Literature Review

Caregiving: Going it alone is harderMcKnight's Senior Living; by Lois A. Bowers; 4/28/25I was the primary family caregiver for my father for the more than eight years he lived in a skilled nursing facility, and I can’t imagine what that time would’ve been like had my three siblings not been part of the equation. Now a new study has found that, yes, when it comes to caring for aging parents, people who have siblings probably have a better time of it than people who are only children. The findings may help you in your interactions with residents’ loved ones.Publisher's note: A timely reminder that caregiving is challenging - for ourselves, our staff, and the patients and families we serve...

[Australia] New cuddle bed installed at Harden Hospital to support end-of-life care Forbes Advocate; 4/20/25 Harden Hospital’s acute ward has received a new ‘cuddle bed’ thanks to the Murrumburrah-Harden Hospital Auxiliary branch, which recently funded the purchase to support patients and their families during palliative care. ... The cuddle bed was a staff-suggested purchase, designed to provide comfort and dignity in end-of-life situations. The bed can electronically expand from a standard single to a double size at the push of a button. It allows family members to lie beside their loved one during their final moments, eliminating the need to sit upright in a chair or attempt to share a single bed. 

Hospice volunteers and their four-legged best friends Parkview Health, Fort Wayne, IN; by Alison Eckert, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator; 4/20/25 ... As the demand for pet therapy services for hospice patients has increased over the years, we have expanded our team of volunteers. We now have 13 volunteers with certified therapy dogs who visit hospice patients at the Parkview Hospital Randallia Supportive Care Unit, Parkview Regional Medical Center, nursing and assisted living facilities, and some patients receiving hospice care in their homes throughout Northeast Indiana. ... [Description of standard volunteer requirements.] ... For those interested in becoming a pet therapy volunteer with Parkview Hospice, the process includes a few more steps. In addition to the training mentioned above, all animals must be certified pet therapy dogs, insured, and up-to-date on vaccinations. 

Practical advice for physicians seeking joy and well-being [podcast] MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by KevinMD; 4/27/25 Palliative care physician and author Alen Voskanian discusses his article, “Discover the secrets to regaining joy in medicine,” based on an excerpt from his book. Drawing from his personal experience with burnout where he felt isolated and like a failure within the demanding medical industry, Alen strongly emphasizes that burnout is a common result of a broken health care system, not an individual failing. He offers key advice points for physicians and health care workers:  ...

What doctors wish patients knew about decision fatigueAMA; by Sara Berg; 3/21/25The daily flood of decisions can be exhausting. Lisa MacLean, MD, a psychiatrist at Henry Ford Health, shares how to overcome decision fatigue. From the moment we wake up, we are seemingly bombarded with choices—what to wear, what to eat, which emails to answer first. By the time we’ve navigated our morning routine, our mental energy has already taken a hit. And as the day wears on, the sheer weight of decision-making can start to take its toll, often without us even realizing it. Making decisions day in and day out can be exhausting and cause people to feel overwhelmed, anxious or stressed. [Key points include:]

Turning grief into art: Ringling College student brings legacy to life for hospice patients SRQ Media, Sarasota, FL; 4/23/25 At just 19 years old, Ringling College of Art and Design student Leo Motherway is using his talent to help others preserve the stories that matter most. Through the Lazarus Engaged Learning Assistantship, this second-year Illustration major discovered legacy books—deeply personal keepsakes that capture the lives of hospice patients through words and art. Inspired by the loss of his grandmother and father, he's now a passionate volunteer with Empath Tidewell Hospice, illustrating legacy books and organizing creative campus events to engage fellow students. His latest endeavor, Colorful Conversations, is a 20-page illustrated book designed to spark memory and connection for dementia patients through conversation prompts. For Leo, this work is more than volunteering—it’s a way to honor the past, uplift the present, and ensure no story goes untold.

7-year-old Clayton girl battling stage 4 cancer enters hospice care at her home CBS-17 News, Raleigh/Clayton, NC; by Matthew Sockol, Maggie Newland, Greg Funderburg; 4/18/25 A seven-year-old girl battling an aggressive cancer has returned to her home in Clayton, her family said Friday. Noelle Franklin was diagnosed with stage four osteosarcoma less than a year ago and received treatment at UNC Children’s Hospital. In a video post on the Noelle Strong Facebook page, her mother Toni said Noelle is entering hospice care at their home. “The staff of UNC went above and beyond,” Toni Franklin said in a statement. “The care Noelle had was more than we could ask for. “Noelle has touched so many people, not just in our community, but in the hospital too,” she continued in her statement. “Seeing how many people came to celebrate Noelle breaking out overwhelmed me with joy. We paraded three different floors, wouldn’t expect anything less for Noelle. “We are home. We are at peace.”

Prevention of acute hospital transfers for long-term care residents at the end of life American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AJHPM); by Kirsten Lanpher, DMS, MSPA, PA-C and Kirsten Brondstater, DMS, MSPAS, PA-C; 3/24/25 Findings: Long-term care residents are a vulnerable population with advanced comorbidities who often require high acuity care and are subject to preventable transfers to the hospital at the EOL. These disruptions in EOL care cause harm and complications, negatively impacting quality of care. The consequences of these events can be mitigated with early advance care planning to include documentation of EOL care goals, onsite medical clinicians to make critical decisions and provide care within LTC facilities, and adequate staffing with proper palliative and hospice care training. Conclusion: Immediate action is needed to advocate for this high risk population and implement interventions to prevent hospital transfers at the EOL, therefore improving quality of care and positively influencing LTC residents’ EOL experience.

Children’s bereavement needs on rise, Hospice of Santa Barbara finds Noozhawk, Santa Barbara County, CA; by Wavecomm; 4/20/25 It’s not just adults who are impacted by grief and loss in the Santa Barbara community. Children are as well. One in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18, and one in 20 children will experience the death of one or both parents before reaching adulthood, according to Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB). Although death and grief are inevitable parts of life, these statistics highlight just how many children are impacted. ... HSB is active on local campuses, providing professional weekly support groups from elementary to college age students. On-campus counseling services provide a space for open communication, support and the development of coping skills, helping to mitigate the risk of drug and alcohol abuse among grieving youth. HSB also works with teachers and staff to offer guidance and support when students face a traumatic death. HSB is prepared to respond to calls from 65 schools from Carpinteria to Goleta, in case a traumatic death occurs within the campus.

When they don't recognize you anymore The New York Times - The New Old Age; by Paula Span; 4/20/25 People with dementia often forget even close family members as the disease advances. "It can throw people into an existential crisis," one expert said. [Additional access may require subscription.]

Stark disparities in treatment and survival time for people with pancreatic cancer Cancer Health, Plymouth Meeting, PA; by National Comprehensive Cancer Network; 4/22/25 New research in the April 2025 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found significant disparities based on race, socioeconomic status, and other factors when it came to quality of care and outcomes for people with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC)—which is associated with very high cancer mortality. The researchers used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to study 14,147 patients who were diagnosed with mPDAC between 2005–2019.

[UK] I’m a palliative care nurse – here’s how I find joy MSN - i Paper, United Kingdom; by Joanna Whitehead; 4/19/25 Palliative care nurse and ward manager Sophie Brew works at a Sue Ryder Hospice, supporting people with terminal illnesses to live as fully and comfortably as possible. While some may regard the role as bleak or upsetting, Ms. Brew considers her job to be deeply meaningful, and a privilege. She tells The i Paper how she finds joy in the everyday.

Belief in an afterlife is increasing in the United States: Even among the non-religious The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA); by Ryan Burge; 4/17/25 This post has been unlocked through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment for the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). The graphs you see here use data that is publicly available for download and analysis through link(s) provided in the text below. ... I wanted to dig a bit deeper on the variations in those belief metrics today, with a question that I haven’t really probed a whole lot. The General Social Survey, which is available on the Association of Religion Data Archives website, contains a really straightforward question, “Do you believe there is a life after death?” And it has an even simpler set of response options - yes or no. It’s been asked with regularity since 1973, so we have nearly five decades of data on this one specific question. ... Even today, the share of Americans who believe in life after death is 82%. When people ask me, “Is the United States a religious country?” This is the stat that I’m going to trot out.