American Nurses Enterprise celebrates the power of nurses during National Nurses Week, May 6-12 
American Nurses Enterprise: American Nurses Association - American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Nurses Foundation, Silver Spring, MD; newsroom@ana.org; 4/20/25 
Today, the American Nurses Enterprise — encompassing the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the American Nurses Foundation (ANF) — kicks off National Nurses Week (May 6–12) with a powerful message: The Power of Nurses™. This year’s campaign shines a national spotlight on nurses as the driving force behind compassionate care, innovation, and transformative changes in healthcare. From coast to coast, the enterprise is launching a series of high-impact events — including a national press conference, educational webinars, landmark light-ups, and direct engagement with policymakers—to celebrate the unparalleled contributions of nurses and call on the public to honor their essential role in shaping a healthier future for all.
Editor's note: For more, explore "National Nurses Week History" and our "Today's Encouragement."

Empath Health introduces One Hospice Model, bringing together Florida’s established not-for-profit hospices under one mission 
Business Wire, Clearwater, FL; Press Release; 5/5/25 
Empath Health, one of the nation’s largest 501(c)(3) integrated care networks, today unveiled its One Hospice Model—a first-of-its-kind framework that preserves community-based hospice while adding the scale, innovation and accountability of a statewide system. "Families deserve hospice that puts mission before margin," said Jonathan D. Fleece, President & CEO of Empath Health. ... The model integrates seven locally known hospice brands—Empath Hospice, Hospice of Marion County, Suncoast Hospice, Suncoast Hospice of Hillsborough, Tidewell Hospice and Trustbridge (Hospice by the Sea and Hospice of Palm Beach County)—which collectively care for one in five hospice patients statewide. Five of these affiliates have served their communities for more than 40 years, delivering generations of compassionate, not-for-profit care.

Community gathers for special BHS graduation ceremony at CT Hospice 
Zip06 - Shore Publishing, New London, CT; by Jenn McCulloch; 5/2/25
In a powerful display of love and unity, members of the Branford community recently rallied together to create a heartfelt, early graduation ceremony for Branford High School (BHS) senior, Michael Radziunas, whose mother, Kathleen, courageously battled glioblastoma for more than a year. As her health began to decline, friends and family quietly voiced the same hope: that she would be able to witness her son’s graduation. ... In a phone call filled with emotion and urgency, two close friends discussed taking photos of him in his cap and gown to share with his mother, but the simple idea soon grew into something much more meaningful — an early graduation ceremony. Upon reaching out to BHS administration, Principal Lee Panagoulias immediately offered to present Radziunas with his diploma in a private ceremony, setting a plan in motion. The graduation took place just two days later on April 24 on the picturesque grounds of Connecticut Hospice. With Radziunas donning his graduation cap and gown, as well as honors cords; family, friends, hospice personnel, and BHS staff gathered to watch Panagoulias present him with his diploma.

Hillsdale woman celebrates 100th birthday [hospice pioneer, 1970's] 
HudsonValley360, Hudson, NY; by Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon; 5/2/25 
... Dr. Irma Waldo was born on May 1, 2025, and recently celebrated joining the centenarian club with an openhouse celebration at the Copake Community Center Friday afternoon. ... [Dr. Waldo] opened her own pediatric practice in Hillsdale in 1952 - often making house calls and getting to know the families she was caring for. ... For Waldo, the most rewarding part of her medical career was the hospice service she helped create, Roe Jan Hospice. She received a call in the 1970s from a doctor in New York City who had a 9-year-old patient with a brain tumor. ... The hospice was expanded to cover the all of Columbia County over the course of 18 years, eventually becoming Columbia County Hospice, and then being absorbed into Hudson Valley Hospice. "That was the best thing, most important part of my practice, forming that hospice," Waldo said. ... Waldo now spends her time volunteering with the Columbia County Office of the Aging, and assists the organization with their lunches. She also wrote and self-published a book in 2023, "The Doctor Wore High Heels," to share the stories of her life.
Editor's note: Click here for Hudson Valley Hospice's history.

Amedisys deal would bring BrightSpring into range of new markets
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/5/25 
... Amedisys is selling an unspecified number of home health and hospice locations to Adoration Home Health Acquisitions, LLC, Adoration Hospice Care Acquisitions, LLC, and Senescence, LLC, DBA All Saints Hospice. These three companies are all affiliates of BrightSpring Health Services (Nasdaq: BTSG). ... Few details about the Amedisys-BrightSpring transaction are available due to confidentiality agreements among the parties, according to BrightSpring CEO Jon Rousseau. However, the acquired locations could greatly expand the company’s service region. ... BrightSpring is a home- and community-based health care services platform that serves more than 400,000 patients daily across all 50 states. ... BrightSpring’s provider services segment brought in $346 million in revenue during Q1, up 12.5% year over year. The segment includes the company’s home health, rehab services and personal care businesses. Its home health business is inclusive of hospice and home-based primary care. ... Looking ahead, the company plans to be conservative when it comes to acquisitions beyond the potential Amedisys deal, according to [Bright Spring CEO Jon] Rousseau.

Celebrated local restaurateur Dennis DiPaolo portrayed in new children's book
WKBW Buffalo [NY]; by Jeff Russo; 5/2/25
Dennis DiPaolo, owner of the beloved Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant, has transitioned from serving meals to inspiring children in a new children’s book. Titled “Walking Each Other Home: Zachary's Mission - A Hospice for Children,” the story follows the journey of an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with terminal cancer and includes DiPaolo as a pivotal character.

Group estimates 7.2M US residents have Alzheimer's disease: Cases rise as Alzheimer's research funds are halted  
MedPageToday; by Judy George; 4/29/25 
The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 7.2 million people in the US age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, and 74% of those people are 75 or older. ... While prevalence studies of dementia in young people are limited, researchers estimated that approximately 110 of every 100,000 people ages 30 to 64 -- or about 200,000 Americans in total -- have young-onset dementia, the Alzheimer's Association said. ... Ninety-one percent of survey respondents said they would want to take a simple biomarker test for Alzheimer's before any symptoms appear, 92% said they would take medication to slow Alzheimer's progression, 94% would be interested in options to alleviate symptoms, and 90% would be interested in support for lifestyle changes.

Pharmacist-led care in palliative settings: Using anticholinergics thoughtfully and compassionately 
Pharmacy times; by Diana Violanti, PharmD, Pamela S. Moore, PharmD, BCGP, and Alana Hippensteele; 5/5/25 
The use of anticholinergic agents to manage terminal secretions, often referred to as the death rattle, remains a nuanced and evolving area of end-of-life care. While these medications are frequently used in hospice and palliative care settings to reduce secretion-related sounds that may be distressing to caregivers, their efficacy in improving patient comfort is less clear and often debated. ... Diana Violanti, PharmD, and Pamela S. Moore, PharmD, BCGP, discuss the nuanced use of anticholinergic agents for managing terminal secretions at end of life, highlighting practical considerations, timing, safety concerns such as delirium, and the limited yet evolving evidence supporting their role in palliative care.

This overlooked leadership skill will help you build trust, influence teams and thrive under pressure. Here's how to develop it.
Entrepreneur.com; by Martin Rowinski; 4/28/25
Executive presence is a critical but underrated leadership skill in 2025. Here are the steps you can take to develop it. [The first three of six include...]

1. Develop clear, purpose-driven communication
2. Master your body language
3. Manage emotions under pressure

CMS Proposed Rules and Comment Deadlines 
HealthIT Answers; by HHS/ONC/CMS Communications; 5/5/25 
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services have issued the following proposed rules and have opened comment periods.

• CMS Seeks Public Input on Inpatient Hospital Whole-Person Care, Proposes Updates to Medicare Payments ...
• Fiscal Year 2026 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule CMS-1829-P Fact Sheet ...
• Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update Proposed Rule CMS-1835-P Fact Sheet ...
• Fiscal Year 2026 Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System and Quality Reporting Updates Proposed Rule CMS-1831-P Fact Sheet ...
• Fiscal Year 2026 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule CMS 1827-P Fact Sheet ...

University of Minnesota uses VR to study Alzheimer's, death 
Government Technology (GT) - Center for Digital Education; by Richard Chin; 5/2/25 
At the University of Minnesota, medical school students have been using a virtual reality experience to understand the perspective of a woman dealing with the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. ... When the University of Minnesota offered to let me experience what it’s like to die, naturally I said yes. Aren’t we all morbidly curious about the undiscovered country, as Hamlet put it, from which no traveler returns? Except this time, happily, I would get to return because it would be a virtual death, an experience in a VR studio that’s part of the university’s Health Sciences Library system. The dying experience is part of a series of VR simulations developed by a nine-year-old California-based company called Embodied Labs. They’ve created immersive, first-person experiences of what it’s like to have dementia, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson disease, vision or hearing loss, to be socially isolated or to experience aging as a LGBTQ person. And what it’s like to die.

Hospice nurse caring for 97-year-old woman noticed something unusual. A Ring Camera allegedly showed the unthinkable 
People; by Samira Asma-Sadeque; 5/2/25 
A Florida man is under arrest after a woman allegedly caught him on a Ring camera raping her 97-year-old aunt. The victim, who has not been named, is nonverbal and bedridden, her niece said, according to an arrest report cited by Local 10. Timothy Morris, a 66-year-old from Homestead, Fla., was arrested on a charge of sexual battery of a physically incapacitated person, according to Miami-Dade County online court records reviewed by PEOPLE. Investigators say the victim is in hospice care, where Morris would often assist with her care, reportedly in the absence of hospice staff, per the arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. 

HIV, aging, and palliative care: Peter Selwyn and Meredith Greene
GeriPal Podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith; 5/1/25
Peter Selwyn, one of today’s guests, has been caring for people living with HIV for over 40 years. In that time, care of people with HIV has changed dramatically. Initially, there was no treatment, then treatments with marginal efficacy, complex schedules, and a tremendous burden of side effects and drug-drug interactions. The average age at death was in the 30s. Now, more people in the US die with HIV rather than from HIV. Treatment regimens are simplified, and the anti-viral drugs are well tolerated. People are living with HIV into advanced ages. The average age at death is likely in the 60s. Nearly half of people living with HIV are over age 55. One in 10 people with newly diagnosed HIV is an older adult. Our second guest, Meredith Greene, is a geriatrician and researcher who focuses on care of older adults living with HIV, in the US and Africa.

[France] Deputies approve bill creating Right to Assisted Dying 
Time.News; 5/3/25 
Is the right to die a fundamental human right, or a risky step towards devaluing life? France is grappling with this profound question as a new bill edges closer to legalizing aid in dying. the implications could ripple far beyond French borders, influencing the debate in the United States and around the world. The bill, initially presented by President Emmanuel Macron in March 2024, faced delays due to the dissolution of the National Assembly. Now,revived and championed by Prime Minister François Bayrou,the executive text has been divided into two separate legal proposals. One focuses on enhancing palliative care, while the other addresses aid in dying.

• The French Bill: A Closer Look ...
• Key Provisions of the Bill ...
• The Road Ahead: Debates and Potential Amendments ...
• The American Perspective: Echoes of the Debate ...
• Ethical Considerations: A minefield of Moral Dilemmas ...
• The Role of Palliative Care: A Crucial Component ...
• Future Scenarios: What Could Happen Next? ...

Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head (not, how can I always do this right thing myself, but) how can I provide for this right thing to be always done? ~ Florence Nightingale, Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not

Editor's note: National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale's birthday. For more, explore headline post today, "American Nurses Enterprise celebrates the power of nurses during National Nurses Week, May 6-12," and "National Nurses Week History."