Literature Review

Hunterdon Health Auxiliary’s Splash of Sparkle raises $47,000 for Hunterdon Hospice Hunterdon Health, Flemington, NJ; Press Release; 4/22/25 On April 6th, the Hunterdon Health Auxiliary brought together supporters of Hunterdon Hospice for its signature event, Splash of Sparkle, held at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club. Guests gathered for an afternoon filled with bubbly, brunch, and giving back—raising $47,000 to support compassionate end-of-life care for patients and families across our region. ... One of the most meaningful moments of the afternoon came when Jean Hewens, a longtime friend of hospice, shared her family’s journey. Her husband, Dr. Jeremy Hewens, was a beloved family physician with Hunterdon Family Medicine at Delaware Valley for many years. ...

7 signs at home care is needed for someone with dementia VeryWell Health; by Christopher Bergland; 4/25/25 ... At-home dementia care can look different for every family. Some people live alone and may get by with periodic check-ins from professionals in the dementia care community throughout the week. Others might require daily visits from Alzheimer's home care dementia services. Sometimes, a paid caregiver comes to the house daily, or unpaid loved ones provide 24/7 in-home care.

Hospice of the Chesapeake unfurls new advanced lung care program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/25/25 Maryland-based Hospice of the Chesapeake has unveiled a new Advanced Lung Care Program. The hospice and palliative care provider developed the program in partnership with the American Lung Association and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). The initiative is designed to provide specialized care for patients experiencing severe symptoms from chronic lung disease, which includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis and pulmonary hypertension. 

An untapped resource: How family caregivers provide value for home careMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/21/25If there is one lesson Andrea Cohen learned after more than two decades of running a home care company, it is that supporting family caregivers is foundational to quality care. “I would say I have three customers,” Andrea told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “One is the client themselves, one is the professional caregiver and the other is the family caregiver. About 95% of the time, we were actually dealing with the family caregiver.”Publisher's note: Equally true in hospice.

Special Report: Examining group health coverage alternatives for small employers - update JDSupra; by Alden Bianchi, Sarah Raaii, Teal Trujillo, Erin Turley, Allison Wilkerson; 4/23/25 ... Small employers’ efforts to provide robust major medical coverage to workers and their families have long proven futile, primarily due to underwriting challenges. Groups of under 50 employees are often relegated to state small group market coverage, which tends to be expensive. ... This Special Report examines the options available to small employers – and the obstacles they routinely encounter – as they seek to make affordable health insurance coverage available to their employees and their families.

Women of the World Club makes $8,500 donation to Hospice of Marion County Foundation ABC WCJB-20, Gainesville, FL; by Daja Clayton; 4/25/25 Hospice of Marion County Foundation has received a generous donation from a club in Marion County to help with their Hope Renovation Project. This project helps educate the public on dementia and its impacts on seniors. The donations comes after the Women of the World Club held their annual fashion show charity event last month -- they made their final donation this month. The interim Executive Director of the Hospice of Marion County Foundation says these funds will also help bring new activities for seniors with dementia.

Two palliative care pioneers share their essential qualities for nurse leadershipehospice; 4/22/25“Four thousand miles apart, and prior to the establishment of the launch of the Global Palliative Nursing Network (GPNN), living very separate, parallel lives, Yangden Paki and Halima Ibrahim share many of the key qualities required to enable them as nurses to introduce, establish and grow palliative care provision in their respective countries – Bhutan and Sudan.

The deep roots never doubt spring will come. ~ Marty Rubin

Iowa nurse sentenced to prison after patient deathBecker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 4/25/25A former Iowa licensed nurse practitioner has been sentenced to prison after failing to help a nursing home patient who died of asphyxiation, the Des Moines Register reported April 24. Becky Manning, 70, was in charge of the overnight shift at Care Initiatives, a nursing facility in West Des Moines, during one night in February 2023. That night, an 87-year-old patient indicated that his tracheostomy tube in his neck needed to have fluids suctioned out. Ms. Manning, who was the sole nurse on duty, refused to do so after repeated requests. Earlier that night, she reportedly told the director of nursing that she was unwilling or unable to suction the tracheostomy tube and the nursing director told her to “watch a video and figure it out,” according to a lawsuit filed by the man’s family. The man died of asphyxiation.

The state of cancer mortality, incidence: 9 new findingsBecker's Hospital Review; bElizabeth Gregerson;4/21/25Overall cancer mortality rates decreased for men, women and children in the U.S. between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Cancer Institute’s “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer,” published April 21 in Cancer. The report presents cancer incidence and mortality data collected from NCI and CDC population-based cancer registries, as well as from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System, according to an April 21 news release from the NCI. Here are nine notes from the report:

Access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer MedPAC; by Kim Nueman, Grace Oh, and Nancy Ray; 4/11/25 [From MedPac Presentation Roadmap, meetings held April 10 & 11, 2025]

Hospice Choices: VITAS Healthcare expands in Austin, Texas Globe Newswire - Small Business World Journal; Press Release; 4/23/25... VITAS Healthcare has expanded its reach in the Austin area by opening a new administrative office in Pflugerville. With the addition of this North Austin location, VITAS now serves the entire metro area and surrounding counties, bringing greater access to compassionate, expert end-of-life care for patients and their families. ... Grand opening celebrations for the Kyle and Pflugerville offices are scheduled for late June.

Demystifying the End: Hospice care impact on the Black community Defender; by Laura Onyeneho; 4/22/25 Monica James has seen firsthand the confusion and emotional strain families face when end-of-life care isn’t discussed early enough. She works for the non-profit organization Houston Hospice as the Community Engagement Coordinator, serving 13 counties across Southeast Texas. ... According to data collected by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Black Americans on Medicare seek hospice and palliative treatment 13% less than their white counterparts. For African American, Afro-Caribbean and African immigrant families, generational trauma and a lack of trust in the healthcare system often lead to delayed decisions about hospice care. “There’s been a historical gap in access and trust,” said James. “Our goal is to show up consistently, to listen and to let these communities know they have options and that they’re not alone.”