Literature Review

Tracking layoffs, closures in healthcare nationwideModern Healthcare; 4/12/24Modern Healthcare is tracking closures and layoffs from health systems, digital health companies, insurers and other related businesses nationwide to better understand how labor costs and concerns are impacting the industry in rural communities and cities alike. 

Art made by hospice patients displayed at Poole Lighthouse Yahoo! News, by Erin Rhodes, United Kingdom; 4/15/24 More than 200 pieces of art made by patients at a Dorset hospice charity have been displayed at the Lighthouse in Poole [United Kingdom]. The artworks have been made by patients with life-limiting illnesses at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s hubs across Poole and east Dorset. Creative Art is one of the services the charity provides to support patients’ wellbeing and mental health. 

PeaceHealth nurses announce plan to picket outside hospital April 18 The Columbian, by Chrissy Booker; 4/10/24 Nurses at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver will picket outside the hospital April 18. ... The bargaining unit, which includes 1,465 nurses, is negotiating with the hospital for a new three-year contract. According to a news release from the union, “management has not agreed to the association’s proposed workplace protections, staffing commitments or market-rate wages.” PeaceHealth countered that its proposals have been “highly competitive.”

'I just want to take everybody fishing': Dose of the Coast provides a much needed respite Nola.com - Louisiana Inspired, by Jack Barlow; 4/9/24 Dealing with a serious illness is all consuming. One nonprofit strives to give people suffering life-altering illnesses a much-needed break. Baton Rouge-based Dose of the Coast takes people dealing with cancer and other similar illnesses out for a day on the water. ... The genesis of the organization began in 2014, with a fishing trip for Ashley Ferguson's father, Donald Walker. ... 

Grief and justice: A sneak peek of Providence artist Jordan Seaberry’s new exhibit Rhode Island Monthly, by Veronica Bruno; 4/8/24 "We Live Until" explores grief, social justice and human rights through the lens of hospice care. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Jordan Seaberry embraced the Providence community after attending the Rhode Island School of Design. It was there that Seaberry became involved in legislative efforts centering around criminal justice reform, which reinvigorated his artistry as a painter. Seaberry’s new exhibit, “We Live Until,” opening April 27 at the Newport Art Museum, incorporates these political and cultural issues through the intimate stories of hospice care patients. The show also gives Seaberry an opportunity to come to grips with his grandmother’s passing.

Top factors in nurses ending health care employment between 2018 and 2021 JAMA Network; by K. Jane Muir, PhD, RN, FNP-BC; Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch, PhD, RN; Jacqueline Nikpour, PhD, RN; et al; 5/9/24Question: Why did nurses leave health care employment from 2018 to 2021?Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 7887 nurses who were employed in a non–health care job, not currently employed, or retired, the top contributing factors for leaving health care employment were planned retirement (39% of nurses), burnout (26%), insufficient staffing (21%), and family obligations (18%). Age distributions of nurses not employed in health care were similar to nurses currently employed in health care.

Overcome fear of financial regret to embrace a fulfilling life Advisorpedia, Viewpoints by Ross Levin; 4/8/24 ... A primary job of financial planners is to help their clients see what is possible. It is also to help them balance living today while preparing them for tomorrow. But not knowing how many tomorrows we have can create too much emphasis on an uncertain future. ... One of our long-term clients is now in hospice. As we were talking, she said how grateful she was for what she and her husband did with their family ... Although cancer will rob her of some years, she has lived her life fully. I have worked with countless clients, and here is some wisdom I have discovered that helped them avoid regret: [click on the title's link to read]

The art of the obit: Longtime journalist offers tips of the trade Times Colonist, by Pedro Arrais; 4/5/24 Sandra Martin has written obituaries for everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Margaret Thatcher, Betty Fox — mother of Marathon of Hope runner Terry Fox — Nelson Mandela, Farley Mowat and Jackie Burroughs. ... When she tells the story of an individual’s life and legacy, Martin says, she does it with the reader, not the family, foremost in mind. In that way, her work is different from a family’s death notice. ... “As a journalist, I write for the reader, not the family. That means that it has to be true. What I include has to have had an effect on the subject’s life.”

Major unions, including SEIU, maintain momentum following 2023 strike upswing McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 4/5/24 New analysis of US Department of Labor data shows that large unions such as the SEIU were able to leverage heightened labor activity to recruit new workers in 2023. In a year characterized by headline-grabbing strikes across multiple industries, the long-term care sector has not been without its share of labor activity — such as recent strikes organized by the SEIU to demand higher wages. With so many providers’ staffing and funding woes poised to remain at the forefront of sector concerns, some experts suggest that unions may be able to gain even more momentum in the months and years ahead.

Hospice wedding a declaration of love in the face of medical challenge Penticton Western News, by Alistair Taylor; 4/4/24 The essence of hospice philosophy – emphasizing the significance of cherishing every moment and embracing life to the fullest – was exemplified by the touching and beautiful wedding of Sean Adelberg and Mary Davidson at Campbell River’s Hospice House on Tuesday, April 2. ... “This journey to the altar accompanies Mary’s heroic battle with stage 4 Glioblastoma—an incurable brain cancer. Despite the odds, we’re seizing this incredible chance to celebrate our love,” Adelberg said.

Central Dauphin football building connections with residents at Grane Hospice ABC TV 27 WHTM, Harrisburg, PA; by Amber Charnoff; 4/2/24 Volunteering is a cornerstone of the Central Dauphin football team and over the past 15 years the team has donated their time to Grane Hospice. ... Central Dauphin seniors Kannyon Miller and Elijah McDonald have enjoyed interacting with the residents at Grane. ... Coach McNamee enjoys stepping back and watching these relationships develop. ... “It’s so much fun watching them in action and seeing that room with the interactions between the players and the residents,” McNamee said. “There’s no doubt it’s a win-win. The residents are really enjoying it and our players are really enjoying it.”

The operational advantages of hiring seniors to provide home care Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/1/24Seniors Helping Seniors has long distinguished itself from other home care companies by hiring active seniors to serve as caregivers. Josh Obeiter — an owner of one of the company’s franchise locations — has seen even more added value from this strategy as the industry at large combats labor shortages. At Seniors Helping Seniors, the average age of an employee is around 70 years old, and 80% of caregivers are in their 60s and 70s, according to Obeiter.

Fostering respect and appreciation seen as keys to retaining direct care workersMcKnights Online Forum, by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 3/27/24 Expressions of appreciation and respect can go a long way in addressing senior living’s direct care workforce crisis, according to a panel of direct workers and employers who addressed what makes employees want to stay — or go. ... Nate Hamme, president and executive director of the Ceca Foundation, ... said that the most important part of employee recognition is listening to people. ... He added that there is a science to recognition backed by research into what motivates people and implementing programs around that. ... Recognition programs, Hamme added, should focus on IMPACT: inclusive, mission-aligned, public, authentic, consistent and timely.