Literature Review

Bristol Hospice expands, rebrands palliative care program Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/25/25 Bristol Hospice has expanded and rebranded its palliative care program amid rising demand for these services. The hospice provider on Wednesday launched the Bristol Palliative Care program, designed to support seriously ill patients with chronic or life-limiting conditions. Formerly the Advanced Illness Management (AIM) program, the rebranding reflects the hospice’s enhanced patient-centered services and sprawling geographic footprint.

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. 

Prayer for patients? Readers and ethicists respondMedscape; by Alicia Ault; 4/24/25 ... In a recent Medscape column, Andrew N. Wilner, MD, related the story of a physician offering to pray for his wife at the conclusion of a routine visit. She had no previous relationship with the clinician and only a minor complaint. Wilner found the physician’s action disturbing and wrote in his column that while there might be situations where prayer would be appropriate, his wife’s visit did not fit in that category. Some readers took issue with Wilner’s response. ... He thinks there are a lot of considerations to weigh before a doctor should ask. “Prayer is very personal, and religious beliefs are very, very personal,” said Wilner, adding that “For some people, they’re profound.” Others might be agnostic, and it is not likely possible to know all of this if there is no prior patient-doctor relationship, said Wilner.

[United Kingdom] New UK Centre hopes to change public attitudes towards grief University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Press Release; 4/24/25 Grief affects everyone but is still very much a taboo subject in the UK. A new Centre - the first of its kind in the UK - hopes to shift public attitudes towards grief and create communities that are compassionate and connected in their support of people who are bereaved. The Centre for Grief Research and Community Engagement (Grief Centre) at the University of Bristol is launched today [24 April]. The Grief Centre will focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research into grief, death and loss, aiming to increase understanding of these fundamental aspects of being human and provide the space for new thinking, ideas and approaches.

Understanding Conservatory Care Services: A comprehensive overview Articlescad.com; by Jonassen Randall; 4/27/25 As the population ages and healthcare requires evolve, conservatory care services have become a crucial part of the continuum of care for numerous individuals. Unlike standard medical treatment environments, conservatory care services focus on supporting people with persistent conditions or impairments, providing a holistic technique that promotes self-respect and quality of life. This short article will explore what conservatory care services entail, who can benefit from these services, and the various kinds they can take.

7 signs at home care is needed for someone with dementia VeryWell Health; by Christopher Bergland; 4/25/25 ... At-home dementia care can look different for every family. Some people live alone and may get by with periodic check-ins from professionals in the dementia care community throughout the week. Others might require daily visits from Alzheimer's home care dementia services. Sometimes, a paid caregiver comes to the house daily, or unpaid loved ones provide 24/7 in-home care.

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. 

Two palliative care pioneers share their essential qualities for nurse leadershipehospice; 4/22/25“Four thousand miles apart, and prior to the establishment of the launch of the Global Palliative Nursing Network (GPNN), living very separate, parallel lives, Yangden Paki and Halima Ibrahim share many of the key qualities required to enable them as nurses to introduce, establish and grow palliative care provision in their respective countries – Bhutan and Sudan.

An untapped resource: How family caregivers provide value for home careMcKnight's Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/21/25If there is one lesson Andrea Cohen learned after more than two decades of running a home care company, it is that supporting family caregivers is foundational to quality care. “I would say I have three customers,” Andrea told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “One is the client themselves, one is the professional caregiver and the other is the family caregiver. About 95% of the time, we were actually dealing with the family caregiver.”Publisher's note: Equally true in hospice.

40% of nurses eye exit by 2029: 5 findings from NCSBN’s new workforce report Becker's Hospital Review; by Erica Carbajal; 4/27/25While the post-pandemic nursing workforce is showing signs of stabilizing, high levels of burnout, stress and dissatisfaction continue to threaten long-term workforce stability, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s biennial 2024 National Workforce Study. The report surveyed more than 800,000 nurses in the U.S. and is considered the largest, most comprehensive report on the state of the nursing workforce. ...

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:

20 tech experts on how to boost operational resilience Forbes; by Forbes Expert Panel; 3/23/25 Managing risk and boosting resilience is an important initiative for organizations—particularly so for the finance, healthcare and logistics sectors. ... Members of Forbes Technology Council share their top tips for building operational resilience.

Women of the World Club makes $8,500 donation to Hospice of Marion County Foundation ABC WCJB-20, Gainesville, FL; by Daja Clayton; 4/25/25 Hospice of Marion County Foundation has received a generous donation from a club in Marion County to help with their Hope Renovation Project. This project helps educate the public on dementia and its impacts on seniors. The donations comes after the Women of the World Club held their annual fashion show charity event last month -- they made their final donation this month. The interim Executive Director of the Hospice of Marion County Foundation says these funds will also help bring new activities for seniors with dementia.