Literature Review

How Medicare Advantage, labor, AI will shape home-based care in 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/18/24Home Health Care News recently spoke with 15 home-based care leaders for our annual “Executive Forecast” articles, which we published at the end of last year. Those executives’ responses covered a wide range of topics, and were surprisingly and refreshingly diverse. But, in the end, a few themes emerged.

Head chef at Jersey Hospice cherishes the privilege of cooking for end-of-life patientsBNN, by Mahnoor Jehangir; 1/19/24The head chef at Jersey Hospice, Sam Sherwood, has a deeply personal mission. His role is not merely a professional one, but a labor of love, driven by the memory of his father who passed away just days before Sherwood took the helm of the hospice kitchen. For Sherwood and his team, preparing meals for patients in end-of-life care is more than just a job; it’s a calling.

Increasing longevity, decreasing health quality: A close look at American health trendsBNN, by Ayesha Mumtaz; 1/16/24Recent data paints a concerning picture of Americans’ health despite an increase in longevity. While people are living longer, the quality of their health during these extended years is deteriorating. 

Top home care trends for 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/9/24The rising costs of care in home care remain a trend in 2024. That one trend will also lead to others, however, such as increased M&A, adoption of future-facing technologies like AI, and further investment in tangential service lines and alternative payer sources.

CDC map shows dramatic increase in illness nationwide: See where it’s worstNexstar Media Wire News / The Hill, by Alix Martichoux; 1/5/24What a difference a week can make. New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday shows an 18% jump in people testing positive for influenza last week. The number of people going to the doctor with symptoms of respiratory illness — whether it be the flu, COVID, RSV, or none of the above — also continues to trend upward. Now, according to the CDC, 21 states and New York City are experiencing “very high” levels of sickness.

Hospice care advocate aims to increase awareness, reduce stigma surrounding industryMcKnights Home Care, by Foster Stubbs; 1/8/24“I think we all know that the population over age 65 in the United States is growing at a rapid pace,” Thomson, DO and chief medical officer of Four Seasons, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider serving 13 western North Carolina counties, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. ... However, Thomson understands that the scrutiny hospice care can receive may drive families away from considering it as an option. She has used her position on the public policy committee at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine to help create effective vetting and regulatory procedures for the hospice industry. She believes more thorough regulation will ensure fewer bad actors. 

Nursing home struggles expected to worsen hospital backlogsMcKnights Long-Term Care News, by Josh Henreckson; 1/4/24Nursing homes’ familiar struggles with insufficient staffing and insurance reimbursements are contributing to growing backlogs of patients awaiting throughput from hospitals to post-acute care across the US. Those waitlists are set to grow more congested in 2024 and cause even bigger disruption throughout the US healthcare system, according to recent state-level reports.Editor's Notes: Hospice leaders, how might your organization help reduce these backlogs and delays?

The impact of Artificial Intelligence on healthcare and medicineMedium/Technology Buzz, by Mark R.; 1/3/24... Artificial intelligence, or intelligence dominated by machines and algorithms, has a growing significance in multiple industries. From finance to education and healthcare, AI has completely reformed the ways of working. One of the significant contributions of AI is to the healthcare and medical industry. From improving diagnostic accuracy to personalizing the treatments for patients, AI has revolutionized the structure of healthcare facilities. By analyzing complex human data and drawing accurate conclusions without much human intervention, AI technology can help medical researchers make new discoveries. AI applications are primarily centered on 3 main investment areas: diagnostics, engagement, and digitization.Editor's Note: For pro's and con's of AI in hospice and palliative care, examine other articles about AI posted in our newsletter (past and future).

Amedisys Finds Answer Key in Medalogix PulsePRNewswire, 12/28/23Nashville, TN—Medalogix, the leading data science and clinical decision support company specializing in the advancement of patient care in home health, hospice, and strategic payor initiatives in the home, and Amedisys, a leading provider of home health, hospice and high-acuity care in the home, announced an expanded partnership with the implementation of Medalogix Pulse for Home Health patients.

Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home hosts open houseHawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo, HI)December 25, 2023Hilo, HI—After closing its doors to inpatient services last year, Pohai Malama will be reopening as an adult residential care home beginning next year. Hawaii Care Choices, formerly Hospice of Hilo, earlier this month announced the opening of the Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home to a room full of board members, supporters and community leaders. The former 12-bed hospice and palliative care inpatient facility, located at 590 Kapiolani St. in Hilo, was closed in November 2022 after operating for 10 years due to changing preferences from patients, many who preferred to be treated in their homes. 

LCHD head defends hospice program budgetPen City Current (Fort Madison, IA)December 19, 2023Fort Madison, IA—It would appear that a push by some on the Lee County Board of Supervisors to get out of the hospice business is at a stand still. At Monday’s regular meeting of the board, Keokuk resident Mary Jo Reisberg and an employee of the health department advocated for the county staying in the hospice business to make sure that every county resident has a choice for care. ... Several members of the board, including Chairman Garry Seyb, said they don’t think the county should be engaged in business that competes with private for-profit companies. 

The Language of Hospice Can Help Us Get Better at Discussing DeathTIMEDecember 18, 2023Just because death is inevitable doesn’t make it easy or natural to talk about. In a new study, researchers wondered if hospice workers—experts in end-of-life care—had lessons to teach the rest of us when it came to speaking with patients and families about death. Daniel Menchik, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Arizona who studies the use of language in different fields of medicine, spent eight months sitting in on team meetings at a hospice care facility that were also open to patients’ families. ... In the study, Menchik noticed that hospice workers used three different types of verbs in meetings with family members: predictive, subjunctive, and imperative. Predictive verbs are used to assert things about the future and include words like “will” and “going to.” Imperative verbs carry a similar firmness, but include a call to action; the most common one Menchik encounters in medical settings is “should.” Subjunctive verbs convey some sort of personal stance when talking about the future. “Think,” “feel,” “want,” and many other expressive phrases fall in this category. When a family starts hospice care, “their capabilities to engage in intense conversations [about death] are usually pretty limited,” Menchik says. But he believes that hospice workers help bridge that gap by minimizing their use of imperative verbs. In meetings he observed, imperative verbs made up just 17% of the verb phrases used by hospice professionals. That’s fairly uncommon in medicine. Editor's Note: Use this article to examine the language used in your team meetings; to strengthen your orientation of employees from non-hospice settings; to engage your admissions nurses in a lively dialogue about its applicability to their experiences with patients and families.