Literature Review

In-cure-able isn’t un-care-able: Pope’s February intention is the terminally ill Aleteia, by Kathleen N. Hattrup; 1/30/24In the month of February, Pope Francis is inviting the whole Church to pray for a renewed commitment to the terminally ill and their families. ... The World Day of the Sick was established in 1992 by John Paul II. Pope Francis explains that “when some people talk about terminal illnesses, there are two words they often confuse: incurable and un-care-able. But they are not the same.”

Recommendations for supporting healthcare workers' psychological well-being: Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemicHealthc Manage Forum, by Melissa B Korman, Lisa Di Prospero, Tracey DasGupta, Mark Sinyor, Samantha J Anthony, Monika Kastner, Janet Ellis, Rosalie Steinberg, Robert Maunder; 1/30/24 Healthcare workers are at risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to occupational stress. Many organizations introduced initiatives to proactively support staff's psychological well-being in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, ... [such as] the STEADY wellness program, ... in a large trauma centre in Toronto, Canada. Program implementors engaged teams in peer support sessions, psychoeducation workshops, critical incident stress debriefing, and community-building initiatives. ... [This] article describes recommendations for future hospital wellness programs.

Love, Valentines … and snacksjournal-news.net; 1/29/24In just a couple of short weeks, Hospice of the Panhandle’s Education Center, once again will turn into a Valentine snack center. And the end result will be that thousands of snacks, ranging from granola bars to raisins to potato chips to candy, will be distributed to Hospice providers and supporters as a thank you during Valentine’s season.

What’s next for Public Health?Health Affairs Forefront, by Michael Yudell, Joseph J. Amon; 1/23/24Public health in the United States is in crisis. ... If public health is “what we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy,” then it is time to do just that, capitalizing on this moment to lead with our values of professionalism and trust, health and safety, health justice and equity, interdependence and solidarity, human rights and liberty, and inclusivity and engagement. These are values that many Americans share, and we must work to convince a skeptical public that can be deeply cynical of our field, that we are here to listen and to help as we fight to improve the public’s health.

How AccentCare is using communication, career development to address caregiver burnoutHome Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 1/28/24As the home-based care industry continues to evolve, enhancing the well-being of employees and addressing caregiver burnout remains a top priority for providers. It’s not uncommon for caregivers to experience moments of feeling unsupported or undervalued. That can often lead to a sense of disconnection within the company from the bottom to the top. To help that disconnect, providers like AccentCare have focused on retention initiatives that are based around communication within the organization.

'What my terminal cancer diagnosis taught me about life' BBC News, by Nicola Bryan; 1/27/24Forget striving for a bigger home and a better car. Slow down, be grateful for what you have and take time with the people you love. This is the advice from Megan McClay, 30, who is living with terminal cancer. ...  Megan's story is one of several being told at 'What matters most?', an exhibition at Senedd Oriel at the Senedd, or Welsh Parliament in Cardiff Bay [Wales]. Through photographs and short films the exhibition shares the perspectives of people with terminal illnesses, their families and those who work in palliative care.Editor's Note: Click here for this exhibition's "What matters most?" website, film, and many video storie.s

Local author shares a message of hope to caregivers in Newnan Parkinson's support groupThe Newnan Times-Herald, by Gary May; 1/22/24Hughes wrote "Parkinson's Caregivers - Yes, There is HOPE!" about her experiences over 23 years caring for her husband Carlton, who had Parkinson's disease. Her mission is to encourage and support both caregivers and their loved ones as they transition through the stages of the progressive disease, from diagnosis, to daily living, to the advanced stages and finally, to hospice care.

Study investigates perceived barriers to cancer care in rural South DakotaMedical Xpress, by Addison Dehaven; 1/24/24... To assess the barriers of cancer care, the research team interviewed 18 health care professionals who work closely with American Indians, frontier and rural populations. Through interviews and analysis, they were able to determine three distinct themes that constitute as barriers and challenges for those with cancer: access, time and isolation.

Cleveland Clinic confiscated 30K weapons last yearBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayse; 1/24/24In 2023, Cleveland Clinic saw a record 14 million patients — and took 30,000 weapons from those patients and their visitors. Tomislav Mihaljevic, MD, president, CEO and Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair of Cleveland Clinic, delivered the statistic during the system's annual "State of the Clinic" address Jan. 24. ... Cleveland Clinic, which employs 81,000 people across 300 global locations, was designed to be an "optimal work environment," Dr. Mihaljevic said: engaging, rewarding, inclusive and safe. But workers' safety was threatened thousands of times last year, with caregivers reporting 3,800 incidents of physical and verbal violence. 

‘A really low blow’: Michigan environmentalists say town banned all cemeteries to stop them from opening ‘green burial ground’Law & Crime, by Elura Nanos; 1/23/24A Michigan couple is asking a state court to strike down a local ordinance banning all cemeteries that they say was put in place just to stop them from opening the environmentally friendly burial ground they had planned for over a decade.

A psychologist offers advice on 'being there' for aging parentsForbes, by Mark Travers; 1/22/24As our parents age, we find ourselves on a challenging emotional journey, one that often remains unspoken but deeply felt. It’s the journey of anticipatory grief, a complex mix of emotions and thoughts that arise as we witness our parents becoming older, weaker and more frail. This concept, often overshadowed by post-loss grief, is equally devastating.

Fortifying the workforce: Employers' guide to critical illness preparednessiCrowdNewswire; 1/22/24In today’s ever-changing and uncertain world, employers are faced with the daunting task of ensuring the well-being and productivity of their workforce. One aspect often overlooked is the preparedness for critical illnesses, which can profoundly impact employees and the organisation.

The Long Decline: Health care access grows difficult in shrinking rural communitiesAlabama Reflector, by Alanda Rocha; 1/18/24The lack of health care providers in rural Alabama is stark. Most of Alabama’s rural counties have significantly more people per primary care physician than urban counties. Butler County ... has just one primary care physician per 4,900 residents ... As rural Alabama continues a decades-long population collapse, residents who remain — many of them older people — face increasing barriers to health care, a trend seen around the nation.