Literature Review

Hospice nurses: specialized care, focused on comfortIndex Journal, Greenwood, SC; by St. Claire Donaghy; 5/7/25 For hospice nurses Kayla Beaty and Elizabeth "Regina" Ross, their goal is to provide patients comfort rather than cures, in the face of life-limiting illness with irreversible decline. Beaty is a home care nurse. Ross is a hospice house nurse. The two are employed by Hospice and Palliative Care of the Piedmont, based in Greenwood. ... "In this line of work, you seek to provide comfort, find out a patient and families' true needs and build a rapport," Ross said. Ross' dad died when she was 12. "That's what started me wanting to be a nurse," Ross said. "My mother also took care of my grandmother in her home while I was growing up. What brought me to hospice was a sister passing, here at this Hospice House. She was only 40 years old. My mother died a year later and my oldest sister passed last month. It's not just a job to me. It's a work of heart." ... "Comfort looks different to everybody," Beaty said. "It's about quality of life. It's not all doom and gloom either. We have fun with our patients and laugh and joke. It's often little things we take for granted."Editor's note: Reminder, National Nurses Week is May 6-12. It's crunch time. If not already, can you still reach out to your local media to feature a story about your nurses? 

New York State Department of Health announces revision of Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY; 5/2/25 The New York State Department of Health announced the revision of the Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) Form, a form that records a patient's preferences for life-sustaining treatments, such as CPR, ventilation, and other interventions, to ensure all patients are considered. The comprehensive revision was a collaboration of the Department, New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), and the MOLST Statewide Implementation Committee. ... All information regarding the MOLST, including the form, supporting checklists, glossary, and instructions are available on the NYSDOH Center for Hospice & Palliative Care's webpage.

Group estimates 7.2M US residents have Alzheimer's disease: Cases rise as Alzheimer's research funds are halted  MedPageToday; by Judy George; 4/29/25 The number of people with Alzheimer's dementia in the U.S. exceeded 7 million for the first time, new data from the Alzheimer's Association showed.An estimated 7.2 million Americans ages 65 and older now have Alzheimer's dementia, up from 6.9 million last year, according to the 2025 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures. Nearly three-fourths (74%) of that group are 75 and older. While prevalence studies of dementia in young people are limited, researchers estimated that approximately 110 of every 100,000 people ages 30 to 64 -- or about 200,000 Americans in total -- have young-onset dementia, the Alzheimer's Association said.

Breaking barriers: Ketamine's  role in hospice medicine with Dr. Rohini Kanniganti Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Rohini Kanniganti; 4/30/25 Ketamine – a medicine long used as an anesthetic – is finding a powerful new purpose in Hospice and Palliative Care settings.  Dr. Rohini Kanagante, a physician with expertise spanning both Hospice Care and Integrative Psychiatry, unveils the remarkable potential of this medication in our latest episode of TCNtalks. [TCN is a sponsor of our newsletter.]

Dr. Drabek's "The Comfortologist" hits #1 bestseller, revolutionizing pain management & end-of-life care approaches Classic 96.7 FM BWZ, Yukon, OK; Press Release; 4/28/25 Dr. Steven Drabek's groundbreaking memoir, "The Comfortologist: A Physician's Empathetic Perspective on Compassion, Caring, and Pain Relief," has achieved #1 bestseller status, resonating deeply with healthcare professionals, chronic pain patients, and families navigating end-of-life care decisions. Drawing from his four-decade career and personal journey as a cancer survivor and chronic pain patient, Dr. Drabek offers readers a unique dual perspective that has earned him recognition as a "comfortologist" a term he coined to describe his approach to medicine that prioritizes patient comfort and dignity. "My experience as both physician and patient taught me that modern medicine often misses what matters most," says Dr. Drabek. "Technical expertise means little without empathy. We must treat the whole person, not just the symptoms."

Video: California firefighter ‘Living the best of these last months’ on hospice care VITAS Healthcare, Irvine, CA; Press Release; 4/28/25 “Hospice is not something that means death right away. It means health and happiness,” said Debbie Forrester, spouse and patient caregiver for former firefighter Jim Forrester of Orange County, California. In a new video, launched during Patient Experience Week, VITAS® Healthcare shares the story of a patient with terminal cancer whose life was dramatically impacted by the help of his hospice care team. Within a week of being cared for by the interdisciplinary team at VITAS, Mr. Forrester, who had been depressed and was unable to walk, began enjoying time with his grandchildren and even riding his bike again.

Wings of remembrance: NorthBay butterfly release memorial focuses on healing hearts The Reporter, Fairfield, CA; by Robin Miller; 4/26/25Under a sky painted in soft gray, the air a cool 60-degres, families and friends gathered quietly Saturday morning for a moment both tender and powerful. They had come to NorthBay Health Hospice & Bereavement memorial butterfly release — an event born from love, loss, and the enduring process of healing. ... Before the release, Darren Paulson, a hospice chaplain with Kaiser Permanente, stepped forward to speak. ... “Each of you came here with someone,” he said, “a companion you didn’t ask for and didn’t want: grief.” He spoke of a culture uncomfortable with sorrow, one that urges us to hide our tears and move on too quickly. But grief, he reminded them, doesn’t follow a schedule.

Hospice of the Chesapeake unfurls new advanced lung care program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/25/25 Maryland-based Hospice of the Chesapeake has unveiled a new Advanced Lung Care Program. The hospice and palliative care provider developed the program in partnership with the American Lung Association and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). The initiative is designed to provide specialized care for patients experiencing severe symptoms from chronic lung disease, which includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis and pulmonary hypertension. 

The state of cancer mortality, incidence: 9 new findingsBecker's Hospital Review; bElizabeth Gregerson;4/21/25Overall cancer mortality rates decreased for men, women and children in the U.S. between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Cancer Institute’s “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer,” published April 21 in Cancer. The report presents cancer incidence and mortality data collected from NCI and CDC population-based cancer registries, as well as from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Vital Statistics System, according to an April 21 news release from the NCI. Here are nine notes from the report:

As the ‘Silver Tsunami’ hits the Flathead Valley, dementia diagnoses are rising while caregivers reach a breaking point Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT; by Maggie Dresser; 3/23/25 ... As baby boomers age and Americans live longer than previous generations, the elderly population will continue to grow and overwhelm many local resources, which includes nursing homes and memory care facilities. ... According to 2020 Census data, the national demographic of people ages 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100-year period stretching from 1920 to 2020, and the population segment has recently reached 55.8 million. But Montana’s senior citizen population is disproportionately higher than many other states, ranking No. 6 overall, with 19.7% of its population considered geriatric, according to 2020 Census data.  Of this population, 9.8% of individuals in Montana suffer from Alzheimer’s.Editor's note: Click here for the national 2024 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures - Special Report: Mapping a Better Future for Dementia Care Navigation.

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.”

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.

The intersection of dignity and healing with Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov Practice of the Practice; podcast by Jo Sanok with Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov; 4/22/25 How can we ensure dignity in end-of-life care? What does every therapist need to know about actively incorporating dignity into therapeutic care for their clients? What is the procedure for a practical application of dignity in therapy and healthcare? In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok discusses the intersection of dignity and healing with Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov.