Literature Review

A student film explores an end-of-life story: How Jingyi Li created the documentary that swept the Redstone Film Festival Boston University, College of Communication, Boston, MA; by Mike De Socio; 5/27/25 When Jingyi Li set out to create a documentary about healthcare for elders, she struggled to find a family willing to sit in front of her camera. Li (’25) was inspired by the power of filmmaking to create social impacts, and wanted to explore hospice care in Chinese culture. The interest stemmed from Li’s experience interning at a local hospice care center in Yunnan Province, China, where she witnessed the complexities and cultural sensitivities involved in providing care for terminally ill patients within Chinese families. With the help of a hospice and palliative care service in Boston, Li started reaching out to Chinese families about filming the end-of-life process, but many rejected her request. ... She eventually found a “brave family” whose roots in the US date back to the mid-20th century. Li says the family’s “mix of Chinese and Western culture” made them more amenable to being filmed.  ... The resulting short documentary, named Pópo for the elder at its center, went on to win a bevy of awards at this year’s Redstone Film Festival, including best film and best documentary. 

May has taught me lessons I will carry with me into June. ~ AnonymousWhat are these for you?

Hospice El Paso to receive over $100K from Marathon Petroleum Corporation KTSM, El Paso, TX; Press Release; 5/28/25 Hospice El Paso will receive a $174,000 donation from Marathon Petroleum Corporation this week, which includes the gift of a fully equipped ambulance to support the organization’s patient transportation needs. The donation will be held on Thursday, May 29, the organization said. ... The donation will enable the organization to “provide timely and compassionate transportation for patients requiring specialized end-of-life care, ensuring they receive the support they need with dignity and comfort,” read the news release by the organization. ... “We are deeply grateful to Marathon Petroleum for their unwavering commitment to our community,” Dr. Jim Voiland, CEO of Hospice El Paso, said.

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes ABC News WFTS, Tampa Bay, FL; by Gulfside Healthcare; 5/27/25 Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes serves a greater purpose than providing affordable gently used goods: all net proceeds fund charity care for hospice patients. Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes has a new and improved online shop for easy access and including shipping. To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, visit Gulfside.org. To shop Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes online visit gulfsidethrift.myshopify.com/ or stop by one of four convenient locations in New Port Richey, Hudson, Dade City or Zephyrhills. Follow Gulfside on social media for updates and sales.Editor's note: This online access opens up a world of engagement with those who cannot visit the shop in person, especially long distance donors and family members/friends acquainted with Gulfside Hospice. 

WHO unveils new guideline to improve global access to controlled medicines World Health Organization; by Departmental update; 5/26/25 The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a rapid communication outlining its comprehensive new guideline on balanced national policies for controlled medicines. The guideline’s recommendations were officially presented during a high-level side event at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly on Friday 23 May 2025. It is designed to support countries in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable access to essential controlled medicines which are critical for treating acute and chronic pain, mental health conditions, substance use disorders and other serious health issues.

[UK] Students face the realities of hospice care in powerful visitDevonLive; by Lewis Clarke; 5/27/25 A visit to Exeter Hospice gave South Devon UTC students a moving insight into care careers—and the deep compassion behind them. Students from South Devon UTC in Newton Abbot have been given a rare glimpse into the realities of end-of-life care during a visit to Exeter Hospice, in what educators described as an eye-opening and inspiring experience. The visit formed part of the students’ health and social care curriculum and broader enrichment programme. Involving pupils from Years 10 to 13, the day provided an in-depth look at the range of careers within the hospice setting—from nursing and palliative care to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, counselling, and volunteer coordination.

I quit my healthcare job to take care of my grandmother. It’s a mix of happy and sad moments, but ultimately has been life-changing for us. DNYUZ; "as-told-to essay based on a coversation with Kristina McDonald"; 5/26/25My grandmother is 80, and my grandfather is 83. I quit my full-time job to care for my grandmother as I noticed that her undiagnosed dementia was worsening. ... 

Valir PACE acquires Cherry Blossom PACE in Alexandria, Virginia - expanding quality senior care in Northern VirginiaKTLA-5 Los Angeles and CISION PR Newswire, Oklahoma City, OK; by Valir PACE; 5/22/25Further expanding its footprint in the senior care market, Valir PACE, a recognized leader in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), has acquired Cherry Blossom PACE from One Senior Care. This strategic acquisition strengthens Valir PACE's commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive care to seniors in Northern Viriginia.

Assisted living facility where woman was fatally beaten operated out of 'pure greed:' Suit Delaware New Journal; by Isabel Hughes; 5/20/25 The family of an 83-year-old woman who was fatally beaten by another resident at The Summit assisted living in North Star has accused the facility and its parent company of "pure greed," claiming in a recently filed lawsuit that the previously violent assailant was not removed from the facility because he brought in nearly $400,000 for the company. The family of Shyuan Hsia who was attacked and left to suffer in her room for hours on the night of Aug. 5, 2024 filed the 84-page suit in New Castle County Superior Court in late April. ... Discovery Senior Living, the lawsuit says, "recklessly failed to remove" him, "because if they did so, they stood to lose approximately $370,000 in revenue." That number was derived from:

All You Need is Love The Republic; by Sharon Mangas; 5/28/25The call came in at 4:00 a.m., waking me from a deep sleep. It was the kind of call that puts you on high alert; like when you have a teenage driver at home, or a mother-in-law on hospice care. ... “Hello. Is this Sharon Mangas? I’m calling from the hospice center. I wasn’t able to reach Mike. I’m sorry to share this news…your mother-in-law, Carmen, passed away a few minutes ago.” ... To the best of my knowledge, I was privy to her last spoken words to family. After Mike and I helped Carmen settle in at the Hospice Center near midnight Saturday, May 3—barely 24 hours before she passed—I bent over to tell her we’d see her in the morning. She looked deeply into my eyes and said, “I love you, Sharon.” I took her hand gently and said, “I love you, too.” ... As the first daughter-in-law in Carmen’s orbit, the two of us had occasional dust-ups and misunderstandings that challenged our family bond. But we shared a lot of love, too, and love is healing. 

Try and fail, but don't fail to try. ~ Stephen Kaggwa

85-year-old philanthropist has quietly given millions to health causes in Bellingham  Cascadia Daily News, Bellingham, WA; by Charlotte Alden; 5/22/25Amy Chan Wolsdorf, former day trader, has donated funds for a new dementia center, Amy's Place. Amy Chan Wolsdorf gets up at 2 a.m. every morning, eats breakfast, preps her meals for the day and goes to the gym. Then, she checks the stock market. Wolsdorf, 85, is a self-taught stock market whiz who has amassed her wealth with smart investments, including in Microsoft, she said. Standing at 4 feet, 8 inches, the slight, gray-haired woman from Hong Kong doesn’t match the stereotypical image of a stock trader. ... Since she began accumulating her fortune, Wolsdorf hasn’t held onto it for herself: She’s given much of it away. ... In 2018, she was honored as PeaceHealth’s Philanthropist of the Year, after nearly 20 years of donations and 45 “significant gifts” at the time. She donated to cancer research, cardiovascular services, palliative care, women’s and children’s services, and more, totaling around $2.4 million in donations, according to PeaceHealth. ... [The article also mentions Whatcom Hospice in Belllingham.]

[Australia] What voluntary assisted dying options are available for those with dementia? ABC News Melbourne, Australia; by Emily JB Smith; 5/24/25 John Griffiths suspects his mind is starting to fail. It is a horrifying prospect for the father-of-three, former Monash University engineering lecturer and CSIRO research scientist. The Melbourne man spends much of his time with his wife Rachel, who lives in residential aged care, reading her poems and short stories. While doctors say he is all clear at the moment, he will be assessed for dementia in the next year. If he does develop the condition, he would rather die than let it take hold. But his options are limited. Although voluntary assisted dying (VAD) will be legal in every Australian jurisdiction except the Northern Territory by the end of this year, it remains entirely off-limits for people with dementia. ...