Literature Review

Weekly US Map: Influenza summary updateCDC - U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; ongoing, retrieved from the internet 12/16/24A Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report Prepared by the Influenza Division Editor's note: Bookmark this page to your web browser to monitor flu activity in your service areas through these more vulnerable winter months. Click on the map's "State" button for macro data at the state level. Click on the map's "CBSA" to drill down to counties.

Palliative care may improve quality of life for stroke survivors and their family members American Heart Association - Stroke News & Brain Health; by Newsroom; 12/16/24 Palliative care ... can help improve quality of life for stroke survivors as well as their family members, according to “Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Stroke,” a new scientific statement published today in the Association’s peer-reviewed scientific journal Stroke. ... The new statement complements the Association’s 2014 Scientific Statement on Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Stroke, which covered core palliative care competencies and skills for health care professionals who treat stroke patients. The statement includes strategies to improve communication about prognosis and goals-of-care, address psychosocial needs such as coping with loss, navigate complex health care systems and prepare for death with end-of-life care when necessary. It also highlights the substantial inequities that exist in palliative care after stroke across sociodemographic and regional characteristics and the need to reduce those disparities.

'A blessing': Hospital beds find new homes in families who had been praying for them Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX; by Nicole Villalpando; 12/13/24 Ron McDaniel had been trying to find a place for the hospital bed both his dad, Robert, and brother, Gary, had used in the assisted living facility where they were before they died. His father was a Navy veteran who was burned over 30% of his body during World War II. His brother had severe brain damage from a car accident in 1976 and was a quadriplegic. The electronic hospital bed with the extra comfortable mattress and the trapeze bar needed a new home. Ron McDaniel wanted it to go to a veteran or a veteran's family because it originally came from the Veterans Affairs, but he tried organization after organization with no luck. Meanwhile, Sandra Daniels was in desperate need of a hospital bed for her mother, Bertha Woodward, 87, who has heart failure, problems with her kidneys and limited mobility caused in part by neuropathy in her feet. Daniels could not afford a hospital bed but had been trying organization after organization for a year and came up empty. She had recently called AGE of Central Texas to see if they might have a hospital bed. ...Editor's note: Organizations who helped include 26th Statesman Season for Caring, Austin Palliative Care, ATX Firefighter Moving, AGE of Central Texas.

Humana in the headlines: 10 updates Becker's Payer Issues; by Andrew Cass; 12/10/24 From Cigna quashing merger speculation to naming a new CFO, here are 10 updates on Humana that Becker's has reported since Oct. 30: 

Home health adds 16K jobs in November, leading healthcare workforce gains McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 12/6/24 The home health sector added 16,000 workers last month, making it one of the fastest-growing healthcare segments by hiring rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Employment Situation report. The monthly report measures employment gains and losses across all sectors of the economy. In healthcare, hospitals added the most jobs of any single category in November with 19,000. Home health, which falls under the ambulatory services category, followed with 16,000 new jobs. These employment gains compared with healthcare fields such as nursing and residential care facilities (11,900), outpatient care centers (9,500) and physicians’ offices (1,900). Home healthcare has been one of the fastest-growing healthcare workforces in recent months. The segment added 12,300 jobs in October, 13,000 in September and 5,500 in August.

A centenarian thrives living alone, active and engaged California Healthline - originally published by The Washington Post; by Judith Graham; 12/10/24 “The future is here,” the email announced. Hilda Jaffe, then 88, was letting her children know she planned to sell the family home in Verona, New Jersey. She’d decided to begin life anew — on her own — in a one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. Fourteen years later, Jaffe, now 102, still lives alone — just a few blocks away from the frenetic flashing lights and crowds that course through Times Square. ... She’s an extraordinary example of an older adult living by herself and thriving. ... I’ve spoken with dozens of seniors this past year for a series of columns on older Americans living alone. Many struggle with health issues. Many are isolated and vulnerable. But a noteworthy slice of this growing group of seniors maintain a high degree of well-being. What might account for this, particularly among people in the farthest reaches of old age? [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

HSPN Staffing Summit: Leveraging technology for person-centered care Hospice News; by Sophie Knoelke; 12/9/24 This article is sponsored by CareXM. This article is based on a virtual discussion with Kathleen Benton, President and CEO of Hospice Savannah. ... Dr. Benton has a master’s degree in medical ethics and a doctorate in public health. She has offered and reviewed many publications relevant to the topics of palliative care, ethics, hospice, and communication. [Dr. Benton:] I was schooled in clinical ethics and really mediating ethical dilemmas in health care. Looking at, is this in the best interest of the patient? Are we truly following the patient’s wishes? Many of the dilemmas, I would say a good 90%, occur at the end of life. ... [At] the root of [really trending] cases was one missing element. That element was the lacking area of communication. What do I mean by that? I believe that health care does the worst job of probably all other areas of communicating with folks. We have really taken what it is to be human out of what it is to treat a patient and a person. [Click on the title's link to continue reading this insightful discussion.]

What adult children should know when discussing their parents’ end-of-life care StudyFinds; by StudyFindsStaff, reviewed by Christ Melore; 12/8/24 Talking about death can be difficult for anyone at any time. For adult children who need to know their parents’ final wishes, it can be excruciating. A new survey is revealing the stark disconnect between our beliefs and actions when it comes to end-of-life planning. While an overwhelming 90% of adults recognize the importance of these critical conversations, half have yet to take the first step with their closest loved ones. ... The numbers tell a revealing story. Twenty-six percent of respondents simply keep putting off the conversation, while 23% admit they don’t know how to approach the topic. Sixteen percent are outright scared to broach the subject, creating a wall of silence around a universal human experience. ... When people do open up, the conversations prove surprisingly rich and multifaceted.

Resources are expanding for older adults on their own California Healthline; by Judith Graham; 12/9/24 Jeff Kromrey, 69, will sit down with his daughter the next time she visits and show her how to access his online accounts if he has an unexpected health crisis. Gayle Williams-Brett, 69, plans to tackle a project she’s been putting off for months: organizing all her financial information. ... Until a few years ago, few resources were available for this growing slice of the older population. Now, there are several Facebook groups for solo agers, as well as in-person groups springing up around the country, conferences and webinars, a national clearinghouse of resources, and an expanding array of books on the topic. [Click on the title's link to read more.]

How to support loved ones experiencing cognitive decline while securing their financial well-being Nasdaq, Peronsal Finance; by Deanna Ritchie; 12/6/24 Supporting a loved one with cognitive decline can be one of life’s most challenging challenges. Those with cognitive impairments, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, often need to be emotionally resilient and make practical adjustments. However, proactive financial planning to secure their well-being is frequently overlooked. The reason? The Wall Street Journal reported that those with undiagnosed memory loss are prone to significant financial declines. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that people without knowledge of their memory problems lost an average of $31,000 in net worth, while people with knowledge lost $5,400. Keeping this in mind, here’s a guide for providing compassionate care while protecting their savings and financial stability. [Click on the title's link for more.]

All-inclusive elder care for aging at home: This nursing home alternative is on the rise Caring.com; by Dom DiFurio; 11/25/2024 ... PACE centers, or Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. As of August 2024, 177 programs across 33 states and the District of Columbia are in operation, allowing aging people to stay within their home communities while still receiving the elevated care they would need as older adults living with disabilities or chronic illnesses. A PACE facility is a kind of "one-stop shop" that offers services like dental care, social services, occupational therapy, prescription medication, and nutritional counseling. ... Caring.com examined data maintained by the National PACE Association to see which states have the most programs available to serve their aging populations and how they can impact the quality of care for adults who want to live independently outside a clinical setting for as long as possible. ... Several states are also undergoing trials, expansion, or establishing new PACE programs for their aging residents. Minnesota and South Dakota are considering starting PACE programs. Nevada is in the process of establishing its own program after using COVID-19 funding to experiment with the system to address the health needs of people ages 55 and older who need nursing facility-level care but can still live safely in their communities. Georgia's governor also signed a bill into law earlier this year creating the state's first PACE.

Addus closes $350M Gentiva Personal Care deal Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/2/24 Addus HomeCare Corporation (Nasdaq: ADUS) has closed its $350 million acquisition of Gentiva’s personal care business. Gentiva’s personal care segment brings in annual revenues of close to $280.0 million. Post-transaction, Addus will continue with a leverage ratio of less than 3x, with the ability to further that amount with the influx of revenue resulting from this deal, Addus Chairman and CEO Dirk Allision said in a statement. ... Addus provides personal care, home health and hospice to more than 48,500 patients across 22 states. Its total revenue reached $289.8 million in the Q3 of 2024, a 7% year-over-year increase. Its personal care revenues reached $215.4 million that period.

Senior living organizations press senators for passage of Elizabeth Dole Act McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 12/2/24 Senior living advocacy groups are pressing Senate Veterans Affairs Committee leaders to seek a unanimous consent agreement on the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, to expedite its passage. ... The advocates noted that the House of Representatives had passed the act Nov. 18 under suspension of the rules. The House overwhelmingly supported the bill, passing the legislation by a vote of 389–9. ... As McKnight’s Senior Living previously has reported, the pilot program would enable 60 veterans to receive assisted living services via a three-year test that also would measure their satisfaction with the effort. The legislation would require that participating facilities be located in geographically diverse regions, with at least one test site serving veterans in a rural or highly rural area and at least one being a state home.