Literature Review

Kaiser Health Care: Navigating Aging: Older men’s connections often wither when they’re on their own Tahlequah Daily Press; by Judith Graham; 10/12/24 At age 66, South Carolina physician Paul Rousseau decided to retire after tending for decades to the suffering of people who were seriously ill or dying. It was a difficult and emotionally fraught transition. … Seeking a change of venue, Rousseau moved to the mountains. … Soon, a sense of emptiness enveloped him. … His work as a doctor had been all-consuming. Former colleagues didn’t get in touch, nor did he reach out. His wife had passed away after a painful illness, … His isolation mounted as his three dogs, his most reliable companions, died. Rousseau was completely alone — without friends, family, or a professional identity — and overcome by a sense of loss. “I was a somewhat distinguished physician with a 60-page resume,” Rousseau, now 73, wrote in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May. “Now, I’m ‘no one,’ a retired, forgotten old man who dithers away the days.” In some ways, older men living alone are disadvantaged compared with older women in similar circumstances. Research shows that men tend to have fewer friends than women and be less inclined to make new friends. Often, they’re reluctant to ask for help.

Private equity in senior living an increasing focus of federal, state government McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto, Lois A. Bowers and Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 10/7/24 At press time [10/7], a bill that would require private equity firms and hedge fund organizations in California to give prior notice of acquisitions or changes in control to the state’s attorney general was sitting on the governor’s desk, to become effective Jan. 1 if he signed it into law. It is just one example of legislation recently put forth at the state or national level focused on the private equity and real estate investment trust funding sometimes used in senior living and in other industries. ... The legislation calls for greater transparency for private equity firms and for-profit companies that own healthcare entities, including nursing homes, hospitals, and mental or behavioral health facilities. ...

Maryland hospitals face IV shortage as hurricanes hit suppliers The Baltimore Banner; by Sapna Bansil; 10/10/24 Hospitals across Maryland are scrambling to conserve IV fluids after damage from Hurricane Helene last month halted production at the country’s leading manufacturer and triggered a national shortage — which could worsen as Hurricane Milton drenches Florida this week. Baxter International shut down its plant in Marion, N.C., about 35 miles east of Asheville, after it experienced severe flooding and a nearby bridge collapsed. The facility produced 1.5 million bags a day and accounted for 60% of the nation’s supply of IV fluids, according to the American Hospital Association. Another key manufacturing plant, for B. Braun Medical in Daytona Beach, Florida, is in the path of Hurricane Milton. The company said that it planned to temporarily close the facility and that it had relocated its inventory farther north. In a statement posted to its website Wednesday, Baxter said that as it has ramped up production at its global facilities, most customers are now able to receive the majority of what they typically order. There is no timeline on when production will resume in North Carolina.

Home health sector leads healthcare job growth in September: BLSMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 10/7/24Last month, the number of jobs in home healthcare increased by 13,000. That compares with employment gains of 12,000 in hospital care and 9,000 in nursing and residential care facilities. Meanwhile, medical and diagnostic laboratories saw roughly 1,400 workers leave the field. There were approximately 1.8 million home healthcare workers in the US as of September, according to the BLS. That represents a roughly 8.6% increase in the number of home health jobs over the past 12 months.

Newsweek: America's Best Nursing Homes 2025 Newsweek; introduction by Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief; 10/8/24 ... This year's list recognizes 1,050 nursing homes across the 25 states with the highest number of facilities, according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data. The top nursing homes in each state were assessed and ranked based on four pillars: performance data, recommendations of medical professionals, accreditations and resident satisfaction.Editor's note: To access lists, click on the title's link and scroll down to select "... 50-99 beds," "... 100-149 beds," "... 150+ beds." Results are ranked and organized by state.

PACE Programs emerge as ‘natural allies’ to home-based care providers Home Healthcare News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 10/4/24 Home-based care providers and Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organizations are in a unique position to strengthen the work one another is doing to care for seniors. No one understands this better than Alivia Care, a home-based care provider that also has PACE programs under its umbrella. In 2021, Alivia Care opened up Jacksonville, Florida-based The PACE Place. “We thought No. 1, it related to the type of care that we gave, in terms of chronic elderness, geriatric frailty, many of the things that we see in our hospice patients, so we felt that we had some core competencies there,” Alivia Care CEO Susan Ponder-Stansel told Home Health Care News. ...

The Natural Funeral launches TerraCare Partner Program (TM) to expand terramation services nationwide AccessWire, Boulder, CO; by The Natural Funeral, Inc.; 10/1/24 The Natural Funeral, a leader in sustainable funeral practices, proudly announces the launch of its TerraCare Partner Program™. This innovative initiative empowers funeral homes and crematory operators across the United States to offer terramation, also known as Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), to their communities. The program provides partners with a comprehensive turnkey solution, featuring the firm's advanced, fourth-generation Chrysalis™ vessels. These systems are meticulously designed for precision, efficiency, elegance, and rapid deployment to transform human remains into Regenerative Living Soil™ within just two to four months. "By introducing the TerraCare Partner Program™, we are not only expanding the reach of terramation services but also enhancing the capacity of funeral service providers to meet a critical and growing demand for sustainable end-of-life options," said Mike Reagan, CEO of The Natural Funeral. ... The Natural Funeral has served over 500 families with eco-conscious funeral options, many of whom chose terramation, its most rapidly growing disposition service. 

[Florida] 12,200 miles of roads cleared as thousands contribute to recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene CBS-10 Tampa Bay, FL; by Haley Williams; 9/28/24 As damage assessments continued after Hurricane Helene slammed the Florida coast, thousands of state officials and law enforcement officers quickly began working to clear roads and check in with storm victims in rural areas. More than 12,000 miles of roads have been cleared by more than 800 Florida Department of Transportation crews. ... The Agency for Health Care Administration reports more than a hundred healthcare facilities have been evacuated or are running solely on generator power. Saturday morning, 55 healthcare facilities reported evacuations, which included:

Health systems abandon rigid hierarchies Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 9/27/24 Health systems are relinquishing traditional leadership structures to reimagine a more effective healthcare delivery organization. The rigid hierarchies instilled within many hospitals and health systems years ago ensured a tight grip on quality and management. But times have changed; the rapid evolution of digital technology and need for nimbleness are forcing hospitals to change. "As an industry, healthcare must transition from hierarchical, top-down leadership to more agile, decentralized models that empower teams and promote innovation at all levels," said Wendy Horton, PharmD, CEO of UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. "Excellent communication skills will be vital for navigating these changes, along with a strong emphasis on workforce well-being including strategies to address mental health, retention and burnout." ... Dr. Horton also elevates empathy and effective communication for healthcare leaders. ... The proliferation of artificial intelligence and other technologies in healthcare is streamlining the purely administrative tasks, further emphasizing the human connection between leaders and their teams.

The growing, troublesome issues around non-solicitation agreements in home care Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 9/23/24 In August, Comfort Keepers was fined $500,000 and forced to remove language from its contracts restricting caregivers from accepting positions with home care clients up to one year after terminating employment. That contract language, dubbed a non-solicitation agreement, is a widely used clause in home care contracts to protect providers’ businesses. On its end, the Irvine, California-based Comfort Keepers is a large franchise that offers non-medical in-home support, including meal preparation, companionship and personal assistance. The company required each client to execute a care agreement containing this language before receiving services. California Attorney General Rob Bonta concluded that this agreement violated California law by restraining worker mobility, as caregivers could not be hired by any Comfort Keepers client, not just the client to whom they were assigned to provide services. ... 

Fairhope Hospice and Palliative Care announces Grand Opening of Advanced Illness Management (AIM) Clinic Fairhope Hospice & Palliative Care; by Julie Theado; 9/24/24Fairhope Hospice & Palliative Care celebrated the grand opening of their Advanced Illness Management (AIM) Clinic through a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 23, hosted by the Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce alongside community leaders. The AIM clinic ... is designed to meet the growing needs of the community by providing a convenient setting where patients can receive care from nurse practitioners for routine visits and urgent, non-emergency care. Physician support will also be available to help patients better manage symptoms and stress associated with their conditions, ultimately aiming to reduce frequent hospitalizations. ... Kristin Glasure, President and CEO of Fairhope Hospice and Palliative Care, shared her thoughts on this expansion: “... By offering more specialized services in a dedicated setting, we’re ensuring that patients with advanced illnesses receive the best possible care while staying close to home."

CarePoint Health submits plans for layoffsModern Healthcare; by Hayley DeSilva; 9/18/24CarePoint Health submitted plans with New Jersey authorities to lay off more than 2,600 workers at three of its hospitals in the state. The layoffs would take effect Dec. 12, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice filed with the state.

How Gen Z is being courted by post-acute providers Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 9/18/24 Some post-acute care companies are revamping their recruitment playbooks to attract Generation Z workers as they battle for talent with other healthcare companies. Providers such as Good Samaritan Society, Bayada Home Health Care and Right at Home are developing strategies to recruit the demographic, which ranges in age from 12 to 27 and makes up a quarter of the U.S. population. Those organizations want to hire Gen Z because they are purpose-driven and adept at using technology, according to a 2023 study by financial services company Mercer.