Literature Review

Grief care efforts should include settings outside of hospice, provider group say McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 7/3/24 If standards are developed for high-quality bereavement and grief care, they must apply to settings outside of traditional hospice care, such as affordable senior housing, where there is a “critical lack” of mental health services. That’s according to LeadingAge, which submitted comments last week to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on a draft report from a research project that will inform an independent panel that will develop standards for high-quality bereavement and grief care. Katy Barnett, LeadingAge director of home care and hospice operations and policy, highlighted the need for cross-continuum grief and bereavement assessments, interventions and resources, including in settings outside of traditional hospice care, such as affordable senior housing.

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly will begin in July at Jordan Valley Community Health Center KSMU Ozarks Public Radio; by Michele Skalicky; 6/24/24 A new program at Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Springfield will allow those 55 and older to age in their own homes. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly is the first PACE program in southwest Missouri. "We'll do home assessments to make improvements that will allow them to live in their homes safely so we don't have potentials for trips and falls or if somebody has a need to have a built, we'll take care of all of that through our home assessment and allow them to have the safest possible home," said Ryan Kruger, vice-president of operations for PACE and pharmacy at the health center. The PACE model uses an interdisciplinary team of professionals that provide coordinated care. PACE care includes medical and personal care, rehabilitation, social interaction, medications, transportation and more.

Hospice of Marion County trains first responders to care for dementia patients Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/18/24 Florida-based Hospice of Marion County, an affiliate of Empath Health, is training first responders in its community on how to treat dementia patients. For several years, the nonprofit hospice has been educating family caregivers and others in their community about the experiences of dementia patients and how to better interact with them. More recently, Hospice of Marion County [Ocala, Florida] has been expanding that training to include local law enforcement and fire departments, as well as medical students and staff at assisted living facilities, among others. The training uses a series of tools to simulate symptoms of dementia, related to visual, tactile, auditory senses, their ability to process information and perform certain tasks. The education helps first responders address the unique challenges associated with caring for dementia patients, according to Dr. Mery Lossada, chief medical officer of Hospice of Marion County.Editor's Note: Bravo, Hospice of Marion County!

Palliative care considerations in frail older adults Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Andrew E Russell, Rachel Denny, Pearl G Lee, Marcos L Montagnini; 6/6/24, online ahead of print...This paper aims to guide clinicians in providing patientcentered care for older adults with frailty in the outpatient setting. Through a comprehensive literature review, we describe the leading models of frailty, frailty screening tools used in the clinical setting, and the assessment and management of palliative care needs in frail patients. We also describe emerging models of care focusing on palliative care for older adults with frailty and discuss issues related to access to palliative care for this population.

Governor on hand for PACE openingNews-ExpressKy, Pikeville, KY; by Terry L. May; 6/7/24Mountain View PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) was created to help adults 55 years old and older with complex care needs to avoid nursing homes and to receive care and services necessary to help them be safe, comfortable, and healthy while maintaining a more independent lifestyle, Mountain View PACE Medical Director Dr. James Rummel Jr. said. ... “For those of us who have aging parents, we see this cycle of people who are having a hard time living well at home so they tend to do this circle of home to the ER to the hospital to the nursing home for rehab then back home and it keeps repeating.” ... “We are not trying to replace anybody,” Rummel said. “We are trying to augment the system to fill the gaps. We are a niche type of healthcare system.” ... “What a great day in Pikeville and Pike County,” Governor Beshear said. “How we treat our seniors says something about us and our values as a people." 

Tuesday Health launches revolutionary Supportive Care solution with $60 million of strategic investment from healthcare leadersInvestors Observier; by PR Newswire; 5/21/24Tuesday Health, a pioneer in value-based care dedicated to transforming serious illness, has launched its innovative supportive care solution in partnership with Valtruis, Blue Venture Fund, Mass General Brigham Ventures , and CareSource. This alliance brings a $60 million strategic investment to Tuesday Health, fueling its mission to redefine supportive care for patients and caregivers facing serious illnesses. "Leveraging clinical expertise, advanced data solutions, and cutting-edge technology, while partnering with Ohio's largest Medicaid plan, its largest hospice provider and the unmatched palliative care experience of Mass General, Tuesday Health is dedicated to tackling one of healthcare's biggest challenges-providing support and care in the right setting, at the right time, for those facing serious illness", said Jim Wieland, CEO of Tuesday Health.Editor's Note: What is the difference between supportive care and palliative care? Click here for a description from ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 

Breaking down walls: The other care models marking their territory in home-based careHome Health News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 5/17/24Traditional home-based care companies aren’t the only ones serving seniors, while helping shift care away from brick-and-mortar settings. Adult day, PACE and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) without walls are a few of the care models working to meet the needs of seniors that want to age in place. In many ways, these care models are natural allies to home-based care providers.

PACE program officially launches in Greater Peoria area OSF HelathCare, Peoria, IL; by Nathan Pritzker; 5/14/24 It’s a new and exciting day for older adults receiving health care services in the Greater Peoria area. After months of preparation, the state of Illinois and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have awarded OSF HealthCare a contract to be one of the first in the state to offer Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Enrollment for the program, known as OSF PACE, is currently underway with services officially beginning June 1.“OSF PACE will really help the people in the Tri-County area stay in their home and community,” says Nathan Pritzker, executive director of OSF PACE.

[Honoring Nurses Week] Too many nurses are being assaulted. Some say they are being blamed for the attacks. Chief Healthcare Executive; by Ron Southwick; 5/9/24 With disturbing regularity, nurses in hospitals and other healthcare settings are being physically assaulted and verbally harassed. More than half of emergency nurses say they’ve been assaulted or threatened within the past 30 days, according to the Emergency Nurses Association. In a separate study, researchers found that healthcare workers faced at least one violent or aggressive incident for every 40 hours worked, according to findings published by The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. With the observance of National Nursing Week, the increased violence in healthcare can’t be ignored. Nursing leaders say the regular exposure to violence or threatening behavior is one factor adding to stress and burnout of nurses and, in some cases, spurring them to seek new jobs.

Fallon Health plans to expand inclusive care program into Southeastern Massachusetts SouthCoast Today, The Standard-Times; by Kathryn Gallerani; 5/3/24 Fallon Health, a not-for-profit healthcare services organization based in Worcester with more than 45 years of experience providing care, has plans to open a new Summit ElderCare PACE Center in Dartmouth by the end of this year. PACE, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, provides services to adults 55 and older, including adults with complex medical needs, so they can age with dignity in their home or community. It's the biggest PACE program in Massachusetts. ... The other Massachusetts Fallon PACE locations are in Webster, Lowell, Leominster and Springfield. Fallon also has a PACE in western New York.

InnovAge launches PACE Center, helping seniors independently with high-quality care Los Angeles Sentinel; 5/1/24 InnovAge Holding Corp., the healthcare industry leader in providing comprehensive healthcare programs to dual-eligible seniors through the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), celebrated the grand opening of its newest center in California on April 24. ... Guests toured the 22,000 square foot, two-level renovated center — which includes a medical clinic with exam rooms, dining room, four-day rooms, quiet room, outdoor patio, and other amenities. The program’s service area extends beyond Crenshaw, providing care and support to seniors residing in West and South Los Angeles. 

E-book: "Combating loneliness in senior living residents: A call to action"McKnights Senior Living; 4/24/24Discover in [this] e-book:

‘Are nursing homes our only option?’ These centers offer older adults an alternative. Rhode Island Current, by Anna Claire Vollers; 4/12/24PACE centers attract bipartisan interest and, in some states, scrutiny. ... PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) centers provide government-funded medical care and social services to people older than 55 whose complex medical needs qualify them for nursing home care, but who can live at home with the right sort of help. ... Nationally, PACE centers are owned by a variety of health care organizations, including nonprofits, for-profit companies, large health care systems and religious organizations. ... [The] explosive growth has come with challenges ...