Literature Review

How boomers are personalizing their last chapter Broadview; by Larry Krotz; 2/19/25 From death doulas to digital legacies, this generation is flipping the script on end-of-life traditions. ... I confess that I don’t generally think much about dying, though many in my generation do. Baby boomers, that great bulge in the population whose concerns for so long have dominated the culture, have moved from preoccupations with creative retirement or the adequacies of the health-care system to a fascination with death. Witness the immense popularity last year of the Royal Ontario Museum’s multisensory exhibit Death: Life’s Greatest Mystery or the growth of death cafés ... For my contemporaries, death has become the next item on the to-do list. What it will look like. How to prepare for it. How to make it your own. ...

[UK - St. Christopher's Hospice] Woman with rare brain disease dances with husband for first time in yearsReposted in Daily Journal from Talker News, Tupelo, MS; by Isobel Williams; 2/20/25 This is the touching moment an elderly woman living with a rare brain disease slow danced with her husband - for the first time in years. Constance Bartholomew, 69, has progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurological condition which has left her struggling to walk. The disorder - which is estimated to affect around 4,000 people in the UK - can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing. Constance began physiotherapy at St. Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, south-east London in September last year - at which point husband Dennis, 72, joked he would pay a million pounds to dance with her again. Upon hearing the remark, rehab assistant Ralitsa Angelova ... made it her mission to make it happen.  ... “She is unable to walk, to articulate, her eyesight has failed. It’s a terrible condition. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But she is fully aware. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her memory or comprehension. ..." The video has been released as hospices in London come together to change perceptions of hospice care and highlight the vital importance of gifts in wills to their holistic palliative care services for adults and children in their communities. The hospices are taking part in the This is Hospice Care campaign, a national collaboration of 143 hospices across England, Scotland and Wales, brought together by Hospice UK.Editor's note: St. Christopher's Hospice--founded by Dame Cicely Saunders--is the home for modern day hospice care.  Click here for a YouTube video of Constance and Dennis. Click here for the article we posted on 2/21 about the UK's "This Is Hospice Care" initiative.

Andy Isaac, beloved Detroit sports fan and internet star, says he's entering hospice care Detroit Free Press; by Jared Ramsey; 2/20/25 One of the more prominent faces in the Detroit sports fan online community announced Tuesday he's leaving social media due to his ongoing battle with cancer. Andy Isaac, known from his X (formerly Twitter) account @WorldofIsaac, said he's chosen to enter hospice care. He's been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma since he was first diagnosed in 2006. Isaac, with more than 89,000 followers, became a beloved figure as he cheered on the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons with his followers and cracked jokes at other teams' expense, namely the Chicago Bears. ... "I don't know when my first tweet or post was but I can tell you, sadly, this is probably one of my last. Having cancer since 2006 has finally taken its toll on me, it has stripped me of my quality of life. I have decided on hospice care." ... He signed off by saying, "Be kind to each other. I love you all. Truly, I do." 

Improving quality of life and end-of-life care: Standardizing goals of care notes in EHRs EurekAlert! - American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Indianapolis, IN; Regenstrief  Institute, peer-reviewed publication; 2/19/25 ... A new study by researchers from Regenstrief Institute, the Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Health presents the standardized goals of care note they developed, deployed and evaluated as a quality improvement initiative at IU Health, a large, statewide healthcare system. ... The study authors report:

Witnessing a living funeral Parkview Health; by Tim O'Sullivan, MA, Spiritual and Social Services Supervisor, Parkview Hospice; 2/16/25 ... Rather than planning services after they pass and miss out on a gathering of the people who are most precious to them, some are choosing to schedule a "funeral" while they are still living so they can be a part of the ceremony. These events are known as Living Funerals. As a hospice caregiver, I have seen a rise in the number of these pre-death celebrations of life. While this may not be for everyone, it can be a meaningful experience for those who have chosen to remember a life in this way. I was invited to one of these events and witnessed firsthand the power of acknowledging death while fully living in the moment. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Death Matters: The gift of presence: Tips for visiting someone who is dying Squim Gazette, Squim, WA; by Jeanette Stehr-Green, Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County; 2/12/25 We sometimes avoid visiting friends or family members who are terminally ill. We make lots of excuses. We don’t know what to say. We don’t know how to act. We don’t want to be a bother. The hard truth is that dying, the final stage of life, can be a lonely experience without the presence of family and friends. A visit during this time can bring comfort to the dying person and their family. It can also provide an opportunity to share feelings, reminisce, and say goodbye. Visiting a dying person seems difficult because most of us lack experience. It only takes a little courage and a few ideas to create a meaningful moment. ... Editor's note: These excellent guidelines empower hospice patients' families and friends--and protect patients' vulnerable energies and emotions--in multiple settings across the trajectory of dying. How might you adapt these for your own patient/caregiver support and community outreach?

Delivery driver’s heartbreaking realization after he picks up hospital job Newsweek Life; by Lydia Patrick; 2/13/25 A food delivery driver's shift took an unexpected and poignant turn when he accepted a hospital order that carried a heartbreaking significance. Reddit user u/ondasher808, who chose to remain anonymous, shared that delivering to hospitals is common, as many staff members place orders. However, this particular request included a room number in the ICU, which does not allow direct deliveries. ... He called the customer upon arrival. ... The woman who answered thanked him and assured him that someone would come down to retrieve the food. Then, she added something that left him stunned-it was "someone's final meal." ... Five minutes later, a nurse arrived to collect the bag. ... "I noticed that the bag contained a Happy Meal and that was a bit of a shock because I didn't expect it." ... Later that night, he turned to Reddit to process his emotions, surprised by the outpouring of support from fellow drivers, customers who had ordered final meals for loved ones, and health-care workers who had witnessed similar moments.

UC professor seeks to make death care more inclusive: Equal Deathcare offers resources for the LGBTQIA+ community University of Cincinnati News (UC News); by Kyle Shaner; 2/12/25Jennifer Wright-Berryman, PhD, an associate professor of social work in UC’s College of Allied Health Sciences, is one of the founders of Equal Deathcare, a web-based resource where LGBTQIA+ individuals can find inclusive and affirming end-of-life and death care (funerals, memorials and pre-planning). “Groups that are at risk or marginalized, such as sexual and gender minorities — groups that I’m particularly interested in outcomes for — those voices weren’t included in these conversations around death care, especially when we talk about transgender individuals whose bodies and identities are often maligned in society,” Wright-Berryman said. ...

How to live when you know you are dying Equity Atlas; 2/11/25 Living with the knowledge of impending death is an incredibly challenging and emotional experience. Whether facing a terminal illness or a life-threatening situation, the idea of living when you know you are dying can be overwhelming. However, it is possible to find peace, acceptance, and even joy in the midst of such difficult circumstances. In this article, we will explore how to navigate this journey with grace and courage. ... How does one navigate this difficult journey? We turned to professionals in the field for their insights on how to live when you know you are dying.

3 lessons for living well, from the dying DNYUZ; 1/31/25 What if you knew that you were at the end of your life? Would you have done anything differently? A friend of mine volunteers at a hospice, and she hears one regret over and over from patients: letting relationships wither. They wish that they had made more plans with good friends, or they thought about getting back in touch with an old buddy, and talked themselves out of it. ... Dr. Vicki Jackson, president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Board of Directors, said that for the same reason, she doesn’t hesitate to tell people that she loves them. “I am not Pollyanna; I’m a big academic,” said Dr. Jackson, who has treated dying patients for a quarter century. “But I tell people I appreciate them a lot. I have a lot of deep gratitude, because I know it is dumb luck that it’s not me in that bed. And I know tomorrow it could be.” I asked Dr. Jackson and other palliative and hospice care experts about what they’ve learned from patients. They offered advice that you can apply to your life, from those at the end of theirs.

What can we learn from the dying? Newscastle's News Letter Journal (NLJ), Newcastle, WY; by Kelly Evans-Hullinger, MD; 1/26/25 For the last five years, I have had the great privilege of serving my local health system as Medical Director for Home Hospice. Every week I sit in a meeting with the multidisciplinary caretakers on this team ... Patients facing their own deaths want to talk about their lives. Our staff frequently tries to facilitate what they call a “life review” in which a patient can openly talk about their childhood, family, career, service, and sometimes their regrets. This is therapeutic for the dying patient and their loved ones.  ... I have recently thought about this particular human need – to reflect and remember one’s life. I take this as a reminder to both seek those stories from my own loved ones (I wish I had asked my grandmother more questions about her life) and, perhaps, to tell and write about the things in my own life I would want to be remembered after I am gone. For if there is another thing I’ve learned serving patients on hospice, it is that my death is also inevitable; but, I think, life’s finality is what gives it beauty and meaning. 

D.C. is America’s loneliest city. Can 1,000 robotic pets help? The Washington Post; by Olivia George; 1/27/25 Rose Watkins, 67, says she doesn’t really have anyone to talk to, not since her mother passed away. Brenda Jacobs, 70, doesn’t drive anymore ... Yvonne Gathers, 74, wishes she had something ... to keep her mind from drifting back to the day she learned her son — who lived with her — was shot and killed. All three seniors live in D.C. and are now part of a new program distributing robotic pets to residents 60 and older who live in Wards 1, 7 and 8. The initiative, spearheaded by three local nonprofits, is part of a broader push nationwide to use battery-powered pets to ease the loneliness and isolation that often accompanies older age and help lessen associated health risks. The pets nuzzle, stretch and roll on their tummies for scratches. You can feel their heartbeat through their soft fur. The dogs bark and wag. The cats purr and meow. “I’ve been lonely, I’ve been depressed,” Watkins said recently, stroking a beige dog with a red bandanna that turns its head when she talks. “I think this will help.” The robotic pets — Joy for All Companion Pets from parent company Ageless Innovation — “really do provide companionship and need nothing in return,” said Steve Cone, chief communications officer at nonprofit provider Capital Caring Health, one of the organizations involved in the D.C. program. “There is no upkeep, no cleanup.” [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]