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Welcome to Hospice & Palliative Care Today, a daily email summarizing numerous topics essential for understanding the current landscape of serious illness and end-of-life care. Recent TCN Talks podcasts / videos reviewing Hospice & Palliative Care Today monthly content available for 2024: January; February; March; April, May, June, July, and August.
SPECIAL EDITION: Helene & Hospice Updates
Our "Headlines" overload today focuses on Helene and Hospices: current status, ways we can support affected hospices, resources, and more. With a prelude to our "Today's Encouragement" post: In unity, there is strength; when communities come together during a crisis, they can accomplish the impossible. ~ Amanda Ripley
Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief Fund for home care & hospice employees in the Carolinas
Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina (AHHC of NC); by Judy Penn, Executive Director; 10/3/24
Click here to DONATE. Click here to APPLY for Assistance.
Hurricane Helene has severely impacted our community, with many lives already lost in the Carolinas, and countless missing with no means of communication. The Carolinas Foundation for Hospice & Home Care is accepting donations to distribute directly to hospice and home care employees devastated by this storm. Agencies are facing tremendous challenges, including displacement and/or evacuation of staff and patients, collapsed roads, failing infrastructure, lack of water, and the inability to communicate with downed lines. There is a major need for gas to continue to power generators for oxygen dependent patients both in home settings and hospice inpatient facilities. The Association staff has been in contact with government agencies to us keep up-to-date on the situation as it unfolds. Our industry is comprised of caring, compassionate individuals who help those in need. Please consider donating to the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund to help home care and hospice employees hit the hardest. ... 100% of ALL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS are being borne by the Association and the Foundation. 100% of your donation (tax-deductible) comes in, and 100% of your donation goes out.
[From NHPCO/NACH] Hurricane Helene | Getting and Providing Support
National Alliance for Care at Home / formerly NHPCO; Elyssa Katz; 10/3/24
Hurricane Helene has absolutely devastated the Carolinas and surrounding areas. The Alliance stands with our members, the communities they serve, and all at-home providers across the impacted regions. If you or your organization has been impacted, please see the collection of resources and the Ways to Get Support section below. If you’re looking to help fellow providers or peers in need, see the Ways to Provide Support section.
Ways to Provide Support
Ways to Get Support
Regulatory and Crisis Support Resources
Editor's note: While some information and links in these Helene posts overlap, we prefer to present it to you intact from its original source. We're in this together, committed to getting timely updates to you from the best sources possible.
TCNtalks - Hurricane Helene [click here for video message from Chris Comeaux]
TCN, Hendersonville/Asheville, NC; by Chris Comeaux; 10/2/24
Telios Collaborative Network (TCN) is actively collaborating with our members to collect vital information from the areas most affected. But we can't do it alone—we need your help to ensure we have the latest and most accurate details about those impacted. Please share any updates, resources, or fundraising initiatives with us so we can spread the word and support our community together. You may help our members impacted by clicking on the links below:
Editor's note: For a more detailed account about TCN's Ground Zero experiences, click here for yesterday's post. While some information and links in these Helene posts overlap, we prefer to present it to you intact from its original source. We're in this together, committed to getting timely updates to you from the best sources possible.
CMS to Provide Hurricane Helene Public Health Emergency Accelerated and Advance Payments to Medicare Fee-for-Services providers and suppliers
CMS press release; 10/2/24
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to support providers and suppliers impacted by Hurricane Helene within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster zones, under the President’s major disaster declarations. These providers and suppliers may face significant cash flow issues from the unusual circumstances impacting facilities’ operations, preventing facilities from submitting claims and receiving Medicare claims payments. As a result of the presidential disaster declaration, and HHS public health emergencies declared in the wake of Hurricane Helene, CMS made available accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers and advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene beginning October 2, 2024.
Hospice and Palliative Care of the Piedmont powers through hurricane challenges
Index-Journal, Greenwood, SC; by Cam Adams; 10/2/24
Despite the challenges faced, Hospice and Palliative Care of the Piedmont staff is overcoming the effects of Hurricane Helene. “It’s been overwhelming, the support from the community as well as our staff, and making sure that the patients were cared for, so we’re doing good,” said Charlene Kish, CEO. ... Kish said only about half of their homebound patients have power in the eight counties they serve. However, their oxygen needs are being met thanks to e-cylinders. “Right now, we don’t need any generators to take out because we have enough e-tanks. It was our people on high volumes of oxygen that we couldn’t use an e-tank that’s called for, so we’re good with generators,” Kish said. The care facility is asking the community for baby wipes and bottled water, as many patients don’t have running water in their homes.
Damage from Helene devastating for some veterans [including some on hospice]
The VA health system is working to help veterans with medical needs after Helene left many in western North Carolina without power and water — and some without homes.
Top News Stories of the Month, September 2024
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux with stories/data from this newsletter; 10/2/24
Because of the impact of Hurricane Helene, we are not publishing a podcast this week. TCN Members in seven states have been affected by this unprecedented storm with horrific devastation. TCN offices and the TCNtalks studio are in Henderson County, one of the areas impacted by the storm. Hurricane Helene has wreaked havoc devastating communities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Many of our member communities, including our dedicated staff, patients, caregivers, and their families, have faced unimaginable loss. Some have seen their homes destroyed, cherished memories washed away, and their sense of security shattered. The stories of resilience and heartbreak from our friends and colleagues are deeply personal and remind us of the strength and vulnerability of our community.
As Chris does throughout every month, he compiled a list of Top News Stories to prepare for the podcast. Although there is no podcast episode this month, you can still access the list of these news stories that would have been mentioned: Read "Top News Stories of the Month September, 2024"
Hospice of Golden Isles returns to independent operations
Savannah Tribune - Social and Community News; by Savannah Tribune; 10/2/24
Hospice of the Golden Isles (HGI) is pleased to announce it will resume independent operations in the coming months. This decision was made as HGI approaches the final year of its five-year agreement with Alivia Care, a Florida-based nonprofit hospice provider. Throughout the affiliation, HGI faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, increased for-profit competition, and Medicare reimbursement changes. Despite these challenges, HGI has continued to deliver high-quality care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. “We are incredibly grateful for the benefits this partnership has brought to Hospice of the Golden Isles,” said Paula DiLandro, Executive Director of HGI. “However, as the Board of Directors assessed the current landscape, they realized the factors that initially drove the affiliation are no longer as pressing. After careful consideration, the Board decided to return to independent operations, ensuring the future success of HGI.”
Asian-American communities face ‘digital divide’ in health equity, hospice care
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/1/24
Recent research has dug into the barriers limiting greater telehealth utilization among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The data come at a time when hospices are striving to better understand how to improve those groups’ end-of-life trajectories. Technology utilization has gained momentum in health care, including in hospice care delivery. Though increased virtual health care access can help hospice providers reach patients upstream, the trend may be worsening disparities and outcomes among Asian American populations, according to Victoria Tsze, an outpatient hospice social worker at Tucson Medical Center (TMC) Hospice.
Clinical capacity palliative care leaders’ top concern for 2025
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/2/24
Balancing rising demand with recruitment and retention tops the list of palliative care providers’ concerns heading into next year. Nearly 800 palliative care program leaders and interdisciplinary team members from across the country recently weighed in on a survey from the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Respondents included both adult and pediatric palliative care providers who provided feedback on their 2025 outlook in the organization’s first iteration of its annual Palliative Pulse survey. [Survey results included:]
Notable mentions: Rachael Heitner, Brynn Bowman, Andrew Esch.
Data points to need for trauma-centered care at end of life
McKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer; 10/2/24
A new study has found that early life and cumulative trauma are linked to poorer physical and psychosocial health at the end of life. The report was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Among participants, 19% reported no trauma, while 47% experienced one to two traumatic events and 25% had three to four traumatic events. A total of 9% of people reported more than five traumatic events in their lives. “Findings highlight the need for clinicians caring for seriously ill older adults to ensure interdisciplinary care for trauma symptoms and potentially adopting a trauma-informed approach to end-of-life care,” the authors wrote.
$1.6M grant to focus on nursing home units to reduce racial disparities in dementia care
McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Jessica R. Towhey; 10/3/24
Emory University will use a $1.6 million, federal grant to investigate the role Alzheimer’s special care units play in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in dementia care within nursing homes. The research team will be led by Huiwen Xu, PhD, an associate professor in the university’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, who specializes in gerontology and elder health. The four-year grant from the National Institute on Aging will analyze quality of life and improved health outcomes in the specialized care units, which the school’s press release said are available in only 14% of nursing homes nationwide. Xu’s team will examine the underlying causes of racial disparities for Black and Hispanic residents, who have limited access to the memory care units, the release said.
Hospitalists use POLST to initiate patient conversations about care goals
The Hospitalist; by Larry Beresford; 10/1/24
Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) is a single-page medical order form, typically printed on bright pink paper, and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to spell out treatment preferences for a seriously ill or frail patient. It is also a process for exploring those preferences in conversation with patients and then communicating them to those who might need to know, such as EMS personnel, in some future medical emergency when the patients can no longer speak for themselves. And, said Steven Pantilat, MD, FAAHPM, MHM, a former clinical hospitalist and the inaugural chief of the division of palliative medicine at the University of California San Francisco, it is “solidly within what hospitalists can and should be doing.” That may involve meeting and talking with patients and their families about their values and treatment preferences, reviewing any existing POLST forms, and even filling out and signing a form.
Medicare Advantage is 'jeopardizing' rural hospitals, execs say
Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 10/2/24
Medicare Advantage is "failing patients" and "jeopardizing" Nebraska hospitals, according to a survey of 92 member hospitals from the Nebraska Hospital Association. MA provides health coverage to more than 55% of the nation's older adults, about 33.8 million people, but some hospitals and health systems are ending their contracts with MA plans over administrative challenges that include excessive prior authorization denial rates and slow payments from insurers. "Medicare Advantage challenges the future of critical access hospitals due to lower reimbursement rates, slower or denied payments, and increased administrative burdens," Jed Hansen, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, said during an Oct. 2 virtual meeting with hospital leaders. "Without changes to MA, our rural hospitals may be forced to cut staff and services, further harming patient care. Over time, some of our rural hospitals may be forced to close altogether."
Hospice policy mandating two-week enrollment prior to ingesting aid-in-dying medication
Academy of Aid-in-Dying Medicine; by Constance Holden, Jeanne Kerwin, Paula Goodman-Crews, Margaret Pabst Battin; 10/2/24
[A white paper from the ACAMAID Ethics Consultation Service.] An aid-in-dying-prescribing physician is concerned about a policy that several local hospices have implemented prohibiting patients from ingesting their aid-in-dying medication during the first two weeks of enrollment. The requesting provider is concerned that this policy requires patients who have made aid-in-dying requests to wait well beyond the 48 hours mandated by law. This potentially results in undue added suffering for the patient. It is also a potentially discriminatory practice, as it leads to unequal access to care.
Images of the dying: A podcast with Wendy MacNaughton, Lingsheng Li, and Frank Ostaseski
GeriPal [podcast]; 10/3/24
In this episode, we [Alex Smith and Eric Widera] share the joy of talking with Wendy MacNaughton (artist, author, graphic journalist) and Frank Ostaseski (Buddhist teacher, author, founder of the Metta Institute and Zen Hospice Project) about using drawings and images as tools for creating human connections and processing death and dying.
Executive Personnel Changes - 10/4/24
The Fine Print:
Paywalls: Some links may take readers to articles that either require registration or are behind a paywall. Disclaimer: Hospice & Palliative Care Today provides brief summaries of news stories of interest to hospice, palliative, and end-of-life care professionals (typically taken directly from the source article). Hospice & Palliative Care Today is not responsible or liable for the validity or reliability of information in these articles and directs the reader to authors of the source articles for questions or comments. Additionally, Dr. Cordt Kassner, Publisher, and Dr. Joy Berger, Editor in Chief, welcome your feedback regarding content of Hospice & Palliative Care Today. Unsubscribe: Hospice & Palliative Care Today is a free subscription email. If you believe you have received this email in error, or if you no longer wish to receive Hospice & Palliative Care Today, please unsubscribe here or reply to this email with the message “Unsubscribe”. Thank you.