Literature Review

Remote SNF monitoring partnership promises 25 percent rehospitalization reduction McKnights Senior Living, by Josh Henreckson; 4/15/24 A new partnership between technology company Circadia Health and 81 skilled nursing facilities operated by Ciena Healthcare aims to significantly improve preventive care and reduce preventable rehospitalizations. Circadia’s C100 remote monitoring devices ... will be installed in residents’ rooms. They are capable of continuously monitoring key vital signs like residents’ breathing rate, heart rate and unusual motions and compare them with personalized profiles. 

From Hardship to Healing: The power of gratitude Everyday Health, by Simran Malhotra, MD; 4/15/24 This is my journey of previvorship in a nutshell: In a span of six years, between ages 26 and 32, I welcomed two children within 19 months, worked a full-time job during early motherhood as a palliative care physician, served on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and underwent multiple breast cancer risk-reducing surgeries in 2020. When people hear my story, I often get asked the same question repeatedly: “How did you handle all that?” ...

Funding boost for crucial hospice care, Welsh Government announces National Health Executive, by Louis Morris; 4/15/24 The Welsh Governmetn has confirmed that 12 hospices in Wales will receive £4million of funding to continue providing crucial care. The funding will help the network of hospices:

Medi Home Health and Hospice comes to CulpeperCulpeper Star-Exponent, by Richard Horner; 4/13/24Medi Home Health and Hospice held a grand opening celebration for its new Culpeper (VA) location on Tuesday. Sponsored by the Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce, Medi is an arm of Medical Services of America, which offers home health and hospice care. It had several locations throughout the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, including Virginia. According to Ashley McDonald, director of marketing for Medi, the business offers in-home care, including various forms of therapy and nursing care. Medi also offers hospice and palliative care.

Experts say Shannen Doherty’s approach to cancer ciagnosis can be helpfulToday Headline; 4/16/24Shannen Doherty, the actor best known for her role in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” has stage 4 cancer. She’s getting rid of her material possessions so she can focus on spending time with her mother. On an episode of her podcast, “Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty,” released on April 1, the actor said she wants to sell off some of her stuff so her mother doesn’t have to worry about dealing with it if she dies. ... She also said she hopes to use that money to travel with her mom without dipping into her savings.

To stand pat or not: When home health providers should expand service offerings Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 4/12/24 When it comes to expanding their business portfolios, home health leaders can continue to do what they know best, or they can decide to branch out. Leaders at companies like Choice Health at Home and The LTM Group have found themselves in this exact position. As a result, they have created a framework for determining when to diversify their business portfolios versus when to focus on developing their core care services. ...

Reno Little Theater’s ‘The Quality of Life’ explores the complications of death and grief ThisIsReno, by Taylor Harker; 4/14/24Reno Little Theater’s “Quality of Life” brilliantly interweaves the lives of two families confronting profound grief and mortality. ... Together, ... two families navigate the turbulent waters of existential crises, each bringing their unique perspectives on faith, resilience and the ethics surrounding end-of-life decisions. ... “Quality of Life,” a dramatic comedy by Jane Anderson, explores how individuals and families confront and converse about death. The narrative is both tender and perceptive, delving into the internal conflicts and strong familial bonds that challenge and uphold them.

Message-based telehealth an increasingly important part of seniors’ healthcare, study findsMcKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 4/11/24 Many healthcare experts, and even government agencies, are working to try to expand telehealth coverage for older adults. But much of that work considers telehealth in terms of video and/or phone conversations. E-mails and digital messaging across patient portals, however, also are part of seniors’ healthcare regimen, particularly those who are Medicare beneficiaries, finds a new study published in Health Affairs Scholar. As such, updated telehealth coverage decisions should factor in the time that older adults, their caregivers and clinicians need to exchange these messages, the researchers said.

Comment: Rule must change to allow dialysis as end-of-life care HeraldNet, by Matthew Rivara and Mackenzie Daniek; 4/13/24More than 1 in 7 American adults live with chronic kidney disease, making it one of the most common chronic disease conditions in the United States. ... Medicare will generally not reimburse health care providers for dialysis treatments if a patient has elected to enter hospice care, as dialysis treatments are considered by Medicare to be “curative” rather than “palliative” care. Because of this, most patients getting dialysis for ESRD must forego all dialysis treatment after entering a hospice program.

Modern Healthcare's Diversity Leaders Awards: Nominate a diverse leader Modern Healthcare; 4/12/24 The Diversity Leaders in Healthcare awards program takes great pride in honoring the healthcare executives and organizations working to further equity and inclusion at their organizations and in the overall industry. ... [Click on the title's link for Individual and Organizational Awards' Dates, Eligibility, Criteria, Required Materials, and more] 

Mayo Clinic Minute: Creating an advance directive for your future well-being

Art made by hospice patients displayed at Poole Lighthouse Yahoo! News, by Erin Rhodes, United Kingdom; 4/15/24 More than 200 pieces of art made by patients at a Dorset hospice charity have been displayed at the Lighthouse in Poole [United Kingdom]. The artworks have been made by patients with life-limiting illnesses at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s hubs across Poole and east Dorset. Creative Art is one of the services the charity provides to support patients’ wellbeing and mental health. 

Goals of care among patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers in the last years of life JAMA Network; by Semra Ozdemir, PhD; Isha Chaudhry, MSc, Chetna Malhotra, MD; et al; 4/11/24 Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of patient-caregiver dyads, findings suggested the importance of interventions aimed at reducing discordance in goals of care between patients and caregivers and helping them develop realistic expectations to avoid costly, futile treatments.