity Health Central Coast handed out $424,496 in grant funding to nine community non-profit partnerships in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. ... Grief Awareness Treatment and Education Project (GRATE): The Community Counseling Center, Hospice of SLO County, and the Alzheimer’s Association of the Central Coast are partnering to address grief related behavioral health needs in our community (GRATE: Grief Awareness Treatment Education.) 

Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce to celebrate regional business excellenceSanta Barbara Independent; 1/11/24Community Business of the Year – VNA Health. As the only certified nonprofit home healthcare and hospice agency in the region, VNA Health has been caring for the Santa Barbara community with a deep sense of dedication and excellence. Their services, ranging from skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapies to hospice and palliative care, have been pivotal in enhancing the quality of life for countless individuals and families.

Walla Walla Valley uncorks history, hosts first Hospice du Rhône eventUnion-Bulletin, by Hannah McIntyre; 1/13/24Walla Walla Valley, home to 135 wineries, will host the Hospice du Rhône for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. Starting Wednesday, April 24, and running through Saturday, April 27, is a celebration of the Valley's Rhône-style grape varietals that thrive both in the soil of the Rocks District and the Walla Walla Valley AVA.