Literature Review

We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. ~ John F. KennedyEditor's Note: Whatever our differences--political, religious, cultural, more--may we heed these words, reflecting on but one of too many lives cut short. Today marks the 62nd anniversary of John Kennedy's state funeral, impacting our world-views and of sharing real-time, collective grief through television. YouTube - State Funeral of President John F. Kennedy, November 25, 1963

Geisinger medical students accompany Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Allied hospice patients with No One Dies Alone program WWIA/PBS/NPR; by Lydia McFarlane; 11/23/25 Tommy Ahlin was very close with his grandfather. He looked up to the man he called “Pap-Pap” for his military service, wisdom and family values. He spent the last few months of his life in a nursing home under hospice care, where he died at age 97. “Unfortunately, on the day he passed, he did pass by himself and was alone for a couple of hours before anyone got to him," Ahlin said. ... Ahlin, a second-year student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, or GCSOM, is now a representative for the No One Dies Alone program, which partners the medical school with Allied Services Hospice. Program volunteers vigil sit, which means to provide company to hospice patients whose loved ones can't be with them.

Kirk Greene: Why every family needs an estate planning ‘lifeboat drill’ Noozhawk, Santa Barbara County, CA; by Kirk Greene; 11/21/25 Over many years, my financial services firm conducted “lifeboat drills” with our clients. Some of the drills were focused on trying to help clients understand how much market volatility they could really handle. But we also ran “lifeboat drills” about estate planning. We would typically meet with a married couple and pretend that one of the spouses (often the husband) had just died or become incapacitated. The unfortunate spouse was encouraged to just listen as we worked through what his or her spouse would have to deal with. 

Shepherd’s Cove Hospice: Children’s Activity Garden Sand Mountain Reporter, Albertville, AL; by Mary Bailey; 11/22/25 Shepherd’s Cove Hospice in Albertville lives by the words of community, compassion and connection. On Tuesday morning they opened the doors of the community room for a free breakfast and then held a ribbon cutting for their new “Children’s Activity Garden” located at their facility. With one in nine children in Alabama experiencing a loss of a parent or sibling by age 18, Shepherd’s Cove Hospice saw a need and wanted to help. The Children’s Activity Garden is space where children and teenagers can come to deal with their emotions but also have the freedom and space to still be a child and play. 

Arvest Foundation awards $4,000 grant to Hospice of the Ozarks KTLO.com; by Staff; 11/20/25 The Arvest Foundation has awarded a $4,000 grant to Hospice of the Ozarks to support patient care needs at the nonprofit facility. Arvest Bank associates joined Scott Copeland, president of Arvest in North Arkansas, and executive assistant Cindy Sutterfield in presenting the check to Rebecca Raynor, relationship and giving officer for Hospice of the Ozarks, along with other representatives. ... Raynor said the support helps sustain the organization’s 46-year mission. 

How much power should we give AI in end-of-life decisions? Forbes; by Michael L. Millenson; 11/20/25 Could an artificial intelligence algorithm used for end-of-life care decisions predict better than your loved ones whether you’d want doctors to restart your heart if it stops unexpectedly? Or if you have a serious illness, should AI predictions about your overall survival odds be used to prod you to make your wishes clear before there’s a medical emergency? Ready or not, AI predictions are quietly set to become part of care decisions at the end of life. However, what role they’ll play in relation to human intelligence and values, and whether there can be a “moral” AI that takes those into account, remain wide-open questions. 

Bayada Home Health Care appoints Bryony Winn as its next CEOBayada Home Health Care press release; 11/20/25Bayada Home Health Care (“BAYADA”), a nonprofit organization and one of the nation's largest providers of home health, personal home care, private duty nursing and hospice services, today announced the appointment of Bryony Winn as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Bryony - the first non-family member to lead BAYADA - will join the organization on March 2nd, 2026. At that time, David Baiada will conclude his eight-year tenure as CEO by joining the BAYADA Board of Directors and serving as senior advisor to the incoming CEO.

85-year-old woman in senior home brings down the house with Fleetwood Mac 'Landslide' cover: There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Upworthy; by Cecily Knobler; 11/16/25 On a hot Sunday in July, Carole Wade took the mic at a Dallas senior living facility where my mom lives. I happened to be visiting for the karaoke event, and the list of residents who couldn't wait to put their stamps on their favorite tunes was so long, the event had to be extended. ... When it was Wade's turn, the microphone was brought to her table. She took it in her hands as though it was an extension of her fingers as the music cued up. Then, as she began to effortlessly sing "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, the room got still. Frozen. All eyes were on her, and most of those eyes were wet. The lyrics, so beautifully fitting:

Coordinating at-home care, enhancing quality of life as a hospice nurse case manager Grand Haven Tribune; by Emmanuel Hospice; 11/19/25 Throughout her career, Brittany Rickert has explored nursing jobs in various settings but keeps getting drawn back to hospice. For her, there's little out there that offers such a unique and rewarding experience. "There are landmarks throughout our lives and death is one of them," says Rickert, a nurse of 15 years. "It is very special to be allowed into that sacred space with patients and their loved ones, to support them through such a pivotal portion of their life." ... She defines her position as the "coordinator of the patient experience altogether," working alongside an interdisciplinary team to bring supportive services directly to patients, wherever they call home.

Three Palmetto GBA ReportsPalmetto press release; 11/21/25

A strategic path forward for hospice & palliative care: Ira Byock, Kristi Newport, Brynn BowmanGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Ira Byock, Kristi Newport, Brynn Bowman; 11/13/25In June of 2025, hospice and palliative care pioneer Ira Byock published a white paper outlining the urgent challenges facing the field today. In a nutshell, he expressed concerns that the quality of hospice care in the United States has become highly variable, with disturbing frequency of unethical practices and avaricious owners. He also raised concern that the rapid increase in palliative care program growth during the first two decades of this century has stalled, leaving us with understaffed programs that are often inadequately trained. Along with Ira, we’ve invited Kristi Newport, a palliative care doctor and Chief Medical Officer of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and Brynn Bowman, Chief Executive Officer of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, to discuss these issues and outline a strategic path forward for the field. In particular we talk about Ira’s four-part solution to transform the field and restore its integrity: (1) publishing clear clinical and programmatic standards, (2) making meaningful data publicly available to ensure transparency and accountability, (3) fostering quality-based competition among providers, and (4) embracing the authentic brand of hospice and palliative care—expert care that alleviates suffering and fosters well-being.

End-of-life care and health promotion in Black and African American religious communities: A systematic reviewThe Journal of Aging & Social Change; by Chesney Ward; 10/25Blacks and African Americans have the highest mortality rates of any racial or ethnic group, yet they are less likely to complete advanced directives in the United States.  This systematic review found that faith-based health promotion for end-of-life planning is an effective strategy for engaging Black Americans in discussing end-of-life care despite Black and African Americans’ preference for treatment. By implementing faith-based health promotion in churches, Black Americans are more likely to engage in end-of-life care discussions and complete advanced directives, enhancing their quality of life as they age.Publisher's note: We recognize the correct term "advance directives" was not used in this article.

UofL oncology social work expert leads national effort to transform cancer patient support The Lane Report, Louisville, KY; by Holly Hinson; 11/17/25 ... Tara Schapmire, an associate professor in the University of Louisville (UofL) Department of Medicine, Division of Palliative Medicine, and an associate professor at the UofL Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, has worked decades to help individuals and families impacted by cancer. Schapmire was recently awarded a five-year, $1.6 million grant from NCI to lead a national training initiative aimed at transforming psychosocial and palliative care in oncology. The grant will support an intensive training and mentorship program, and 50 social workers from across the U.S. will be competitively selected each year to receive fully funded palliative oncology training and structured mentorship.