Literature Review

Lifespark’s COMPLETE Senior Living Model sets new standard for senior living innovation Business Wire, Minneapolis, MN; Press Release; 1/27/26 Lifespark, a complete senior health company managing more than 50 senior living communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, has unveiled its COMPLETE Senior Living (CSL) model with plans for significant growth in 2026. The CSL model integrates four key components: Lifespark Senior Living Management, SPARK Growth and Wellness led by Dr. Bill Thomas, Lifespark Medical Group, and Lifespark Hospice.

Grant will support memory care training North Central News; by Staff; 1/22/26 In late 2025, Molina Healthcare of Arizona granted $10,000 to Hospice of the Valley to support its Memory Care Training program. The grant will help Hospice of the Valley continue its program to train more than 4,000 memory care staff throughout the state – teaching effective communication techniques and strategies for managing challenging behaviors in people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The Memory Care Training program is offered at no charge to the community and shares best practices in dementia care through engaging role-playing videos that depict real-life challenges.

The malady of delayed palliative care McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Avi Steinberg; 1/21/26 This article asserts that while nursing homes face increasing pressure to deliver value-based, goal-concordant care, palliative care—one of the most effective tools to achieve these aims—remains underused and introduced far too late. The problem is not a lack of evidence, but systemic barriers: delayed identification, misaligned payment models, and workforce shortages. Earlier integration of palliative care can reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, lower costs, and improve resident and family experience. Treating palliative care as a standard of care rather than a last resort is an operational necessity for long-term care.

Tuesday Health and Buckeye Health Plan partner to bring palliative care for Ohioans with serious  illness PR Newswire, Columbus, OH; by Tuesday Health; 1/20/26 Tuesday Health and Buckeye Health Plan, a company of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), today announced a new partnership to bring expanded palliative care to Ohioans living with serious illness. The program, launched on January 1, 2026, is designed to help members and their caregivers manage complex health needs, reduce avoidable hospital visits, and receive compassionate care in person and virtually. Through this collaboration, eligible Buckeye members will gain access to Tuesday Health's interdisciplinary care team, including nurses, social workers, nurse practitioners and physicians. 

Racial and ethnic differences in early DNAR orders after in-hospital cardiac arrest Physician's Weekly; by Shanel Diviney-Brown; 1/16/26 In a comprehensive national cohort study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers examined how race and ethnicity relate to the timing of Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders among adults experiencing in-hospital cardiac arrest. The findings highlight emerging inequities in end-of-life decision patterns that may inform clinical practice and shared decision-making in critical care settings.

All hands on deck: A case report of an interdisciplinary team preventing elder financial abuse at a skilled nursing facilityCureus; by Grace Yi, Nicholas S. Cho, Karen Galvez-Maquindang, Christine Sun, Navid Darouian; 12/25Elder financial abuse (EFA) is a common but under-reported form of maltreatment among elderly individuals. This case describes an 84-year-old woman with cognitive deficits residing in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), who was exploited by a purported friend who took funds, important documents, and attempted to designate herself as the patient’s power of attorney. The situation was quickly identified by the multidisciplinary care team at the SNF and mitigated through early action and collaboration. The case emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary efforts to identify at-risk patients and the establishment of protocols surrounding abuse identification and reporting to protect elderly patients from financialexploitation and preserve their autonomy, dignity, and quality of life.

Governor Hochul unveils proposals to increase support and resources for New York’s older adults 2026 State of the State - Health, Albany, NY; Press Release; 1/13/26 Governor Kathy Hochul today proposed a series of initiatives to support older New Yorkers as part of her 2026 State of the State. The Governor’s investments will help older New Yorkers, caretakers, and communities by connecting them to key resources so seniors can age in place, at home, in the communities they know and love.

Rethinking home care: New models to sustain aging in place Governing; by Paula Span; 1/9/26 Worker-owned cooperatives and direct-connect registries are reducing turnover and reshaping how older adults get care at home. ... One innovation, still small but expanding: home care cooperatives owned by the workers themselves. The first and largest, Cooperative Home Care Associates in the Bronx borough of New York City, began in 1985 and now employs about 1,600 home care aides. The ICA Group now counts 26 such worker-owned home care businesses nationwide.

Senior living executive forecast 2026: ‘Step up or get stepped on’ Senior Housing News; by Austin Montgomery; 1/7/26 ... Today, senior living providers are focused on precision in operations, able to define value to customers, maintain attractive price points and manage rates that can strategically improve margin while not forcing out residents. ... Today, senior living providers are focused on precision in operations, able to define value to customers, maintain attractive price points and manage rates that can strategically improve margin while not forcing out residents.

Community-dwelling older adults with dementia more likely to be bedbound in final year of life McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 1/2/26 Community-dwelling older adults with dementia were nearly five times more likely to be bedbound in the last year of their lives compared with those without dementia, according to a December study published in JAMA Network Open. ... “Our findings reflect the need for in-home support to older adults who are bedbound,” authors said. 

Fairhaven, Rainbow partner on hospice suites Daily Jefferson County Union, Whitewater, WI; by Daily Union Staff; 12/11/25 Fairhaven Senior Services in Whitewater and Rainbow Community Care in Jefferson have announced a partnership to serve families whose loved ones are in end of life care. The nonprofit organizations are collaborating to open two dedicated hospice suites on the Fairhaven campus, as a “sacred space” where local residents and their families can find peace and comfort, a release said. The partnership was born not only out of necessity, “but from a long-standing mutual respect and shared belief that compassionate care should be available close to home,” the release continued.

Diversified Healthcare Trust completes transition of all 116 Five Star-branded AlerisLife communities to new operators McKnights Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 1/5/26 Diversified Healthcare Trust has transitioned all 116 Five-Star Senior Living-branded communities in its senior living operating portfolio communities to new seven different third-party operators, the Newton, MA-based real estate investment trust announced Monday morning. The actions, as expected, were completed by Dec. 31, according to the company.

ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) Model U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) The ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) Model tests an outcome-aligned payment approach in Original Medicare to expand access to new technology-supported care options that help people improve their health and prevent and manage chronic disease. The voluntary model focuses on conditions affecting more than two-thirds of people with Medicare, including high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and depression. It will run for 10 years beginning July 5, 2026.