January, 2025

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Caring for the Unrepresented: A Podcast with Joe Dixon, Timothy Farrell, Yael Zweig

GeriPal

Summary Transcript CME Summary Many older adults lose decision-making capacity during serious illnesses, and a significant percentage lack family or friends to assist with decisions. These individuals may become unrepresented, meaning they lack the capacity to make a specific medical decision, do not have an advance directive for that decision, and do not have a surrogate to help.

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Oncologists: Palliative Care Plays ‘Critical Role’ in Improving Quality, Health Equity

Hospice News

Interdisciplinary palliative care delivery can help to improve quality and health disparities among underserved cancer patient populations, according to oncology specialists. Cancer patients across diverse cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds often lack access to goal-concordant care that sufficiently addresses their physical, emotional and spiritual needs, according to Nadine Barrett, president of the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC).

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“You cannot do it alone”: One couple’s journey with dementia

HopeHealth

When a caregiver discovers free dementia resources in Massachusetts, it leads to weekly respite care for her husband, 24/7 hospice support, and more. The post You cannot do it alone: One couples journey with dementia appeared first on HopeHealth.

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The Truth About Self Care: It’s Not All Bubble Baths and Yoga Pants.

Caregiver Warrior

We all know self-care is necessary for Caregiver survival, so why is it so hard for us to practice it? Here's some help! The post The Truth About Self Care: It’s Not All Bubble Baths and Yoga Pants. appeared first on Caregiver Warrior.

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The Evolution of Communication in Healthcare Settings

Healthcare communication has evolved from handwritten notes and paper charts to digital tools like EHRs, telemedicine, and AI-powered platforms. This blog explores how these advancements improve patient outcomes, streamline care delivery, and enhance provider collaboration. Learn about the role of mobile health (mHealth) apps, secure messaging, and social media in bridging communication gaps.

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The Unexpected Gifts of End-of-Life Reflection

Life & Death Matters

Written by: Reena Lazar When my father was dying two decades ago, he spoke openly about his experience, but I struggled to engage in those precious conversations. Years later, while studying deathcare, I was struck by a profound realizationthere were so many things left unspoken, so many questions I wished I had asked about his […] The post The Unexpected Gifts of End-of-Life Reflection appeared first on Life and Death Matters.

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Dementia caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint.

Aging Life Care Association

Being a caregiver for a person living with dementia can be lonely. Over time, friends and family may start to fade away or your involvement with the person in your care can become more time consuming. Your world can begin to feel small. Dementia caregiving can be overwhelming. As you encounter tricky situations, you might … Continue reading Dementia caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint. → The post Dementia caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint. appeared first on Aging Life Care As

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Shoring Up the Next Generation of Hospice Chaplains

Hospice News

Hospice chaplains often have little recourse for upward mobility along their career ladders. This can make recruitment and retention difficult among the next generation of the spiritual care workforce. More professionals from a wider range of interfaith groups are entering the field, according to Shana Sullivan, bereavement coordinator of Texas-based Heart to Heart Hospice.

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Making every word count: The role of AAC in LTC

Rehab Realities by Renee Kinder

Have you ever reread a text message, wondering if it was taken the wrong way? Or sent an email only to receive no reply, leaving you questioning its tone? We all have, right? Now imagine navigating these communication hurdles without the ability to speak or write fluently. For many individuals we serve who present with chronic, progressive and/or neurological conditions, this is what they face daily.

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Norovirus, a Formidable and Underappreciated Hazard: What Nurses Need to Know

AJN Off the Charts

Norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastrointestinal illness, is making its presence known across the United States. Symptoms typically begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure and last one to three days and include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain. During the last half of 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported close to 500 norovirus outbreaks , a significant increase when compared to the same time period in 2023.

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Advance Your Skills with Complimentary Education

Life & Death Matters

Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) is offering complimentary online training for Ontario-based healthcare providers and administrators working in community settings, including long-term care. Enhance your ability to provide person-centered, compassionate care with two exceptional educational opportunities: Both courses are available online and must be completed by March 31, 2025.

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3 Reasons to Retire Pagers from Healthcare Settings

Let's discuss the trusty pager—an old favorite that’s losing its shine in hospitals and clinics. While once a staple in hospitals and clinics, pagers now present significant limitations that hinder rather than facilitate communication among healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals are constantly on the move, and they need communication tools that can keep up with their fast-paced lives.

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Navigating Housing Options for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide

Aging Life Care Association

Choosing housing for older adults can be tricky because of all the different nomenclature used. When clients call an Aging Life Care professional, they usually have no knowledge of how each type of housing differs, or worse, they think a nursing home is the only real option for their loved one. Kira Reginato, an experienced … Continue reading Navigating Housing Options for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide → The post Navigating Housing Options for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide appeared

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Meet Carlee Minyard: The ER Nurse Who Set a Stroke Care Record and Transformed a Life in Just 17 Minutes

Daily Nurse

When every second counts, ER nurse Carlee Minyard steps up to the challenge. Her remarkable achievement of a 17-minute door-to-treatment time for stroke care at Saint Mary’s Regional Health System in Russellville, Arkansas, not only set a new record for the hospital but also showcased her exceptional skill, quick thinking, and unwavering commitment to saving lives.

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Palliative Care Could See ‘Enormous Growth’ in Hospice M&A Landscape

Hospice News

Hospices that have palliative care service lines may be better poised for growth in the merger and acquisition landscape compared to others. But the ability to demonstrate sustainability and scalability of these services will be crucial to manifesting a return on investment. Investors interest in palliative care has slowly mounted in recent years, with these services increasingly a topic in hospice M&A transactions, according to Mark Kulik, senior managing director at the M&A firm The Br

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How to Support Your Senior During the Doldrums of Winter: Post-Holiday Seasonal Affective Disorder

Accessible Home Health Care

Its a new year. Holiday celebrations have come to a close, and lifes routine is starting to return. For some, this transition from a lot of activity back to normalcy is easy, but for seniors who are struggling with seasonal affective disorder, this can be a challenging time. With the turn of the calendar, the winter season can bring new challenges to the light that many families are not prepared for.

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The Ultimate Guide to Improving Caregiver Engagement & Retention

Want to learn how to retain your caregivers & improve caregiver retention X3? The home care industry is experiencing turnover rates of over 80%. How are you ensuring your agency is retaining caregivers? This FREE eBook from Smartcare Software is packed with industry secrets needed to keep your caregivers happy, engaged, and retained, unlocking the full potential of your agency.

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The Pain Left Behind: Reflections on a Medical Mission and an Island’s Overwhelmed Nurses

AJN Off the Charts

“My family left after the volcanic eruption,” Sister said to me with a heavy heart. “But I asked myself, who will take care of my fellow Montserratians who stayed behind? These poignant words reflect the resilience and dedication of the nurses I encountered during my recent medical mission to Montserrat. During my time on the island, I collaborated with cardiologist Icilma Fergus Rowe of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, who returns each year to provide much-needed c

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How Resources for Palliative Care Enhance Nursing Practices

Life & Death Matters

With palliative care being integral to nursing, this introductory guide explores how specialized resources for palliative care can elevate nursing practices and improve patient care. As global demographics shift and serious and chronic illnesses rise, the demand for palliative care is expected to grow by 40% by 20301. For nurses, this increasing need brings unique […] The post How Resources for Palliative Care Enhance Nursing Practices appeared first on Life and Death Matters.

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Three Things to Expect When Heading Home for Hospice Care

Traditions Health

Hospice care is an option for someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less. Its focus is to ease pain, enhance comfort, and help make the most of the remaining time with loved ones. Your family can arrange hospice care at a hospital, inpatient hospice facility, long-term care facility, or home. People often choose hospice at home because its a familiar, relaxed environment.

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Day in the Life: COO of a Correctional Healthcare Company

Daily Nurse

In an era where healthcare access remains a pressing issue, correctional healthcare companies play a crucial role in ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive essential medical services. These companies bridge the gap between the healthcare system and the unique needs of the incarcerated population, addressing not only physical health issues but also mental health and substance abuse challenges.

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The Role of Technology in Remote Patient Monitoring

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is transforming healthcare by enabling providers to track patient health outside traditional clinical settings. This blog explores the role of technology in RPM, including wearable devices, mobile apps, and connected medical tools that collect and share real-time data. Discover how RPM expands care access, improves outcomes, enhances patient engagement, and reduces costs by shifting from reactive to proactive care.

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‘Small But Significant’ Keys to Amplifying Hospice Grief Support

Hospice News

Grief support service lines can be an important pathway for hospices to reach communities outside of their patient populations. Building strong bereavement programs comes with myriad considerations around community outreach, collaboration development and strategic planning. Grieving processes are multifaceted and unique to each individual, and hospices bereavement models need to be conceptualized around this notion, according to Keely Rhiannon, lead grief counselor at Michigan-based Angela Hospi

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Nursing: Leading the Charge for Healthcare Diversity

Diversity Nursing

Diversity in healthcare is essential for ensuring fair treatment and enhancing patient outcomes. Among healthcare professionals, Nurses have emerged as champions for diversity, leveraging their unique positions as caregivers, educators, and advocates to lead the charge. Let's take a look at how Nursing is transforming healthcare by embracing and promoting diversity.

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‘Man Enough to Care’: The Growing Trend of Men in Nursing

AJN Off the Charts

When you hear the word nurse, what are the first three words that come to mind? There is no doubt that caring is one of them. Maybe compassion, trusted, or hardworking. But what about the nurse’s gender? Its OK if you thought female, because you wouldnt be alone. Longstanding societal stereotypes have made it such that we associate women with the nursing profession.

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Spread The Love This Valentines Day with Hospice Quinte

Changing Lives Podcast

This Valentines Day, Hospice Quinte invites you to celebrate love and support our community in a meaningful way with our Loved One’s Box. Whether youre remembering someone special or simply sharing the love with those around you, this treat box is the perfect way to indulge while supporting a great cause. To purchase a Loved Ones box for a donation of $30 , youll receive an assortment of 15 delicious items , including homemade treats made with love by our dedicated kitchen volunteers.

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Real-Life Examples of HIPAA Violations and How to Avoid Them

Speaker: Jack Clough, Chief Growth Officer

Download our 30-minute webinar where we delve into real-life examples of HIPAA violations and preventative measures every organization should know! You will learn: The critical factors that lead to HIPAA violations and how to identify them. Three compelling real-life cases of organizations that faced severe HIPAA penalties. Proven strategies to safeguard YOUR organization against HIPAA violations.

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Understanding the Hospice Admissions Process

Traditions Health

Although you may have heard of hospice care , you may not know how its actually arranged. Because hospice is for terminally ill patients, it can be difficult to talk about for yourself or your loved one. Traditions Health understands how stressful it can be to opt for end-of-life care. Here is a guide to understanding the hospice admissions process.

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Your Nursing Career Resolutions

Daily Nurse

If you’re starting the new year with resolutions to exercise more, lose weight, watch less TV, or otherwise improve yourself, have you also considered making a few resolutions regarding your nursing career and professional development? While resolving to get in shape is a common direction for our thoughts to turn as the calendar flips from one year to the next, we don’t necessarily want to skimp on this other essential aspect of our lives.

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VITAS Eyeing Expansion in 12 States

Hospice News

Historically, VITAS Healthcare has relied heavily on organic growth, a strategy the company is not turning away from. However, it may add more acquisitions to the mix. VITAS is a subsidiary of Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE). The company this year made its return to the M&A market after a hiatus of several years. In April, VITAS acquired Covenant Health and Community Services hospice operations as well as one assisted living facility in an $85 million deal.

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Cultural approach in neonatal pain management

Evidence-Based Nursing - BMJ blogs

This weeks blog has been written by Dr Siti Yuyun Rahayu Fitri, Associate professor in Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing at the Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia The survival rate of neonates, especially those treated in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), has improved significantly. This aligns with WHO data indicating that neonatal deaths have decreased by 44% since 2000 1.

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Best Practices for Sharing Protected Health Information (PHI)

Explore essential topics in this ebook, including what constitutes PHI and how to identify it using 18 indicators. Gain insights into the importance of safeguarding PHI to protect patient privacy and learn about the severe consequences of HIPAA violations. Discover practical strategies for securely exchanging PHI within your healthcare organization, including assessing risks and implementing effective safeguards.

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Building Healthy Hydration Habits for Older Adults

American In-Home Care

Staying hydrated might seem simple, but as we age, it becomes a cornerstone of maintaining health and well-being. Did you know that as people age, the body loses its ability to sense thirst? Combine this with factors like medications, mobility issues, and health conditions, and its easy to see why dehydration is a serious concern for older adults. At American, Advocate, and Whitsyms In-Home Care, we know that developing healthy hydration habits for older adults protects physical health and enhan

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Tips to Balancing Caregiving and Your Personal Life

Caregiver Support Services

Balancing caregiving responsibilities is one of the more challenging parts of looking after a loved one. Depending on the needs of the patient, it can eclipse your own life and cause personal problems. But you can cope with finding balance by asking for help or sharing some of the responsibility. Address Emotional Challenges There is an emotional toll that comes with care for you and the patient.

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Top Nursing Specialties for 2025

Diversity Nursing

The field of Nursing continues to evolve rapidly, driven by advancements in technology, shifting healthcare needs, and a focus on specialized patient care. As we look toward 2025, certain Nursing specialties stand out for their growth potential, earning opportunities, and capacity to make a meaningful impact on patient outcomes. Whether youre an experienced Nurse seeking a new challenge or a student deciding on a career path, these specialties are worth considering. 1.

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Glaucoma and Home Health

AT Home Care & Hospice

Glaucoma Awareness: Enhancing Care Through Home Health Services Glaucoma, often termed the “silent thief of sight,” is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Over 3 million Americans are currently living with glaucoma, yet only half are aware they have the condition (Glaucoma Research Foundation, 2023). Early detection and consistent management are vital to preserving The post Glaucoma and Home Health appeared first on AT Home Care & Hospice.

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The Essential Guide to HIPAA-Compliant Messaging for Home Care Teams

Explore the risks posed by non-compliant consumer apps like Instagram and WhatsApp in healthcare settings. Learn about potential HIPAA penalties and use a self-evaluation flowchart to determine your organization's need for HIPAA-compliant messaging. Discover straightforward steps to implement secure communication solutions efficiently, ensuring compliance and protecting patient data effectively.