Literature Review
Event raises $47,000 for Tillery Compassionate Care
05/13/24 at 03:00 AMEvent raises $47,000 for Tillery Compassionate Care
Utah man angry: "Why am I still alive?"
05/13/24 at 02:45 AMUtah man angry: "Why am I still alive?" Cat Country 107.3/94.9; by Andy Griffin; 5/10/24 George Ball (not his real name) is angry. He's dying soon, he knows that. But what he's really mad about is that he's still alive. "I signed the paper. I made the request," he said. "So, why am I still alive?" ... The 72-year-old Utahn recently had a heart attack (cardiac arrest), and was essentially dead for a few minutes before being resuscitated at a Utah hospital. Life-saving measures were taken, including shooting adrenaline into his heart. He was gone, but they brought him back. Happy ending, right? The only problem was, Ball had signed and certified a DNR -- a do not resuscitate order -- so that if he, well, died, heroic measures would not be taken to bring him back to life. ...
Volunteering in hospice helps Macalester students contemplate death's mysteries up close
05/13/24 at 02:30 AMVolunteering in hospice helps Macalester students contemplate death's mysteries up close MSN - Minneapolis Star Tribune; by Katy Read; 5/10/24 "You think it will never happen to you, that it cannot happen to you, that you are the only person in the world to whom none of these things will ever happen," author Paul Auster wrote about humans' difficulty confronting our own mortality. ... Auster himself died last month at age 77. ... How can humans fully grasp the inevitability of our own death? It's a tough question to answer, maybe close to impossible. Three Macalester College students who just finished a course called the Anthropology of Death and Dying don't have the answer. Their professor, who has spent much of his career studying death as an anthropologist and a former hospice nurse, doesn't have an answer. A hospice nurse doesn't have the answer. And a hospice patient with lung cancer doesn't have the answer, even knowing he soon will confront its reality firsthand.
LifeBio announces partnership with New York State Office for the Aging to capture the legacies of hospice patients
05/13/24 at 02:00 AMLifeBio announces partnership with New York State Office for the Aging to capture the legacies of hospice patientsKFOL/KJUN HTV10; 5/9/24 LifeBio has launched a partnership the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and the Association on Aging in NYS (AANYS) to rollout an innovative life story project to people in hospice care. This is the first initiative of its kind in the U.S. to be supported with funding from a state-level unit on aging. Using the LifeBio Memory app to record the voices of New Yorkers, each participating hospice patient will receive back a Life Story Book containing stories, memories and favorite photos to share with loved ones. Audio files will be saved privately and securely. LifeBio will also offer the option of journals for handwriting the stories.
What nurses really need is better staffing: The common strategies to raise nurse morale need an update
05/13/24 at 02:00 AMWhat nurses really need is better staffing: The common strategies to raise nurse morale need an updatePenn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Karen Lasater, PhD, RN, and Jane Muir, PhD, APRN; 5/10/24Pizza. Coloring books. Goody bags. They could be activities at a 5-year-old’s birthday party. But they’re not: These are many employers’ attempts to lift the morale of nurses on the frontlines of chronically understaffed organizations. What nurses really want are better working conditions so they can deliver the best care possible to their patients. As researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, we asked thousands of nurses why they are leaving their profession. Their answers are straightforward — short staffing is so rampant that the public’s health care is at risk. The playbook of corporate health care asks nurses to do much with little, but nurses aren’t willing to skimp on quality and safety. There isn’t a nursing shortage — it’s nurses’ refusal to be part of a system that puts profits before safety.
A Mother’s Story: Grieving a child on Mother’s Day
05/13/24 at 02:00 AMA Mother’s Story: Grieving a child on Mother’s Day KEYT3, Santa Barbara, CA; by Patricia Martellotti; 5/10/24For many, Mother’s Day can be a bittersweet reminder for mothers who have lost a child. Rosy Bucio lost her daughter, Nina, age five from a rare childhood cancer. ... Bucio offers ideas to help those who are grieving cope on Mother’s Day. Find out how Hospice of Santa Barbara also helped Bucio through the grieving process on News Channel 3.
He thinks his wife died in an understaffed hospital. Now he’s trying to change the industry.
05/12/24 at 03:50 AMHe thinks his wife died in an understaffed hospital. Now he’s trying to change the industry.Fortune; by KFF Health News and Kate Wells; 4/19/24For the past year, police Detective Tim Lillard has spent most of his waking hours unofficially investigating his wife’s death. The question has never been exactly how Ann Picha-Lillard died on Nov. 19, 2022: She succumbed to respiratory failure after an infection put too much strain on her weakened lungs. She was 65. For Tim Lillard, the question has been why.Publisher's Note: We often discuss workforce shortages in terms of staff stress. This interesting and heartbreaking story explores workforce shortages in terms of patient harm.
Chutes and Ladders
05/12/24 at 03:45 AMChutes and Ladders Fierce Healthcare; by Noah Tong; 5/3/24 Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of hirings, firings and retirings throughout the industry. [Click on the title's link for this extensive list.]
Chesapeake Life Center offers monthly LGBTQIA+ drop-in grief support group
05/12/24 at 03:40 AMChesapeake Life Center offers monthly LGBTQIA+ drop-in grief support group Southern Maryland News Net; 5/6/24 Chesapeake Life Center will host a monthly drop-in grief support group for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. ... Grief is a hard and vulnerable time, and it is important to have safe spaces to process what we are going through. This group is intended for adult members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are grieving a past or approaching death. The group will be facilitated by a licensed queer therapist but will be loosely structured to offer an opportunity for participants to share their feelings and grieve with community.Editor's Note: Hospice & Palliative Care Today does not post upcoming, local hospice events, grief support groups, volunteer trainings, etc. However, we're posting this LGBTQIA+ grief support ("past or approaching death") due to its profound need and support, with opportunities for replication by other hospices. Pair this support with the article we posted on 4/21/24: LGBTQ+ individuals have higher rates of cancer because of disparities in modifiable risk factors, ACS says.
Shocked at end-of-life: An educational video for hospice workers about Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators
05/12/24 at 03:35 AMShocked at end-of-life: An educational video for hospice workers about Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Sarah Godfrey, MD, MPH; Christine L. Chen, MD; Melanie S. Sulistio, MD; Sharika Kumar, MD; and Kelley Newcomer, MD; 2/24 Introduction: Hundreds of thousands of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) die yearly. Though ICD shocks can be lifesaving, they can also be severely painful. One third of ICD patients are shocked in the last day of life irrespective of DNR status. Over 97% of hospice programs admit patients with ICDs, yet only 10% have deactivation policies and less than 50% of hospice patients have their ICD deactivated. ... Conclusion: Hospice personnel have limited knowledge about ICDs, prohibiting best care of patients with these devices at EOL. A short educational video increased knowledge and may serve as a helpful tool. Improving ICD knowledge amongst hospice personnel is essential to ensuring the unique needs of hospice patients with ICDs are met.
Patients, caregivers more willing to spend extra for home-based care, study finds
05/12/24 at 03:30 AMPatients, caregivers more willing to spend extra for home-based care, study finds McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/30/24 [According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open:] ... On average, respondents were willing to spend an extra $51.81 for care that takes place in the home, compared to facility-based care such such as that in a skilled nursing facility. They were also more willing to pay more for care that can reduce their recovery time or reduce caregivers’ burden. Caregivers, meanwhile, also prioritized higher-quality care, even if it came with a heftier price tag.
The power of art in palliative care
05/12/24 at 03:25 AMThe power of art in palliative care InSight+, Melbourne, Australia; by Caitlin Wright; 5/6/24 ... Melbourne artist Jeffrey Kelson is known for his thought-provoking portraits, several of which have been exhibited at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. He believes a portrait is a window into a subject’s heart and mind. However, after being diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer, it wasn’t this style of art that Mr. Kelson was drawn to. As soon as he felt well enough to return to his studio, he started work on a series of colourful collages. “At one point, my wife came into the room and commented on how bright they were and how full of life force. She was surprised that I could create pieces that were so energetic when I felt so ill. I hadn’t really thought about it. I just needed to work,” he told InSight+. ... Palliative care specialist Dr Eric Fairbank was one of Mr Kelson’s art students for several years before Mr. Kelson’s diagnosis. He said Mr Kelson’s approach to his diagnosis has confirmed his belief that the best outcomes of cancer treatment are achieved when they’re complemented by the patient’s own resources of mind, will and spirit. [Click on the title's link to view several of his paintings.]
Updated guidance on workplace harassment covers misgendering pronouns, bias over bathroom use, more
05/12/24 at 03:20 AMUpdated guidance on workplace harassment covers misgendering pronouns, bias over bathroom use, more McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 5/2/24 Final guidance published last week by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission aims to clarify for employers, employees and others their obligations related to harassment in the workplace. ... This is the first update to the guidance in 25 years, aimed at enforcing more recent changes in federal law. EEOC clarified that harassment by any person — including employers, coworkers, customers and clients — can violate federal law. ... According to the EEOC, the new guidance “updates, consolidates and replaces the agency’s five guidance documents issued between 1987 and 1999 and serves as a single, unified agency resource on EEOC-enforced workplace harassment law.” Among other guidance, the EEOC calls out asking intrusive questions about a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender transition or intimate body parts as forms of harassment.
Elara Caring, cited in death of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, vows to contest violation
05/12/24 at 03:15 AMElara Caring, cited in death of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, vows to contest violation McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 5/3/24 The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited home health, hospice and personal care provider Elara Caring for failing to provide adequate safeguards to protect visiting nurse Joyce Grayson from workplace violence. Grayson, a licensed practical nurse, was killed last Oct. 28 while providing a home health visit for a client living in a halfway house in Willimantic, CT. The DOL disclosed this week that its OSHA division cited New England Home Care, where Grayson worked, and Jordan Health Care Inc., which both do business as Elara Caring, with a “Willful-Serious” citation. Elara Caring faces up to $163,627 in penalties resulting from the citation. ...
[Australia] Palliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed framework
05/12/24 at 03:10 AM[Australia] Palliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed frameworkRiotack - Australia; by James Day; 5/6/24A proposed national framework suggests paramedics could help ease pressure on emergency departments by supporting palliative care patients who wish to die at home. Published in the leading international peer reviewed journal Palliative Medicine, the framework seeks to embed palliative care into paramedics’ core business and reduce needless transports to hospital. ... Lead author and trained paramedic Dr. Madeleine Juhrmann developed the framework in consultation with paramedics, palliative care doctors, GPs, carers with lived experience and others. The expert group – representing six countries and all the states of Australia – agreed on the framework’s 32 service changes to standardise best practice for paramedics delivering palliative care in community-based settings.Editor's Note: Pair this solution with related articles in today's newsletter, "Stranded in the ER, seniors await hospital care and suffer avoidable harm" and "How Mass General Brigham provides emergency care at home" (both are in our "Post-Acute" section).
Maddy Baloy had only 1 year to live after cancer diagnosis — and chose joy: 'Didn’t let anything defy her’
05/12/24 at 03:05 AMMaddy Baloy had only 1 year to live after cancer diagnosis — and chose joy: 'Didn’t let anything defy her’ People; by Lizzie Hyman; 5/8/24 Even surrounded by loved ones in hospice care at her Florida home, Maddy Baloy craved adventure. “She kept saying, ‘I want to go outside and go swimming,’ ” her fiancé Louis Risher tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. It was how Baloy had approached each day from the time she was diagnosed with terminal cancer in February 2023, to the end of her life on May 2, 2024. In just over one year, the 26 year old gained the admiration and support of millions who followed her journey on TikTok as she worked her way through a 19-item bucket list of skills to learn, people to meet and places to go. “Maddy did not let anything defy her,” Risher, 27, says. “She was always just about love.”
Sunday newsletters
05/12/24 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
TCN News Stories of the Month, April 2024
05/12/24 at 03:00 AMTCN News Stories of the Month, April 2024TCN Talks; by Chris Comeaux and Mark Cohen; 5/1/24In this podcast Chris and Mark discuss our newsletter's top news stories for the month of April as reported in Hospice and Palliative Care Today. You can subscribe for free here: https://www.hospicepalliativecaretoday.com/registration.
How to become a great boss
05/12/24 at 03:00 AMHow to become a great bossBy Jeffrey J. Fox; 2002The Great Boss Simple Success Formula:
The value of screening for a history of incarceration in the palliative care setting
05/11/24 at 03:00 AMThe value of screening for a history of incarceration in the palliative care settingAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Joseph Michael Schnitter, Joshua Hauser; 5/24In this article, we explore existing literature that highlights the unique physical, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges that formerly incarcerated patients face. We proceed to argue that palliative care providers should screen for a history of incarceration to identify and address the needs of this patient population. We also offer strategies to create a safe, welcoming environment to discuss past traumas related to these patients’ time in prison.
The role of mindfulness and resilience in Navy SEAL training
05/11/24 at 03:00 AMThe role of mindfulness and resilience in Navy SEAL trainingMilitary Psychology; by Andrew Ledford, Celeste Raver Luning, Deirdre P. Dixon, Patti Miles, Scott M. Lynch; 5/24Mindfulness and resilience are thought to be essential qualities of the military’s special operations community. Both are tested daily in Special Operations Forces (SOF) assessment and selection efforts to prepare candidates to persist through grueling training and complex combat situations; but these qualities are rarely measured. While military leadership places value on the concepts of mindfulness and resilience, there is minimal empirical research examining the role that they play in the completion of training. This longitudinal study followed three classes of SEAL candidates at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training over their six-month selection program. We estimated logit models predicting successful completion of BUD/S and specific types of failure in that training environment with indexes of mindfulness and resilience at the start of the program as predictors of completion. The results indicate that mindfulness is generally unrelated to completion, while resilience generally predicts completion.Publisher's note: A leadership-oriented article from another field (the military) that can be applied to healthcare.
In praise of hospice
05/11/24 at 03:00 AMIn praise of hospiceJAMA; by James R. Nicholas, MD; 4/24... Joan did what she wanted to do: she, with the help of hospice, made her dying as easy as possible for me and our children. I have the same wish for myself. I doubt if I will achieve it as well as did Joan, but I will have her as a guide. And I hope I will have the kind of hospice team that Joan had.
Does assisted living provide assistance and promote living?
05/11/24 at 03:00 AMDoes assisted living provide assistance and promote living?Health Affairs; by Sheryl Zimmerman, Robyn Stone, Paula Carder, Kali Thomas; 5/24Assisted living has promised assistance and quality of living to older adults for more than eighty years. ... As assisted living has evolved, the needs of residents have become more challenging; staffing shortages have worsened; regulations have become complex; the need for consumer support, education, and advocacy has grown; and financing and accessibility have become insufficient. Together, these factors have limited the extent to which today’s assisted living adequately provides assistance and promotes living, with negative consequences for aging in place and well-being. This Commentary provides recommendations in four areas to help assisted living meet its promise: workforce; regulations and government; consumer needs and roles; and financing and accessibility. Policies that may be helpful include those that would increase staffing and boost wages and training; establish staffing standards with appropriate skill mix; promulgate state regulations that enable greater use of third-party services; encourage uniform data reporting; provide funds supporting family involvement; make community disclosure statements more accessible; and offer owners and operators incentives to facilitate access for consumers with fewer resources. Attention to these and other recommendations may help assisted living live up to its name.Publisher's note: Many of these ALF recommendations may be helpful in hospice, too...
Oregon Death with Dignity Act access: 25 year analysis
05/11/24 at 03:00 AMOregon Death with Dignity Act access: 25 year analysisBMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Claud Regnard, Ana Worthington, Ilora Finlay; 5/24[UK] The number of assisted deaths in Oregon increased from 16 in 1998 to 278 in 2022. Over this time, patients’ health funding status changed from predominantly private (65%) to predominantly government support (79.5%), and there was an increase in patients feeling a burden and describing financial concerns as reasons for choosing an assisted death. There has been a reduction in the length of the physician–patient relationship from 18 weeks in 2010 to 5 weeks in 2022, and the proportion referred for psychiatric assessment remains low (1%). Data are frequently missing, particularly around complications.