March 27 Round-up: Palliative Care Podcast, DNR Uniformity, the Hospice Model, Hospice Certification, and Caregiving Advice

• The University of Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Center offers a weekly podcast series called "Cancer Newsline". This week's podcast focused on palliative care and the "ways their research programs assess and manage severe physical or psychosocial symptoms in advanced and terminal cancer patients."

• This article from the Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) addresses confusion in how Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders are carried out in the state of Kentucky, and the need for more uniform procedures.

  In Kentucky, groups are debating whether guidelines for adhering to a patient's wishes should be the subject of proposed legislation in the General Assembly or simply added to existing administrative regulations.
  
  Bernie Vonderheide, president of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, attended the meeting last week with Karem and Reynolds. Vonderheide said that any solution should be mandated so that it will be followed uniformly. He said he likes the idea of a uniform color-coded wrist band, but is open to other ideas.
  
  Tim Veno, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association of Homes and Services for the Aging — a group that represents long-term care providers — was also at the meeting and is asking that a panel of professionals come up with recommendations.
  
  He doesn't think a new law is necessary if best practices are followed.

• The writer of the "Life as a hospice patient" blog, Judi Chamberlin was interviewed by The Boston Globe:

  CHAMBERLIN: The hospice model puts the patient in the center. What matters is what the patient wants. And then the various people who are the staff - the nurses and social workers and others - are there to support their choices. They're not there to impose their ideas.

• The Martha's Vineyard Times has written a few articles that address the hospice industry. Hospice of Martha's Vineyard has operated as a nonprofit, non-Medicare certified hospice for 28 years. Now, the nonprofit Vineyard Nursing Association plans to offer a Medicare-certified hospice benefit in 2010. The latest article in the paper addresses the viewpoints of each organization towards the benefits and drawbacks of being Medicare certified.
  

• Dale Russakoff writes in today's New Old Age blog that over the years she carried for her ailing mother, different people would offer her advice that helped her in her new role of caregiver.

  Anyone who cares for an aging parent gets no shortage of unsolicited advice. But every now and then, one comment resonates — and helps, again and again.