Literature Review

Grandad rehearsed his funeral 10 years ago – Now his final wishes come true after his passing Good News Network; 7/28/24; published in our newsletter 8/1/24A British senior who pre-planned his funeral and rehearsed it on TV in 2013, had his final wishes come true after peacefully passing away in June. Malcolm Brocklehurst, who is a renowned aircraft expert, commissioned an orange airplane-shaped coffin ten years ago from Crazy Coffins, an offshoot of a Nottingham-based traditional coffin and urn maker in England that helps people customize their funeral. The grandfather-of-nine was filmed sitting in the coffin on Channel 5’s Bizarre Burials, which also featured a rehearsal of the ceremony that the former aerospace engineer coordinated to the last detail. The plane was aptly called Tango One and numbered with MB 1934—his initials and year of his birth. He also announced that he wanted the funeral procession to leave from the stadium pitch where his favorite football team, Blackpool FC, plays. ... But speaking about the rehearsal in 2013, he said it was all “light-hearted fun.” 

Bo-Hawg & Evermore, a love story & a fish fry: A deep-fried meaning found in grief Evermore Newsletter - "Community, Family, Grief"; 6/9/25 Grease popping, no breeze, standing in direct sunlight, lifting coolers with 50 pounds of grouper, hands coated in cornmeal and batter, and a heat index of 107. Ah, those were the days. That’s what it was like cooking seafood with my pops. My man LOVED this. A big reason is because he did this with his dad growing up. Later in life they began volunteering their services (and fish) as a way to help raise money for youth sports in our hometown. They would fry grouper, boil peanuts, boil shrimp — you name it, they did it. So, it was only natural that my siblings and I grew up sharing this tradition with him.  ... [Click on the title to continue reading this inspiring father-son story about both volunteering and coping with grief.]

Shameless star Justin Chatwin had a pivotal Law & Order role in a heartbreaking episode NBC; by Jill Sederstrom; 1/30/25, published in our newsletter 2/4/25Attorney Nolan Price found himself at odds with his brother, played by Chatwin, as the siblings were forced to make a painful decision. ... Justin Chatwin — who rose to fame on the hit comedy-drama series Shameless — took on the role of Thomas Price, the brother of Executive Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price, in “The Hardest Thing" episode, which premiered on January 30, 2025. The siblings disagreed about how to handle their father’s failing health. ... The brothers had to decide whether they wanted to put in a feeding tube, which could prolong their dad’s life by a few months, or “manage his pain levels” to “make his passing as comfortable as possible," a doctor explained. 

My dad had an Advance Directive. He still had to fight to die Newsweek - My Turn; by Maggie Schneider Huston; 8/26/24, published in our newsletter 8/27/24My mom died peacefully. My dad died 72 days later, angry at the doctors for ignoring his wishes. ... Dad had heart surgery on December 20, 2023. An hour after the surgery ended, his vital systems started shutting down. A cascade of interventions, one after another, kept him alive. Four days later, he said: "Put me on hospice." The doctor dismissed this request, rolling his eyes and saying: "Everyone on a ventilator says that." On Christmas Day, my father asked for hospice again. He was in pain. He knew his recovery would be long and ultimately futile. He would never have an acceptable quality of life again. ... Dad's care team insisted palliative care was the same as hospice care, but he knew the difference. He wanted hospice care. Finally, they reluctantly agreed and called for a social worker to make arrangements. It wasn't necessary. Once they removed his treatment and relieved his pain, he died five hours later. ... Editor's Note: This article is not about Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). It is about honoring Advance Directives, person-centered care with communications and actions related to "palliative" vs. "hospice" care. Pair this with other posts in our newsletter today, namely "Improving post-hospital care of older cancer patients."

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me. - Jim Valvano 

To Be or To Do? Women and Men's different styles of grievingComposing Life Out of Loss; by Joy Berger; retrieved 6/12/25

Quality of life while dying: Cutting edge hospice center opening in Colorado Springs NBC KOAA-5, Colorado Springs, CO; by Bill Folsom; 6/10/25 A major improvement to hospice care is coming to Colorado Springs. “This facility really does meet a need that is not met any other way,” said Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care, President Dawn Darvalics. Over the next couple of weeks the non-profit Pikes Peak Hospice is opening the only dedicated hospice inpatient care center in Colorado Springs. ... “Early in 2017 my wife Sarah was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, ...” said Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation, Board of Trustees Chair, Michael Healy. ... He says his family would have benefited from this new cutting-edge facility. It goes beyond medicine. It includes things like gardens, homey gathering spaces, an area dedicated to veteran support, a chapel, a place for kids, and a family style kitchen. ... Plaques around the building show the many donors helping raise the $8.5 million goal the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation is still working to complete.

Four Seasons offers virtual dementia training Four Seasons, Flat Rock, NC; Press Release; 6/10/25 Four Seasons is excited to now offer Virtual Dementia Training to the community! The Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) is a patented, ground-breaking, and evidence-based method of building a greater understanding of dementia. This training will be provided free for community groups or faith-based communities. There is a cost for external healthcare staff training. Learn more or schedule a training by contacting Mary Jo Powers (Four Seasons Director of Home Care) or Jenny Martin (Four Seasons Home Care Recruitment & Training Coordinator) at 828.696.0946 or HomeCareVM@FourSeasonsCFL.org. ... “Virtual Dementia Training helps caregivers better understand what their patients’ and loved ones’ lives are like. The training helps foster empathy and patience to ensure the best care and quality of life for those living with dementia. We are honored to bring this impactful training to our communities,” says Dr. Ruth Thomson, DO, MBA, HMDC, FAAHPM, FACOI, Four Seasons Chief Medical Officer.

‘It’s going to be the expectation’: Alternative care models reshape home-based care Home Health Care News - Hospital at Home; by Joyce Famakinwa; 6/10/25 At-home care providers are looking to the future. This means seriously investing in alternative home-based care models, such as hospital-at-home and Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). DispatchHealth, Contessa Health and Alivia Care are some of the organizations that have jumped headfirst into alternative home-based care models, enabling the creation of more comprehensive care delivery models. While alternative care models come with inherent challenges, including a complex regulatory environment and higher capital investments, these models are set to become an expectation for home-based care providers.

His sick wife asked him to kill her. Now that she's gone, he says the loneliness is worse. USA Today; by Madeline Mitchell; 6/11/25 Ever since his wife died in December, David Cook feels like a stranger in his own home. ... The loneliness “is a problem,” Cook said, and sometimes he slips into dark, depressive episodes he can only shake with sleep. He avoids the living room, with the framed photos of the two of them smiling together, the new plush carpet, the television where they'd watch tennis and golf and the ghost of the recliner she used to sit in. Patricia Cook died there, so for now − maybe forever − it's off limits. ... When she went into hospice in their living room, adamant that she’d die in her own home, the pain was excruciating. “She actually, several times, asked me to kill her," Cook said. "And I didn’t even have to think about it, I just said, ‘I’m sorry.’ I said, 'I just can’t do that.’” “Do you know how hard that is?” Cook said. “When someone asks you to kill them?” ... Editor's note: Spoiler alert. David Cook did not kill his wife. Still, he asks, "What more could I have done?" Read this story to develop your understanding of the profound depths of loss for spouses/partners, especially when they have served as caregiver through challenging needs.

Letter: Honoring hands that hold us in life’s final chapter Delaware Gazette, Delaware, OH; Letter by Jennifer Porter, Volunteer Coordinator, OhioHealth Hospice with Compassus; 6/11/25 As we recognize Certified Nursing Assistants Week, June 12–18, I want to speak directly to the hospice aides — those whose hands so often become the bridge between suffering and peace. In hospice, our work is sacred. It asks for clinical skill, yes — but also deep compassion, patience and emotional resilience. Hospice aides are at the center of this calling. They are the ones who bathe patients too weak to speak, who brush their hair, adjust their pillows and whisper comfort into quiet rooms. They walk into spaces heavy with emotion and bring calm ... Their care isn’t measured only in tasks, but in dignity restored, fears soothed and final moments honored. ... Whether they are called hospice aides, certified nursing assistants, nurse aides or simply “the ones who helped my loved one feel like themselves again,” they are the heart of this work. They deserve our respect, our thanks and our unwavering support. Take a moment to thank a hospice aide in your life. 

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Fashion for a Cause raises more than $305K BayNet, Annapolis, MD; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 6/11/25 Style met substance on June 5, as Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Fashion for a Cause returned to the U.S. Naval Academy’s Fluegel Alumni Center. The high-energy fashion show smashed last year’s totals, raising more than $305,000 to support the nonprofit’s community health programs, including pediatric hospice care, children’s grief counseling, and family support services. The event has become one of Annapolis’s most anticipated evenings. Guests were treated to a red-carpet experience complete with bites from local restaurants, personal magic trick performances by magician Chris Dugdale and a moving celebration of compassion and community care.