Literature Review

New Hampshire’s first hospice house marks 30 years of service to the community

Family matriarch crosses ocean swim off bucket list Star News Group, Manasquan, NJ; by Alex Dyer; 10/3/24 Dorothy Jean “Dot” Temple ventured into the rough surf, her arms supported by loved ones, her feet tickled by sea foam and soft sand. Wading in the ocean is an ordinary pleasure. But on this day, it was special for Temple and for everyone who came to watch her enjoy the water. At age 93, it’s no longer an easy task for Temple to indulge in her love of ocean swimming, an activity in which she had excelled for a majority of her life. ... Dot was recently admitted to the hospital, where the family was not “sure if she would survive the night.” Afterwards, she was put on hospice, where she was advised to cease her medication. “We were heartbroken at the prospect of possibly losing her, but in typical Nanny fashion…she is holding her own and is still doing great — all things considered,” said Gasetel. “A strong-headed woman, she has been very vocal that before she passes, she absolutely must go swimming in the ocean one more time; so that’s exactly what we did.”

Food with love: A Lafayette kitchen provides meals and 'walks that final walk with families' Nola.com; by Catherine S. Comeaux; 10/6/24 Approaching retirement, Kent Zerangue had the idea of running a small catering business in his backyard kitchen. A bowl of gumbo changed those plans. Now, from that kitchen, he and a team of volunteers operate Food With Love — a ministry that brings food, love and guidance to hospice families. ... In 2016, as his own father was in hospice care, a neighbor brought over a shrimp and okra gumbo. It not only comforted and fed the family, but it also set Zerangue to think, “Why not just cook for people and give it away? By 2017, he and his wife Susie began doing just that — first for a friend whose son had a stroke, then another whose husband was terminally ill. Word-of-mouth spread and by the end of that year, they were feeding 10 families. They also began leaving food for families in the freezers at Hospice of Acadiana. Knowing the hospice nurses’ workload didn’t always allow time for food delivery, a hospice volunteer coordinator asked Zerangue if he would like to deliver the meals to families. His initially declined since he was content with just cooking. That is, until he realized that the frozen meals weren’t moving as frequently as he was cooking them. ....Editor's note: What a meaningful ministry that surely makes a difference. This can be easy to adapt for you own hospice. Assess needs. Brainstorm ideas. Find partners and sponsors. As this article's title voices, "walk that final walk with families."

Asian-American communities face ‘digital divide’ in health equity, hospice care Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/1/24 Recent research has dug into the barriers limiting greater telehealth utilization among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The data come at a time when hospices are striving to better understand how to improve those groups’ end-of-life trajectories. Technology utilization has gained momentum in health care, including in hospice care delivery. Though increased virtual health care access can help hospice providers reach patients upstream, the trend may be worsening disparities and outcomes among Asian American populations, according to Victoria Tsze, an outpatient hospice social worker at Tucson Medical Center (TMC) Hospice. 

AccentCare sued by EEOC for pay discrimination, retaliationMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/1/24The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed last week that it filed a lawsuit against AccentCare, a national provider of home health, personal care and hospice services, alleging wage discrimination and retaliation against workers.

Heartwarming video show calves bringing joy to hospice patients[Augusta, GA] Fox54 News; by Talker News; 9/26/24Carol Harland had family visiting her when she was surprised by the calves visiting. A heartwarming video shows end of life patients meeting and cuddling two adorable calves. Residents at Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield, Derbys., spent their day being entertained by four-week-old Brown Swiss cows Bonnie and Bella. Carol Harland, 75, was only admitted into the hospice's inpatient unit two days before the "gorgeous" cows came and visited her but said she had a "lovely day." Carol, who has bowel cancer, said: "The cows have been gorgeous.

Introducing the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool [CMS webinar]CMS press release; 10/2/24The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides an overview of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool and how it relates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) as described in the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Hospice Final Rule. This training is intended for all hospice providers. The 30-minute course can be viewed on demand and includes interactive exercises to help you understand and apply the content presented. While it is intended that these eight lessons be completed in sequential order, you may also jump directly to any topic of interest.

The HOPE assessment tool: What you need to know [free webinar from CHAP]CHAP press release; 10/2/24The HOPE assessment tool kicks off in 2025 and will catalyze hospice care to a new level. CMS developed the HOPE tool to inform future quality measure development and payment reform, eventually moving hospice from pay-for-submission to pay-for-performance. This session will describe the implementation of the HOPE assessment tool, content highlights, and its impact on hospice program operations in the next several years.Publisher's note: Dr. Jennifer Kennedy and Kim Skehan from CHAP are presenting this free webinar 10/16/24 @ 1:00-2:00 PM ET. Please click the link above for addtional and registration information.

‘Much-needed hospice … vital to our community:’ Mayor Elizabeth Roy salutes Whitby Hospice breaking ground after 8-year effort, millions raised and tireless efforts by volunteers DurhamRegion.com, Durham, NC: by Tim Kelly; 9/29/24 After many years of hard work and fundraising by dedicated volunteers, Hospice Whitby — Roger Anderson House is about to break ground. For the chief organizers on the committee Hospice Whitby committee, it was time to really enjoy the moment and they made a video to celebrate it. With the building of Whitby’s hospice, the region will have gone from no hospice beds at all to 29 in under five years. 

SNF, home health [and hospice] CEOs could be jailed over cybersecurity issues under new billMcKnight's Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 9/30/24New legislation aimed at improving cybersecurity in healthcare could see leaders at skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and hospices jailed if they lie about their cybersecurity precautions, according to one of its sponsors. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) announced the Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act on Thursday. The bill also covers other types of healthcare businesses. “The healthcare industry has some of the worst cybersecurity practices in the nation despite its critical importance to Americans’ well-being and privacy,” Wyden said. “These commonsense reforms, which include jail time for CEOs that lie to the government about their cybersecurity, will set a course to beef up cybersecurity among healthcare companies across the nation and stem the tide of cyberattacks that threaten to cripple the American healthcare system.”

Vitas Healthcare introduces premier hospice care in Bakersfield and Fresno GlobeNewswire; by Vitas Healthcare; 10/1/24 To meet the growing need for quality end-of-life care in California’s Central Valley, Vitas Healthcare hospice services are now available for residents of Bakersfield and Fresno. With local interdisciplinary teams based in each city, Vitas now offers expert clinical, emotional and spiritual care for seriously ill patients in their homes, nursing homes, assisted living communities and inpatient care settings. 

Hospice provider to relocate HQ on Milwaukee’s far northwest side BizTimes - Milwaukee, WI; by Hunter Turpin; 9/26/24 Milwaukee-based Horizon Home Care & Hospice will move its headquarters to occupy about 31,500 square feet at Park Place Business Park on Milwaukee’s far northwest side.

10 vital skills to future-proof healthcare leaders Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 9/30/24 The most successful healthcare leaders in the next two years will leave the traditional organizational structures and models in the past in favor of extreme nimbleness, stronger soft skills and optimization of digital technology. Becker's Healthcare connected with 77 leaders from hospitals and health systems across the U.S. who shared the qualities and skill sets that will become more important in the next few years. Here are 10 areas of focus: