Literature Review

Kingston man arrested for allegedly threatening bedridden fatherBNN, by Salman Akhtar; 1/2/2431-year-old Tyler Jason Vasquez, a resident of Kingston, was apprehended by the local law enforcement following a disturbing incident involving his ailing father. The event, captured by a Ring doorbell camera at their home on New Hurbane Street, had Vasquez allegedly threatening his bedridden father with a firearm. The security camera had been installed by Vasquez’s sister to keep an eye on their father, who is under home hospice care.

Hospice patient enjoys fishing adventureHickory Daily Record; 12/30/23Carolina Caring’s compassionate hospice and palliative care empowers patients to make the most of each day as they navigate serious illness. One patient, Barbara, has been under hospice care with Carolina Caring and has shared ... with her nurse, Kelly Avery, and social worker, Megan Elmore ... that her  fondest memories were of fishing with her family on Lake Hickory. After being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure, Barbara’s symptoms were getting increasingly harder to manage. She went from fishing once a week to once a month, to not having fished in over two years. ... Thanks to multiple visits a week from her Carolina Caring care team, Barbara was able to build the confidence to once again cast her line and enjoy the great outdoors. ... Kelly and Megan coordinated with the Carolina Caring Volunteer and Foundation Departments to secure fishing licenses and gather together a spread of Barbara’s favorite foods at Dallas Park & Recreation ponds. For just the second time in the past year, Barbara left the house.

West Monroe’s 3 healthcare outlooks for 2024: AI, cost pressures, dealmakingMedCityNews, by Marissa Plescia; 12/29/23 In a recent report, consulting firm West Monroe laid out three trends for the healthcare industry to watch out for:

CHP Angel Foundation grants wishes to terminally ill adultsThe West Bend News; 12/30/23Back in 1995, the staff at CHP Home Care & Hospice noticed the need to fulfill wishes for adults in its hospice program who had limited time remaining in their lives. The idea was expanded to include individuals from throughout the state of Ohio, and the Angel Foundation was established.

I didn't know anything about aging in place-here are some important lessons I learned about caregivingMorningstar.com, by Lisa B. Samalonis; 12/29/23From being an advocate to finding peace, here's what I learned during my family's journey with aging parents.

Terminally-ill dogs find love through hospice foster programFox7 Austin, by John Krinjak; 12/26/23AUSTIN, Texas - Some Austin-based volunteers are making sure terminally ill dogs get the love they deserve. Austin Pets Alive! recently launched a hospice foster program, and it was all inspired by a very special pooch named Opie.

The power of music in healing life-threatening illnesses and keeping hope aliveMedium, by Jess Whorton; 12/27/23Music has long been recognized for its therapeutic effects on the mind and body. Research has shown that music can lower blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, reduce cardiac complications, increase immune response, and boost natural opiates. Let’s explore the power of music in healing life-threatening illnesses and keeping hope alive...

Lane County home care and hospice workers authorize strike, but hold out hope for future negotiationsKEZI-TV (Eugene, OR); 12/29/23Springfield, OR—PeaceHealth home and hospice care nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association voted this week to authorize a strike, but one will not be called immediately. Jo Turner, a hospice nurse and member of ONA’s executive committee at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services, said at a press conference on Friday that a “significant majority” of nurses voted between December 27 and 28 to authorize the strike, but a decision to go on strike is not one that is taken lightly. “We are not calling for a strike—yet,” she said.

Lawsuit—Minnesota’s free training hurt nursing assistant schoolsStar Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)December 26, 2023A group of nursing assistant training schools has sued Minnesota, saying their business has been undercut by the state’s free training program. With its no-cost training for would-be nursing assistants, Minnesota’s two-year-old Next Generation Nursing Assistant training program has been hailed as a solution to the state’s worsening health care labor shortage. But providers left on the outside of that program say they have struggled. 

Saint Louis University Hospital readies for 2-day nurse strikeBecker’s Hospital ReviewDecember 26, 2023Nurses represented by National Nurses United are set to begin a two-day strike at Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. Dec. 27. ... The union said the strike is in response to hospital management’s “persistent union-busting and outsourcing of RN jobs.” This is the second strike the union has called this year at Saint Louis University Hospital, with the first taking place in September.

Carolina Caring empowers hospice patient to revisit favorite pastimeMcDowell (NC) News, 12/22/23Carolina Caring’s compassionate hospice and palliative care empowers patients to make the most of each day as they navigate serious illness. Our patient, Barbara, has been under hospice care with Carolina Caring and has shared much about her life with her favorite Nurse, Kelly Avery, and Social Worker, Megan Elmore. She shared that her fondest memories were of fishing with her family on Lake Hickory. ... Avery and Elmore coordinated with the Carolina Caring Volunteer and Foundation Departments to secure fishing licenses and gather together a spread of Barbara’s favorite foods at Dallas Park & Recreation ponds.

A broken immigration system keeps workers out of jobs the U.S. needs to fillWashington Post, 12/21/23Bismarck, ND - North Dakota’s hospitals are desperate for nurses, but backlogs and other problems in immigration agencies block the way. The leaders of Sanford Medical Center had waited all summer to learn the fate of the 59 nurses planning to move across the world to their isolated state capital. The reinforcements from the Philippines, Kenya and Nigeria would allow the hospital to expand its heart unit and staff a new wing. Costly temporary nurses would go. The scramble to fill shifts would finally be over. But by the time the hospital’s department heads gathered in a conference room this fall to hear the latest development, the news already had spread. The nurses were delayed—again.

Hospice patient granted wish of meeting penguin at Mystic AquariumWTNH-TV (New Haven, CT), 12/22/23Mystic, CT—Mystic Aquarium played host to a special visitor on Wednesday to give her a every special experience. It’s been more than 30 years since Denise Oliver has been to Mystic Aquarium. Visiting and being able to pet a penguin, she said, made her “like a kid.” “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m actually touching a penguin,” she said. Oliver is on hospice care at Civita Care Center at West River in Milford. “People kind of see [hospice] as the last little bit of their life, but it’s supposed to bring a celebration for all that they’ve done, and be able to enjoy the things that they like to do,” said Tayler Klein, the director of social services at the Civita Care Center.