Literature Review

What they love and loathe: Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2024 Medscape; by Jon McKenna; 12/13/24 Despite well-publicized issues buffeting their profession, nurses in a Medscape survey overwhelmingly said they are happy with their career choice, and most said they would make it again. They also told us about their most- and least-favored job features, recounted any experiences with abuse at work, revealed possible alternative careers, and reported union membership, among other insights. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

'A blessing': Hospital beds find new homes in families who had been praying for them Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX; by Nicole Villalpando; 12/13/24 Ron McDaniel had been trying to find a place for the hospital bed both his dad, Robert, and brother, Gary, had used in the assisted living facility where they were before they died. His father was a Navy veteran who was burned over 30% of his body during World War II. His brother had severe brain damage from a car accident in 1976 and was a quadriplegic. The electronic hospital bed with the extra comfortable mattress and the trapeze bar needed a new home. Ron McDaniel wanted it to go to a veteran or a veteran's family because it originally came from the Veterans Affairs, but he tried organization after organization with no luck. Meanwhile, Sandra Daniels was in desperate need of a hospital bed for her mother, Bertha Woodward, 87, who has heart failure, problems with her kidneys and limited mobility caused in part by neuropathy in her feet. Daniels could not afford a hospital bed but had been trying organization after organization for a year and came up empty. She had recently called AGE of Central Texas to see if they might have a hospital bed. ...Editor's note: Organizations who helped include 26th Statesman Season for Caring, Austin Palliative Care, ATX Firefighter Moving, AGE of Central Texas.

UConn John Dempsey Hospital joins National Age-Friendly Health System Movement UConn Today; by Jennifer Walker; 12/12/24 UConn John Dempsey Hospital was recently accepted for participation in the national Age-Friendly Healthy Systems Movement to improve health care for older adults. The Age-Friendly Health Systems Movement, sponsored by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States​, is a national collaboration of hospitals and health systems implementing a set of evidence-based interventions to make the care of all older adults equitable and age-friendly. This initiative addresses the reality that a growing proportion of the US population is elderly and has complex healthcare needs which challenge many institutions. This movement is built upon a framework of a set of four best practice interventions known as the 4Ms.

The politics of loss: What grief reveals Psychology Today; by Daniela E. Miranda, PhD; 12/10/24 It has been a bit over two years since my 27-year-old brother unexpectedly passed away, exactly two weeks before my 64-year-old father, quickly and expectedly, died from cancer. What followed was a series of “secondary losses”. For my family, secondary losses included the shifting dynamics of caregiving and the emotional labor required to rebuild a daily life after multiple losses, while permanently uprooting to a different country. This article is not about my grief but about how the experience of loss can illuminate the fractures and possibilities within our systems of care. ... Key points:

HSPN Staffing Summit: Leveraging technology for person-centered care Hospice News; by Sophie Knoelke; 12/9/24 This article is sponsored by CareXM. This article is based on a virtual discussion with Kathleen Benton, President and CEO of Hospice Savannah. ... Dr. Benton has a master’s degree in medical ethics and a doctorate in public health. She has offered and reviewed many publications relevant to the topics of palliative care, ethics, hospice, and communication. [Dr. Benton:] I was schooled in clinical ethics and really mediating ethical dilemmas in health care. Looking at, is this in the best interest of the patient? Are we truly following the patient’s wishes? Many of the dilemmas, I would say a good 90%, occur at the end of life. ... [At] the root of [really trending] cases was one missing element. That element was the lacking area of communication. What do I mean by that? I believe that health care does the worst job of probably all other areas of communicating with folks. We have really taken what it is to be human out of what it is to treat a patient and a person. [Click on the title's link to continue reading this insightful discussion.]

What adult children should know when discussing their parents’ end-of-life care StudyFinds; by StudyFindsStaff, reviewed by Christ Melore; 12/8/24 Talking about death can be difficult for anyone at any time. For adult children who need to know their parents’ final wishes, it can be excruciating. A new survey is revealing the stark disconnect between our beliefs and actions when it comes to end-of-life planning. While an overwhelming 90% of adults recognize the importance of these critical conversations, half have yet to take the first step with their closest loved ones. ... The numbers tell a revealing story. Twenty-six percent of respondents simply keep putting off the conversation, while 23% admit they don’t know how to approach the topic. Sixteen percent are outright scared to broach the subject, creating a wall of silence around a universal human experience. ... When people do open up, the conversations prove surprisingly rich and multifaceted.

From sleeping in cars to having an apartment: Season for Caring helps once-homeless families Austin American-Statesman; Austin, TX; by Nicole Villalpando; 12/8/24 When Thamairis Canales Yanez learned this year that she had been selected for the Austin-American Statesman's Season for Caring program, "what I did was thank God," she said. ... The 45-year-old and her 14-year-old daughter, Ivanna, came to the U.S. from Venezuela after Yanez's dental business was taken away by the government, and she feared for her daughter's life. She is trying to rebuild her life in America, but it has been difficult. At one point, she and Ivanna were living in her car. She has breast cancer that has spread to her brain. She is unable to work. Often when Season for Caring comes into the lives of the featured families, it is during one of their darkest times.  ...  "I have seen the impact on families," said Robin Clemons, chief development officer at Hospice Austin. "Imagine facing the end of life, and they can't pay their rent. (With Season for Caring funds) they don't have to worry about those types of needs. The stress for the caregiver, it relieves that burden."

‘Reimagining Hope’ podcast shines a light on the conversation of serious illness The Baltimore Times, Pasadena, MD; podcast hosted by Rachel Jordan; 12/6/24 As families and their loved ones struggle with serious progressive illness, finding information, resources and support is more critical than ever before in our history. In response, Hospice of the Chesapeake and Chesapeake Supportive Care are introducing a new, innovative and informative podcast series, “Reimagining Hope.”  Hosted by Rachel Jordan, Director of Advocacy & Legislative Affairs, the series will feature guests who can provide valuable insight and help you reimagine the hope you may be missing. The podcast will provide quick, easy-to-understand information while giving you the critical skills and real-time tools you can use today to navigate advanced illness. 

The ISNP opportunity for hospice providers  Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/5/24 Hospice providers can collaborate with institutional special needs Medicare Advantage plans (ISNP) to reach patients who reside in long-term care facilities. ISNPs restrict enrollment to MA eligible individuals who, for 90 days or longer, have had or are expected to need the level of services provided in a long-term care (LTC), skilled nursing facility, a LTC nursing facility, intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IDD), or an inpatient psychiatric facility. The nonprofit senior services organization Empath Health, which operates several hospices, recently partnered with the MA organization American Health Plans to bring their services to ISNP-enrolled patients.

Make the most of a nursing home visit U.S. New & World Report; by Claire Wolters; 12/2/24 If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you know how important it is to be there for them – literally and figuratively – to demonstrate care. A visit may seem like an obvious way to show support, but don’t underestimate the value it can have for your loved one. ... It may also help them fight off feelings of loneliness that can arise in nursing home environments. Dr. Brian D. Madden, a primary care physician and medical director of palliative care at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, says he all too often sees patients waiting around in nursing homes with “nobody coming to visit.” Here’s how you can make the most of your nursing home visit. ... [Click on the title's link for descrptions.]

Nursing homes must break cycle of patient rehospitalization Special to the USA TODAY Network, republished by The Record, Bergen County; by Mary Holden Jones; 11/28/24 One of the most severe issues facing long-term care patients is rehospitalization. Over 20% of nursing home residents are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, a cycle that often worsens health outcomes and creates significant emotional, financial and logistical burdens for families, caregivers and the health care system. ... While hospital stays are sometimes necessary, they create added risks of infections and the constant back and forth can add to confusion and cognitive decline — both of which further reduce quality of life and prolong recovery times. ... The emotional toll on families is equally significant. ... Fortunately, many rehospitalizations are preventable with more proactive, coordinated care. Technology-driven health care solutions offer a promising way to monitor patients’ health in real time, alerting caregivers and health care providers to early signs of trouble before a minor issue becomes a major problem.

Health system C-suites channel 'hospitality energy' for next year Becker's Hospital Review; by Laura Dyrda; 11/27/24 Health system C-suites are taking their organizations "back to the basics" next year to focus on improving quality outcomes and creating an elite patient experience. This means prioritizing a culture of service and training staff in hospitality. Cliff Megerian, MD, CEO of University Hospitals in Cleveland, said the system has focused on reducing variation in care pathways and optimizing clinical services for maximum quality, safety and efficiency this year, an effort that will continue into 2025. University Hospitals is also doubling down on its reputation for compassionate care, said Dr. Megerian. "The goal is for our patients – our guests – to feel truly cared for at each touchpoint along the patient journey, with clinical and non-clinical caregivers alike both bearing the responsibility to make this happen," he said. "The word 'hospitality' has at its root the word 'hospital' — it's our goal to work to bring that 'hospitality' energy to our work in healthcare, always informed by world-class science."Editor's note: The Latin root word described is "hospitium," which branched into contemporary words "hospitality," European "hostels" for travelers, "host," "hotels," and yes, "hospice." At its core, hospitium refers to travelers on a significant life journey, tended by compassionate hosts who provide rest and nourishment. Click here for more information, which emphasizes the relationship between the host and the guest.