Literature Review

‘Weighing our options’—Ottawa open to further pause to expand assisted dying rulesMontreal GazetteDecember 15, 2023Ottawa, ON—The federal government is considering whether to pause its original plan to broaden the rules that govern medically assisted dying so they include patients whose only underlying condition is a mental disorder. “We’re weighing our options,” Justice Minister Arif Virani said Wednesday.

Christmas tree competition lights the way for Hospice groupThe Acorn (Thousand Oaks, CA)December 15, 2023Thousand Oaks, CA—The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks is decked out for the holidays, with wreaths, ribbons and menorahs from one end to the other. But the mall’s highest concentration of Christmas cheer this season was found in a second-floor storefront between the Cheesecake Factory and J.C. Penney, at the Hospice of the Conejo’s Festival of Trees, held from Nov. 24 to Dec. 8. The annual pop-up display raises money for the T.O.-based nonprofit with an auction of trees decorated by local businesses and other organizations.

Indiana remains ‘an island of prohibition’ as surrounding states legalize marijuana. Some hope that changes.WRTV-TV (Indianapolis, IN)December 14, 2023Indianapolis, IN—... Indiana is one of just 12 states with a total ban on marijuana. As calls for legalization grow, are Indiana lawmakers ready to approve it here? Supporters hope so, but opponents say not so fast. “We’re an island of prohibition in Indiana and it is somewhat embarrassing,” said Keith Johnson, a veteran and proponent of legalization.

Palliative-Behavioral Health Collaborations Benefit Patients with Serious Mental IllnessesPalliative Care NewsDecember 15, 2023Palliative care providers have opportunities to bridge gaps of unmet needs among patients who have serious mental illnesses and their families. ... Building up community-based palliative and mental health care collaborations will be crucial to supporting a growing population of seniors with SMIs with complex needs, he [Dr. Andrew Esch, palliative care physician and senior education advisor at the Center to Advance Palliative Care] said. ... Some of the most common SMIs among seniors include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and post traumatic stress and major depression, among others.

Heed history’s warning on aid in dyingBy Sen. John HoffmanStar Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)December 14, 2023Legislative proposals to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Minnesota have been introduced in Minnesota every year since 2015. The bill contents change regularly as the authors try to stay ahead of the numerous legal, medical and ethical objections that are raised. Many of the changes just create new concerns. In whatever form, such legislation is dangerous and would likely have serious consequences for vulnerable populations—particularly those with disabilities.[Editor’s Note: The author is a member of the Minnesota Senate representing Champlin. He is a member of Democrat Farmer-Labor.]

Kansas Senate president says he’s open to discussing medical marijuana—but not recreationalKCUR-FM (Kansas City, MO)December 14, 2023During the upcoming legislative session in Kansas, medical marijuana is expected to be back for debate. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, fought the bill last year because he said it was too close to fully legalizing marijuana in the Sunflower State. However, Masterson told KCUR’s Up To Date on Wednesday that he is open to a discussion. 

Family caregiving doesn’t always mean poor mental health, study findsMcKnight’s Long Term Care NewsDecember 15, 2023Caregiving may be stressful for some people, but it can have mental health benefits for others, according to a new study. The author said people should not automatically categorize caregiving as a chronic stressor and would like to see more balance in the way it’s portrayed. 

‘Tougher Every Day’—Nursing Home Operators, CCRCs Weigh in on Future of Skilled NursingSkilled Nursing NewsDecember 14, 2023Operating a skilled nursing facility today is considered a “tough business” with regulations and reimbursement woes making the space “tougher every day.” Other operators say they regularly budget a loss for skilled nursing services, and if it weren’t for other lines of business, skilled nursing would be unsustainable. 

Falling short—99% of Mississippi nursing homes don’t meet new staffing regsMississippi TodayDecember 13, 2023... In Mississippi, all but two of the 200 skilled nursing facilities—those licensed to provide medical care from registered nurses—would need to increase staffing levels under federal regulations the Biden administration proposed in September, according to data analyzed by Mississippi Today, USA TODAY and Big Local News at Stanford University. That’s in line with the national trend: Over the first quarter of 2023—from January to March—less than 1% of skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. met the draft rule’s two core standards of provider care. 

Greener nurses enter field as workforce demand continues to spikeMcKnight’s Home Care DailyDecember 15, 2023Job openings in healthcare and social services have risen sharply in the last several years, and healthcare providers are taking on less-experienced registered nurses to handle the pressure. At the beginning of 2018, the average nurse’s tenure was more than six years of experience, according to a recent workforce report by the ADP Research Institute. In the five years since, however, high turnover rates and a corresponding abundance of job opportunities deflated a nurse’s average tenure to about five years of experience. 

Funerals Are More Expensive Than Last YearNewsweekDecember 12, 2023The cost of nearly everything is rising in the U.S., but economic circumstances are grim enough that even funerals are more expensive. Funeral costs surged 4.8 percent since last year, according to Consumer Price Index data released Tuesday, another indication the impact inflation is having on Americans. ... Since funerals and items like coffins are already expensive, this adds to the burden grieving families carry. 

‘You can continue a conversation’—Letters to the dead arrive at this P.O. box in L.A.Los Angeles TimesDecember 14, 2023Mail gets sent to the dead all the time—ads, renewal notices, unpaid bills. But if you want to send a letter to someone you’ve lost with the chance that they’ll actually receive it, there’s a box at a Los Angeles post office that carries a mysterious power. Postal Service for the Dead, started by artist Janelle Ketcher, provides the living with a way to physically send letters to those who have exited this realm. The letters are stored, and if so desired, shared with the public. 

Missouri legislation would allow doctor-assisted suicide for terminal patientsKFVS-TV (Cape Girardeau, MO)December 13, 2023Jefferson City, MO—A bill that’s been pre-filed in the Missouri House of Representatives would open the door to medically-assisted suicide for patients who have been diagnosed with terminal diseases. The legislation, nicknamed the ‘Marilyn Teitelbaum Death with Dignity’ Act, was named after a St. Louis-area women who traveled with family members to Denver as she suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and was seeking to end her life.