A dying wish: Man with terminal cancer travels to volunteer in all 50 states 
ABC-7 News, Bay Area, CA; by 4/6/25 
When Doug Ruch was told he had just 12 to 18 months to live, he didn't choose to stay home. Instead, he hit the road - on a mission to help as many people as possible while he still can. "I thought to myself, I have two choices. I can sit at home and wait to die, or I can go out and live," he told ABC7 News. [Continue reading ...] 
Editor's note: For more, visit Doug's website, www.dyingtoserve.com.

Leaders’ past experiences bring fresh perspectives to home-based care 
Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/2/25 
... Home Instead isn’t the only home-based care company that has an eye for recruiting and leveraging outside talent. Multiple home-based care C-suite executives began their careers outside of health care and are now leveraging these past experiences to bring fresh ideas and strategies to their operations. Finance, journalism and fast food corporations are just a few examples of the industries that line the resumes of home-based care’s top executives. Home Health Care News heard from four home-based care executives and leaders who detailed their experiences working outside of health care, and the lessons they brought with them to benefit the industry. ...

• Lead with Culture ...
• Talent is King ...
• Data-driven decision making, digital engagement and brand strategies all with the goal of guilding trust, improving efficiency and supporting our workforce ...
• Storytelling ... and celebrating people doing great things ...

[Continue reading ...]
Editor's notes: What lessons have your "outside talent" C-suite executives brought to your hospice? What do you learn from them? What drew them to change to hospice leadership? Ask: Is this work enriching or depleting your life? Use this article's rich information to build your C-suite's teamwork, communications, strategic planning, and patient/family focused mission.

Most people pursue a toxic type of purpose in life—but if you do this instead, ‘there is no way to fail’ 
CNBC Make It; by Dr. Joran Grumet, contributor/hospice medical director; 4/4/25 
It took me many years and quite a bit of emotional heartache to realize a life-changing fact: When it comes to purpose, bigger is not better. Most of our anxiety stems from what I call “big P” Purpose, which is overly focused on the outcome or destination. ... [Dr. Grumet describes what he calls "big P" Purpose vs. "little P" Purpose.] I’ve found that most people end up pursuing the former, toxic type of purpose. It’s the easiest kind to choose, because it means meeting society’s expectations and following in the footsteps of the herd. The harder decision by far is to do the internal work to discover what really lights you up — and find a way to pursue it in the world. This all takes effort, but it’s worth it. ... Little P purpose embraces an abundance mentality. There is room for everyone — I mean everyone — to pursue that which brings them inner joy and happiness. This pursuit will never rely on whether someone else is succeeding or failing. ... [Continue reading ...]

Transitions Hospice opens new location to expand service 
WIFR News, Rockford, IL; by Anna Sieg; 4/4/25 
Transitions Hospice cuts the ribbon on a new location as they expand their service area to Freeport, DeKalb and Sycamore. The new location was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 3 ... Transitions Hospice offers Palliative Care for patients with chronic illness in a home-based setting, and End of Life Care, to ensure “no one transitions alone,” according to their website. ... Transitions has five other locations, serving residents across Illinois. The expansion focuses on getting their services to rural residents who may not have hospice care as easily accessible, ...  [Continue reading ...]

Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations 
The Conversation; by Pilar Ingle, University of Denver; 4/7/25 
Research estimates that one-third or more of the unhoused population in the U.S. is age 50 or older. Unhoused people of all ages face high rates of chronic and serious illness. They also die at younger ages compared with people who are not unhoused. Yet, there are few options for palliative and end-of-life care for unhoused people. ... In 2024, Colorado saw a 30% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness from the year before. Nationally, 771,480 people — the highest number ever recorded — experienced homelessness last year. As the number of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. grows, so too does the need for palliative and end-of-life care for these individuals. ... [Continue reading ...]

Helios Care gets major grant for palliative care program 
ALLOTSEGO, Oneonta, NY; Press Release; 4/3/25 
Helios Care has received a grant of $195,000.00 from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to support its Choices Program, officials announced on Friday, February 14. According to a media release, the Choices Program, which supports patients in Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie counties, was created to bring in-home palliative care services to older adults who are facing a serious illness. ... “Choices has evolved thanks to the longstanding relationship between Helios Care and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation,” said Kelly McGraw, who played a key role in launching and developing this program at Helios Care. “With this grant, Choices brings in-home person-centered care to patients, addressing their emotional, social, and physical needs.” [Continue reading ...]

2 nursing staff practices tied to safety risks: Study 
Becker's Clinical Leadership, Washington, DC; by Mariah Taylor; 4/3/25 
Washington, D.C.-based George Washington University and Premier researchers found overreliance on agency nurses and nurse overtime was associated with lower patient safety. The study, published April 2 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data on quality measures for pressure ulcers and nurse staff overtime and agency use from 70 U.S. hospitals from January 2019 through December 2022. Researchers found that nearly half of the hospitals in the study utilized more nurse overtime and agency hours than was safe. The average hours exceeding safe thresholds for agency staff reached 140% and 63.6% for nurse overtime. Overuse of agency nurses and overtime hours was associated with increased rates of pressure ulcers. [Continue reading ...]

Seeking human empathy, health insurers turn to AI 
Modern Healthcare; by Nona Tepper; 3/27/25 
When Florida Blue wanted its call center employees to demonstrate greater emotional intelligence when dealing with customers, the nonprofit health insurance company enlisted a tutor incapable of emotion. A generative artificial intelligence, or genAI, chatbot instructs 30 Florida Blue customer service representatives on how to behave like human beings when interacting with other human beings. The chatbot guides workers on human behaviors, such as when to slow their speech, when to hasten a call to its conclusion and what to recommend to policyholders. The company plans to expand this pilot program to its entire 1,600-person call center team this year. [Continue reading ... access may be limited]
Editor's note: Is this backwards? What happened to human kindness? Courtesy and core respect? I am a lifelong lover of new technologies. Still, I am surprised at this seemingly-backwards twist. For whatever works, may we learn and grow in "[behaving] like human beings when interacting with other human beings."

Senior living demand hits all-time high: NIC 
McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 4/3/25 
The demand for senior living is at an all-time high, with the first quarter seeing a record number of occupied units, almost 621,000, the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care said Thursday afternoon [4/3]. ... “Older adults are moving into senior housing at a rapid pace, and the trend will continue, given the wave of baby boomers and many more ‘solo agers’ who don’t have a caregiver to rely on as a safety net,” Lisa McCracken, NIC head of research and analytics, said in a statement. [Continue reading ...]

10 healthiest, unhealthiest cities in 2025 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 3/31/25 
San Francisco is the healthiest city in the U.S. while Brownsville, Texas, is the unhealthiest city, WalletHub found. WalletHub compared 182 cities, including the 150 most populated cities in the U.S. plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state, across four dimensions: healthcare, food, fitness and green space. ...

Healthiest cities

• San Francisco - 68.05 [WalletHub score]
• Honolulu - 63.34
• Seattle - 63.0
• [Continue reading ...]
  
  

Unhealthiest cities

• Brownsville, TX - 24.07
• Gulfport, MS - 28.30
• Shreveport, LA - 30.34
• [Continue reading ...]

Home care aides largest occupation in US as of last May, BLS reports 
McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/7/25 
As of May 2024, home health and personal care aides made up the largest single occupation in the US with 4 million workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wages Summary report released Wednesday. The next highest groups were retail salespeople and fast food counter workers, which each had 3.8 million. Registered nurses also were among the top 10 largest US occupations, and they were one of only two top 10 workforces that earned above-average wages. RNs’ average salary in May 2024 was just over $98,000. Meanwhile, home health and personal care aides earned an average yearly salary of $35,000, or about $17 per hour.

Art meets history, grief, boots and landscapes at First Friday Artwalk 
Steamboat Pilot & Today, Northwest Colorado; by John Componeschi; 4/3/25  
April’s First Friday Artwalk will celebrate artistic diversity and storytelling, both of which form the framework of the Yampa Valley’s creative arts community. [Published 4/3/25, before Fri. 4/4/25] ... An emotionally powerful exhibit entitled “Good Grief” will open at the Depot Art Center, ... The works of Krystal Mackey will be presented in partnership with Northwest Colorado Health’s Hospice program. Mackey, who has a background in design and architecture, created the series as an emotional coping outlet. Her pastel on sanded paper and digital drawing pieces offer the viewer an honest and vulnerable exploration of grief. Selected works were displayed during “Tuesdays with Morrie” at Perry-Mansfield in March. “Grief may be scary, sad and hard to look at,” said Mackey. “But it’s worth it.” Influenced by artists Chagall, Kandinsky, Warhol and Lichtenstein, Mackey’s style combines vibrant color with feeling- and grief-based introspection. The exhibit invites viewers to reflect on whether grief has affected them and if they would benefit from talking about their experiences with it.

Leaders on leadership: 10 valuable lessons that will make you think 
Forbes; by Esther K. Choy; 3/6/25 
In the last eight years as a Forbes columnist, I have interviewed leaders who have shared a great deal of insights on successful leadership. Here are 10 quotes on leadership that illuminate the concrete actions that successful leaders "do," not just "think" or "believe." These quotations are from leaders with a variety of backgrounds and business sectors — tech, finance, design, education, and research — but one thing that rings true through all their perspectives — successful leadership is about connection. [Quotes address these themes:]

• Engaging with a wide rang of perspectives ...
• Listening to good ideas ...
• The importance of curiosity ...
• Empathy ...
• Courage in standing up to bullies ...
• The power of story ...
• Communicating science ...
• More about story ...
• People do business with people ...
• Changing lives ...
• [Continue reading ...]

Global study finds 1 in 5 people with dementia receive no care 
McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 4/7/25 
A comprehensive global study led by Yale School of Public Health researchers has revealed that at least 20% of people living with dementia receive no care helping them with daily living, regardless of their country’s wealth or development status. As the world’s population rapidly ages, this alarming care gap has persisted for years, creating what researchers describe as “a public health crisis.” The study analyzed data from over 10,000 individuals across the United States, England, 18 European nations, Israel and China. [Continue reading ...]

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters. ~ Albert Einstein