Literature Review

A Place for Mom’s refreshed marketing strategy focused on family stories, thought leadership Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/8/25 Upon the 25th anniversary of its founding, the senior services company A Place for Mom is undergoing a rebrand and redesigning its marketing strategy. The company’s name is not changing as part of the rebrand. Rather, A Place for Mom has a new logo and visual identity and has developed a data-driven, tech-enabled approach to marketing that leverages AI, social media and video content. This is coupled with efforts to further establish the company as a thought leader in the senior care space.

New tool predicts dementia years before onset Medscape; by Megan Brooks; 11/14/25 A new predictive tool combining amyloid PET data with key clinical factors estimates an individual’s lifetime risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia years before symptoms, potentially transforming the way risk is assessed. The model combines age, sex, APOE-ε4 status and findings on amyloid PET scans, with amyloid PET results having the largest effect on risk. The lifetime and 10-year absolute risk for MCI and dementia in older adults with normal cognition increased continuously with increasing centiloid value for all combinations of sex and APOE-ε4 status.

85-year-old woman in senior home brings down the house with Fleetwood Mac 'Landslide' cover: There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Upworthy; by Cecily Knobler; 11/16/25 On a hot Sunday in July, Carole Wade took the mic at a Dallas senior living facility where my mom lives. I happened to be visiting for the karaoke event, and the list of residents who couldn't wait to put their stamps on their favorite tunes was so long, the event had to be extended. ... When it was Wade's turn, the microphone was brought to her table. She took it in her hands as though it was an extension of her fingers as the music cued up. Then, as she began to effortlessly sing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, the room got still. Frozen. All eyes were on her, and most of those eyes were wet. The lyrics, so beautifully fitting:

When Medicare sent patients home sooner, Mary Naylor built the safety net Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Liz Seegert; 11/17/25 When Medicare’s diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment system took effect in October 1983, hospitals adapted quickly, discharging patients faster to manage fixed reimbursement rates. Heart failure patients who once stayed eight to 10 days were going home in three to four days. But LDI Senior Fellow Mary Naylor, then a fellow with what was then known as the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging and Finance, realized no one had thought about what happened after discharge. She saw how these shifts created new risks for older adults, as hospitals lacked the infrastructure to support care continuity. ...

Opportunities to improve end-of-life care in assisted living: Results from a national survey of administrators The Journal of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association; by Emmanuelle Belanger, PhD, Nicole Rosendaal, MSc, Michelle L. Rogers, PhD, Tamara A. Sequeira, RN, MSN, Kali S. Thomas, PhDe ∙ Joan M. Teno, MD, MS, Susan L. Hayes, MPAf, Xiao (Joyce) Wang, PhD, Pedro L. Gozalo, PhDa, David M. Dosa, MD, MPHh, Melissa A. Clark, PhD; 11/9/25 Among 4796 eligible assisted living communities invited, 2084 administrators completed the survey from all 48 targeted states, a response rate of 43.4%. ... This national study of administrators highlights important opportunities to improve end-of-life care both as part of assisted living care processes for dying residents and through collaboration with hospice. These novel survey measures will help determine how end-of-life care processes vary along state regulations and shape residents' outcomes.

Number of ‘solo-agers’ skyrockets, AARP survey finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 11/10/25The number of older adults living alone is rising quickly in the United States, but relatively few of these so-called “solo-agers” are confident in their ability to age safely on their own, according to a new survey by AARP.

Home health services drive elevated medical costs for UnitedHealth Group Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 10/28/25 Home health services are touted as cost-saving for payers, and industry stakeholders often advise providers to share data demonstrating these savings with payers and policymakers. The cost-saving nature of home health may not always be evident, however. UnitedHealth Group reported that home health services have contributed to elevated medical cost trends when discussing Medicaid margins on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

9 hospital, health system CEO exits in 7 days Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 10/30/25 Becker’s has reported on nine hospital and health system CEO exits, from retirements to resignations, since Oct. 23. Three leaders announced retirement plans, while three others are moving organizations. 

Life beyond the grave: These morticians are both conservation heroes and undertakers Sierra - The Magazine of the Sierra Club; by Marin Scotten; 10/31/25 ... Freddie Johnson could never see himself lying in a traditional cemetery. The idea of being buried with concrete, metal, and wood—materials that would stay in the ground forever—didn’t sit right with him. Cremation, the other conventional end-of-life option, also seemed jarring. ... Everything changed when he learned about natural or “green” burials while attending a community potluck more than 15 years ago. The relatively niche end-of-life movement uses entirely biodegradable products in the burial process and aims to connect human death to the natural world by restoring and protecting nature.

Here is what no one tells you about watching your wonderful dad slowly slipping away in front of you HuffPost Personal; by Jill Bodach; 10/25/25 ... When I get the call at 2:30 a.m. from my dad’s nursing home, dread slaps me awake, and I answer in an almost whisper. They say, “Your father is having trouble breathing. We’ve sent him to Bridgeport Hospital.” ... In the emergency department, I am led into a waiting room. ... He is transferred to the ICU, and again I am told to wait. ... When I am finally allowed to see him, family members in other rooms look up when I walk by. Some smile and nod. A knowing. I smile back. We’re all in this together in some weird way the universe has planned. ...

Why the infusion market is shifting to at-home care Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 10/21/25Key Takeaways

HCA rebrands 35-plus sites in South Carolina Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 10/16/25 Over 35 sites of care in South Carolina have rebranded under the HCA Healthcare name. The Nashville, Tenn.-based health system said the new names will make it easier for patients to understand that the facilities, which have been part of HCA for decades, are connected. “By consolidating under the HCA Healthcare name, we’re reinforcing our collective commitment to the communities we serve,” said Hugh Tappan, president of HCA Healthcare’s Charleston, S.C.-based South Atlantic Division, in an Oct. 14 news release. ... The new hospital names include: ...

North Carolina hospitals wipe out $6.5B in medical debt Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 10/13/25 North Carolina’s medical debt relief program has surpassed its initial financial projections, relieving more than $6.5 billion in medical debt from 2.5 million residents over the past year. ... The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services partnered with Undue Medical Debt — formerly RIP Medical Debt — to support participating hospitals and help them identify medical debt that is eligible for relief. Hospitals are continuing to work with Undue Medical Debt to facilitate full implementation of relief over the next year.