Literature Review

How can hospice and palliative care providers address elder abuse?AAHPM Quarterly; by Larry Beresford; Fall 2024In June of [2024], the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), a professional member organization representing established nonprofit hospice and palliative care providers, issued a white paper and resource guide called “Breaking the Silence: Addressing Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse and Neglect.” This release launched a campaign aimed at bringing greater attention to the widespread, underappreciated, and underreported epidemic of elder abuse—in all of its forms but for hospice and palliative care patients in particular. The launch was held in conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, created at the United Nations and observed around the world. Collaborating on NPHI’s project is the NO MORE Foundation, which is dedicated to ending domestic and sexual violence through allied organizations, international chapters, and grassroots activities. “Breaking the Silence” includes resources on elder abuse and insights into its prevalence and the various forms it takes while encouraging providers to screen for and respond to suspected abuse.

Hospice celebrated National Volunteer Week 2025

How do we encourage and advance the quality of hospice care in America?AAHPM Quarterly; by Larry Beresford; Spring 2025While the majority of hospice agencies work hard to provide good care, stories about those that fail to live up to their ethical or legal obligations have appeared in prominent journalistic settings in recent years. But if we dig deeper into quality, we see lots of questions about what quality hospice care really means. What kinds of messages should hospices be delivering to their various publics about quality and about choosing the provider that will meet their particular needs?Notable mentions: Judi Lund Person, Holly Yang, Rebecca Yamarik, Alan Kaplan, Martina Meier, Martha Twaddle, Joseph Shega, John Mulder, Edward Martin, Jennifer Kennedy.

HHS proposal slashes Medicare SHIP funds MSN; by Mary Helen Gillespie; 4/22/25 The Trump administration is proposing federal budget cuts to Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) and seven additional elder health care safety net programs that assist older Americans. ... SHIP programs have been under the umbrella of the Health and Human Services agency Administration for Community Living. The pre-decisional budget lists funds for seven other ACL programs that would be eliminated are:

National Volunteer Week: April 20-26, 2025 Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; 4/18/25 We hope you have been preparing ways to celebrate your volunteers! The root word for volunteer--"vol"--means "will," "wish," as in of one's own volition. One's own free will. Your volunteers can surely choose to give their time to a world of other meaningful missions. And they choose your hospice. Each time they simply show up. This week, intentionally "will" and "wish" something special for your faithful volunteers, and your employees who lead them. 

“It’s an homage”: Noah Wyle quietly sneaked in a tribute in one of the best episodes of ‘The Pitt’ FandomWire; by Arian Cruz; 4/18/25 In the fourth episode of The Pitt titled 10:00 A.M., Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch monitored Mr. Spencer during his final hours while dealing with his own thoughts about the death of his beloved mentor, Dr. Adamson. He remembers the advice he received from him and shared it with the children of the dying patient as they waited for their father to pass. The phrases ‘I love you,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘I forgive you,’ and ‘Please forgive me’ are words that need to be heard when someone is at the end of their life. Wyle revealed that he took these lessons from palliative care physician and author Ira Byock when he was writing the screenplay. Wyle said these short phrases are profound and hold deep meanings beyond their simplicity. He made sure to weave them in on the show while taking inspiration from his own mother for the emotional scenes. He shared via USA Today: "A very similar event had played out with my mother and her brother when saying goodbye to my grandfather. After she shared this with me, I just said ‘Thank you,’ went right back to my typewriter and wrote the scene. It’s an homage to my mother, my uncle and my grandfather.Editor's and Publisher's note: And we thank you, Dr. Ira Byock, for your profound, immeasurable influence for so many of us--professionally with those we serve, and personally with our own families and friends.

Social Media Watch 4/18/25

Belief in an afterlife is increasing in the United States: Even among the non-religious The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA); by Ryan Burge; 4/17/25 This post has been unlocked through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment for the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). The graphs you see here use data that is publicly available for download and analysis through link(s) provided in the text below. ... I wanted to dig a bit deeper on the variations in those belief metrics today, with a question that I haven’t really probed a whole lot. The General Social Survey, which is available on the Association of Religion Data Archives website, contains a really straightforward question, “Do you believe there is a life after death?” And it has an even simpler set of response options - yes or no. It’s been asked with regularity since 1973, so we have nearly five decades of data on this one specific question. ... Even today, the share of Americans who believe in life after death is 82%. When people ask me, “Is the United States a religious country?” This is the stat that I’m going to trot out.

Pope Francis has died, Vatican says Sent as Breaking News to subscribers 4/21/25 @ 11:00 AM ET.Reuters, Vatican City; by Joshua McElwee; 4/21/25, 6:11 am EDT, updated 6:51 am EDT Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution. He was 88, and had suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia this year, but his death came as a shock after he had been driven around St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.Editor's Note: See "Today's Encouragement: From Pope Francis' April 20, 2025 Easter Message at Saint Peter's Square, The Vatican  ..."

Statement by the American Nurses Association on the importance of nursing specific science and research and the leaked FY 2026 HHS Budget Proposal American Nurses Association; Press Release, newsroom@ana.org; 4/17/25 Nursing-specific science and research is uniquely positioned to inform the health care delivery system on evidence-based approaches to patient-centered, quality care that meets the needs of patients as effectively and efficiently as possible. ... “The American Nurses Association (ANA) is deeply concerned about the recent reports surrounding the leaked draft FY 2026 proposed budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the elimination of National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and deep cuts to Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs," expressed American Nurses Association President Dr. Jennifer Mensik-Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “ANA firmly believes that NINR plays a vital role in ensuring that research guided by nurses’ education, experiences, and clinical training continue to enable our overall health care system to improve and be driven by evidence.” ... Further, ANA is grateful for the broad bipartisan support these programs have historically received from Congress and will work closely with lawmakers to safeguard funding for these programs during the FY2026 appropriations process.  ...

Transforming communities through leadership with Quint StuderTeleios Anatomy of Leadership podcast; by Chris Comeaux, Quint Studer; 4/9/25In this episode, Chris sits down with Quint Studer, Founder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group and one of his most trusted mentors, to dive deep into the transformation of Pensacola, Florida. Quint reveals his powerful framework for community change, sharing essential leadership insights and the challenges of driving real transformation.

A mother’s goodbye-Barriers to microtransitions in careJAMA Internal Medicine; Aval-Na’Ree S. Green, Benjamin E. Canter; 3/25After a long, debilitating battle with lupus, my cousin died at the doorsteps of our health system. The funeral was at 11:00 am. I arrived at the facility at 8:45 am. Although the catheter was in place, my aunt was undressed, with remnants of breakfast on her gown. She had not been bathed. The staff and I wheeled my aunt outside and attempted to load her into the van. Once my aunt was in the chair, it could not fit through the van door. Because this transition was not a medical health care appointment, the facility did not coordinate the resources, including use of the van, that were necessary for it to occur successfully. In contrast, had this been a medical outing, such as a weekend dialysis appointment, the facility would have been required to provide transportation. If this microtransition had been treated like a major health care transition, perhaps it would have had a better chance of success. Nursing teams use checklists during major care transitions; similar procedures should apply to microtransitions.

Hospitalists in a bind when cancer prognosis hasn’t sunk inMedscape; by Jake Remaly; 4/15/25 When a patient with cancer is admitted to the hospital, the reason might not be related to the malignancy. But the hospitalist in charge sometimes becomes aware of a major disconnect: The patient, who they just met, does not grasp the severity of their cancer prognosis. On the one hand, the hospital medicine team and patient have advance directives and goals of care to consider, which may steer the course of the hospitalization and any use of hospice. The cancer prognosis — the patient might only have months to live, for example — could be a key component of those conversations. On the other hand, explaining the cancer situation should fall to the oncologist, right? ...Editor's notes: Pair this with today's posts,