Literature Review

Navigating Aging: The LGBTQ+ community relives old traumas as they face aging on their own Northern Kentucky Tribune; by Judith Graham; 1/5/25 Bill Hall, 71, has been fighting for his life for 38 years. These days, he’s feeling worn out. Hall contracted HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, in 1986. ... This past year, Hall has been hospitalized five times with dangerous infections and life-threatening internal bleeding. But that’s only part of what Hall, a gay man, has dealt with. ... By 2030, the number of LGBTQ+ seniors is expected to double. Many won’t have partners and most won’t have children or grandchildren to help care for them, AARP research indicates. They face a daunting array of problems, including higher-than-usual rates of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, disability, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease, according to numerous research studies. High rates of smoking, alcohol use, and drug use — all ways people try to cope with stress — contribute to poor health. Keep in mind, this generation grew up at a time when every state outlawed same-sex relations and when the American Psychiatric Association identified homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder. Many were rejected by their families and their churches when they came out. Then, they endured the horrifying impact of the AIDS crisis.

Digital marketing tips for hospice and senior care services Dot Com Media; Blog post by Vlad Blits; 1/2/25 In the susceptible and competitive field of hospice and senior care, effective digital marketing strategies can be pivotal in reaching families who need these essential services. ... Here are some crucial tips on leveraging hospice marketing strategies, senior care digital marketing, building trust in healthcare marketing, and local SEO for senior care.

The year in review: Influential people who died in 2024 AP International - Chicago's Very Own WGN 9; by Bernard McGhee; 12/30/24 ... [Jimmy] Carter was the nation’s longest-lived president when he died Sunday at age 100. But he was just one of many noteworthy people who died in 2024. ... The year also brought the deaths of several rights activists, including the reverends Cecil L. “Chip” Murray and James Lawson Jr.; Dexter Scott King; Hydeia Broadbent; and David Mixner. Business leaders who died this year include: Indian industrialist Ratan Tata, The Home Depot co-founder Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, financier Jacob Rothschild and Daiso retail chain founder Hirotake Yano. ... [Noteworthy] sports figures who died include: basketball players Jerry West and Dikembe Mutombo; baseball players Willie Mays and Fernando Valenzuela; and gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. The music industry lost a titan in producer Quincy Jones, who died in November. ... Here is a roll call of some noteworthy figures who died in 2024 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available): [Click on the title's link to read more.]

For young adults, caregiving isn't just hard. It can shape you for life. National Public Radio - CAI - Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands; by Kat McGown; 12/23/24 ... There are days when Jordyn Glick, 27, can't eat or drink at all. She gets so tired and weak she can barely stand up. She has gastroparesis, where food stalls out in her stomach and doesn't get digested. It comes with unpredictable bouts of nausea, periods of agony in her guts, and malnutrition. ... Dakota Heath, her 26-year-old boyfriend of four years, is her watchman, "always picking up on the small things," he says. He's on alert for her next flareup, the kind that can leave her bedridden for a week. ... Young caregivers have always been there, doing all the same things that adults do — ... About one-quarter of all family caregivers are between 18 and 36, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving. One survey suggests that almost half of them are men. They're more likely to be Latino or Black; a survey in 2018 found that only 17% were white. They've just been invisible. "They fall into every potential crack that exists," says Melinda Kavanaugh, a professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who is one of the few researchers who study this population. In terms of resources, "Nothing is targeted for a 22-year-old. Nothing."

Editorial: Exposing Marin high school students to health care fields is a home run The Tribune, Novato, CA; by The Marin Independent Journal; 12/18/24 Marin high school students interested in health care will soon get the opportunity to get a head start on those career opportunities. A pilot course is being offered this spring for San Marin High School students to introduce them to various careers in this important field. It is a coordinated initiative led by the Marin County Office of Education, the Novato Unified School District and By the Bay Health, the Marin-headquartered hospice program. John Carroll, Marin County superintendent of schools, says the program is designed to introduce juniors and seniors to the diversity of options in the health care field. ... Giving youth in-depth exposure to the field should pay dividends by increasing students' interest in pursuing those careers. "We are optimistic this partnership with MCOE will inspire more students to join the continuum of care - particularly in areas like home-based palliative care, hospice care and home health care," says Skelly Wingard, chief executive officer at By the Bay Health.

Bill would require prisons to notify families of inmate deaths Henry Herald, Washington, DC; by Staff; 12/18/24 U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, recently announced the introduction of a bipartisan bill aimed at helping ensure family members are notified in a timely and compassionate manner in the event of the death or serious illness or injury of a loved one in custody. Ossoff and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., recently introduced the bipartisan Family Notification of Death, Injury, or Illness in Custody Act. U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., is leading the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Veteran’s body sent across state lines without family’s knowledge USANews.net; by Michael Carter; 12/17/24 In a shocking turn of events, Karen Wandel received a distressing message last year that her father, Libero Marinelli Jr., had passed away over five months earlier in a South Carolina hospital. What came as an even greater shock was the revelation that his body had been sent to be used for medical research without the knowledge of his family. This troubling incident sheds light on the complex and often unregulated practices surrounding the use of unclaimed bodies in the healthcare industry. ... The treatment of Marinelli, a former Army service member entitled to burial in a veterans’ cemetery, underscores the ethical dilemmas surrounding the supply of unclaimed bodies for medical research. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the unethical nature of this practice, it continues to persist due to the healthcare industry’s demand for human specimens and local officials’ struggles with the rising number of unclaimed bodies without next of kin.Editor's note: This demonstrates yet another example of the shocking story that received extensive national network news (and that we posted 9/17/24), "As families searched, a Texas medical school cut up their loved ones." 

Supporting grieving kids during the holiday season: Susan Hamme Cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH; Guest columnist Susan Hamme, director of grief services for Hospice of the Western Reserve ... Childhood grief is tricky no matter the time of year, but the holidays can be a time of especially heightened emotion. The sights and sounds of the season can be triggers for children and adults alike. Combine that with an awareness that things will be very different without your special person, and you have the perfect recipe for emotional meltdowns and miscommunication all around. While it may be impossible to avoid this altogether, there are things you can do to lessen the stress and build in moments of peace and celebration.

New fellowship will help imprisoned women plan for end of life Washington State University - WSU Insider; by Scott Swybright; 12/9/24 Incarcerated individuals have few personal rights, but one they do retain is the ability to create advance directive plans for their health care. Unfortunately, few know that this is the case. A new project led by a Washington State University graduate student will educate more incarcerated people about their options as they approach the end of their lives. “When folks are incarcerated, they lose most of their bodily autonomy and basically become property of the government,” said Tosha Big Eagle, a doctoral student in WSU’s prevention science program at the WSU Vancouver campus. “Advance directives are one outlier, but nobody tells them about that right.” To help educate prisoners, Big Eagle recently received a fellowship from The Order of the Good Death, a group helping all people face end-of-life concerns, fears, and legalities. Big Eagle’s project will focus on ensuring incarcerated people at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) have access to end-of-life resources.

Embracing well-being at the end of life Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium; by Phaneuf; 12/5/24At the 29th Annual Fall Hospice & Palliative Care Conference, Dr. Ira Byock delivered a thought-provoking keynote challenging the misconceptions surrounding hospice and palliative care and illuminating a brighter path forward for individuals, families, and caregivers. ... Far too often, hospice and palliative care services are seen as a last resort or equated with “giving up.” Dr. Byock pushed back against this notion, emphasizing that hospice and palliative care are not about death but about life. “Hospice and palliative care are about living as fully and as well as possible through the end of human life,” Dr. Byock said. Rather than signifying the end of healthcare options, palliative care provides comfort, dignity, and even joy for individuals facing life-limiting conditions. Dr. Byock shared that families often express relief and gratitude after beginning hospice care, lamenting that they hadn’t learned about it sooner. These experiences highlight a common issue: Hospice care is often introduced too late, preventing families and patients from reaping its full benefits. 

Bottles of bourbon signed by Pope Francis expected to fetch up to $20,000 for charity National Catholic Register; by Daniel Payne; 11/21/24 Two bottles of rare bourbon signed by Pope Francis are projected to net up to $20,000 for several Kentucky charities [and Southeast Texas Hospice]. Father Jim Sichko, a priest in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and a papal Missionary of Mercy, told CNA that the charity auction came about from Sichko’s habit of bringing Kentucky bourbon to the Holy Father and other Vatican officials during his trips to Rome. ... The whiskies are currently up for online bidding. A live auction will ultimately take place in New York at Sotheby’s on Dec. 7. The funds raised from the auctions — estimated by Sotheby’s at upward of $10,000 per bottle — will be donated to several charities, the priest said, including Southeast Texas Hospice as well as Maxwell Street Legal Clinic. The latter assists immigrants in Kentucky with legal needs. The proceeds will also go toward an assistance ministry run by Father Sichko as well as a no-kill animal shelter in Kentucky.

People who genuinely afraid of getting old usually display these 8 behaviors (without realizing it) Baseline; by Lucas Graham; 11/25/24 One might think aging is all about the wrinkles, the sagging skin, and that stubborn gray hair that won’t stay hidden. But in reality, it’s not those things that get under your skin. It’s the quiet, creeping fear of what aging really means. Will I still matter? Am I losing my edge? We all have moments where we cling to something that keeps us feeling young, whether it’s trying to keep up with the latest slang ... or avoiding a birthday candle count that feels a little too honest. But what if these subtle habits are really signs of something deeper? Let’s unpack the little things we do when aging feels like a four-letter word, and see what they tell us about our relationship with time.

Addressing barriers to advance care planning by adults with advanced cancers Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN; by Shelley Johns, PsyD and Susan Hickman, PhD; 11/25/24 In one of the first studies to test the utility of mindfulness to support advance care planning by adult cancer patients and their family caregivers, researchers from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University have found that mindfulness showed promise in improving quality of life and advance care planning outcomes in patients and their family caregivers coping with advanced cancer. ... Mindfulness emphasizes paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of openness, compassion and interested curiosity accomplished through meditation and other exercises to manage stress. “Mindfulness is about noticing what’s here so we can choose the wisest response and hopefully be less emotionally reactive,” said Dr. Johns. “Mindfulness practices help individuals increase their mindfulness muscle, so to speak. Anything that we do in our life ... can be done with mindful focus, with mindful attention."