Literature Review

Why more seniors are going broke in the last 5 years of life SavingAdvice.com; by Riley Jones; 7/27/25 ... According to recent data, more seniors than ever are entering the last five years of life with little to no savings, and some are accumulating serious debt. Despite years of work, careful budgeting, and modest living, the final chapter of life is becoming one of the most financially devastating. ...

Post-acute care faces labor shortage amid immigration scrutiny Modern Healthcare, Post-Acute Care; by Diane Eastabrook; 7/23/25 Nursing homes and home care operators are scrambling to find replacements for foreign-born workers no longer eligible to work in the U.S. due to changes in immigration policy. Providers in Boston, Atlanta and other cities with large populations of immigrants, and Haitians in particular, say the loss of foreign-born workers in an already tight job market is making it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for care — and will likely drive up care costs. Last month the Homeland Security Department began notifying more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans that it terminated a Biden-era program that allowed them to live and work in the U.S. It said those who have not attained legal status to remain in the U.S. outside of the program must leave immediately. Despite court challenges, the federal government also aims to end another program in early September that grants temporary protected status to Haitians and Venezuelans who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade. [Full access might require subscription.]

9 dead, dozens hurt in fire at assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts: Officials ABC News; by Kevin Shalvey and Emily Shapiro; 7/14/25 Nine people have been killed and dozens are hurt after a five-alarm fire tore through an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, officials said. Firefighters, police and other responders descended on the scene of the Sunday night fire at the Gabriel House assisted-living facility, where they found multiple people "hanging out of the windows, screaming and begging to be rescued," Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said. The front of the building was covered in heavy smoke and flames, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said. "This was not a situation where teams arrived and people were able to get out easily -- all of these people needed assistance," Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said. "Many were in wheelchairs, many were immobile, many had oxygen tanks." About 12 "non-ambulatory residents were physically carried out by our officers," according to Fall River police. 

St. Joseph’s Center of Trumbull to permanently close Aug. 9 Westfair Business Journal, Trumbaull, CT; by Gary Larkin; 6/30/25The Town of Trumbull and the state Department of Labor (DOL) have reported they are trying to help the 179 employees laid off by St. Joseph’s Center after its parent company [Genesis Healthcare] announced it was closing the nursing home on Aug. 9. ... St. Joseph’s Center has been serving Trumbull for more than 50 years with an array of services such as: independent living, short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and hospice services. 

Short notice, long love: A hospice wedding full of heart Citrus County Chronicle, Inverness, FL; by Mike Arnold; 6/16/25 Brendan Malone and Vanessa Rodriguez made a snap decision that would change their lives – and touch the hearts of everyone around them. The couple were driving up from Estero in the early afternoon of June 5 to visit Malone’s father, Michael “Big Mike” Malone, who had recently moved into Citrus Health and Rehab in Inverness and was also receiving care from Vitas Hospice. [Already engaged,] ... they made the decision to get married the next morning, at Citrus Health and Rehab. There were no tuxedo fittings, no cake tastings, no invitations sent. There was no time. There were flowers, guests, toasts, bubbles – and love. And “Big Mike” had a front row seat. Brendan Malone didn’t want to get married without the man who had been his biggest supporter by his side. ... What followed was a whirlwind of compassion, planning, and action from the staff at the nursing facility and the local hospice team. Within hours, they coordinated decorations, arranged courtyard seating, and made sure Michael could be present in his wheelchair for the ceremony.

‘It’s going to be the expectation’: Alternative care models reshape home-based care Home Health Care News - Hospital at Home; by Joyce Famakinwa; 6/10/25 At-home care providers are looking to the future. This means seriously investing in alternative home-based care models, such as hospital-at-home and Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). DispatchHealth, Contessa Health and Alivia Care are some of the organizations that have jumped headfirst into alternative home-based care models, enabling the creation of more comprehensive care delivery models. While alternative care models come with inherent challenges, including a complex regulatory environment and higher capital investments, these models are set to become an expectation for home-based care providers.

10 Signs death is near for dementia patients The Healthy; by Dr. Patricia Varacollo, DO; 6/2/25 For families and caregivers, recognizing the final stages of dementia can be difficult, but understanding the signs can help ensure comfort and dignity in a loved one's last days. Dr. Koncilja highlights these key indicators that may suggest the end of life is near:

Assisted living facility where woman was fatally beaten operated out of 'pure greed:' Suit Delaware New Journal; by Isabel Hughes; 5/20/25 The family of an 83-year-old woman who was fatally beaten by another resident at The Summit assisted living in North Star has accused the facility and its parent company of "pure greed," claiming in a recently filed lawsuit that the previously violent assailant was not removed from the facility because he brought in nearly $400,000 for the company. The family of Shyuan Hsia who was attacked and left to suffer in her room for hours on the night of Aug. 5, 2024 filed the 84-page suit in New Castle County Superior Court in late April. ... Discovery Senior Living, the lawsuit says, "recklessly failed to remove" him, "because if they did so, they stood to lose approximately $370,000 in revenue." That number was derived from:

You might live to be 100. Are you ready? The Guardian; by Andrew J. Scott; 5/15/25 Ethel Caterham, at the age of 115 years, is said to be the oldest person alive. She offers the sage life advice to “say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Have a positive mental attitude and have everything in moderation.” When she was born in 1909, the average life expectancy of a British female was 52 years – becoming a centenarian was a remote prospect. ... Today, according to the United Nations, centenarians are the fastest growing age group. By 1950, there were an estimated 14,000 whilst today there are nearly 750,000, projected to reach nearly 4 million by 2054. ...  Today, there is too large a gap between average lifespan and healthspan. The number of years we are likely to live has increased more than the number of years we are likely to remain healthy. Reducing this gap is critical for seizing the advantages of longer lives.

A dozen seniors at risk of being evicted from assisted living facilities in Stanislaus County NBC KCRA-3, Newman, CA; by Andres Valle; 5/15/25 The closure of two senior residential care facilities in Stanislaus County has left over a dozen older residents, including hospice patients, scrambling to find new homes with just days' notice. This decision comes after the passing of Kelsy Ramos, the licensee of Golden Age Living facilities in Turlock and Newman. Ramos, a Turlock native reported missing earlier this month, was found dead last Monday in Selma. The California Department of Social Services ordered the closure with no licensed manager in place, citing the absence of regulatory oversight. 

Roughly 40 percent of nurses plan to leave profession within 5 years, survey finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/13/25 The nursing workforce today is more stable than it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a significant share of nurses still plan to leave the profession behind in the next five years, according to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation. ... Approximately 40% of RNs, LPNs and LVNs surveyed said that they planned to leave nursing sometime in the next five years. In 2022, roughly 26% of nurses said the same. The most common reasons nurses cited for wanting to leave their jobs included retirement, stress or burnout, workloads and pressures caused by understaffing, the report noted.

How a Butler University and Community Health Network partnership helped save 420 lives and $4.3 million Butler Stories, Indianapolis, IN; by Katie Palmer Wharton; 4/30/25 For healthcare professionals, data is more than just numbers—it is the foundation of better patient care, smarter decisions, and more efficient hospitals. But for many, data can feel overwhelming and difficult to use effectively. That’s why Butler University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education teamed up with Community Health Network to create a hands-on professional development course that demystifies data and equips healthcare workers with practical analytics skills. Since launching in spring 2022, the program has empowered 185 Community Health Network professionals to break down data barriers, make informed decisions, and drive meaningful change in their organization. ... Armed with new data skills, Community Health Network employees built a dashboard to streamline the process. The results were nothing short of remarkable:

Understanding Conservatory Care Services: A comprehensive overview Articlescad.com; by Jonassen Randall; 4/27/25 As the population ages and healthcare requires evolve, conservatory care services have become a crucial part of the continuum of care for numerous individuals. Unlike standard medical treatment environments, conservatory care services focus on supporting people with persistent conditions or impairments, providing a holistic technique that promotes self-respect and quality of life. This short article will explore what conservatory care services entail, who can benefit from these services, and the various kinds they can take.