Literature Review

Gov. Moore launches Longevity Ready Maryland, a landmark state plan to support thriving aging population The Bay Net, Annapolis, MD; by Governor Wes Moore; 7/30/25 Governor Wes Moore today launched Longevity Ready Maryland, the state’s first comprehensive, 10-year multisector plan to coordinate services and policies that support Maryland’s growing population of older adults. ... Longevity Ready Maryland is a collaborative, long-term plan that aims to support the work of service providers by consolidating resources; coordinating efforts across government, businesses, and communities; and transforming systems of care to more sustainably accommodate a greater number of older Marylanders. To advance the objectives of the plan, the Maryland Department of Aging will work to encourage collaboration between state agencies, support local initiatives, and improve access to home- and community-based services.

'I helped him out': Grandson loaded his 90-year-old grandfather 'full of f—ing pain meds' and Ambien to 'ease him' to his 'next life' while stealing his house, police say Law & Order, The Palm Bay, FL; by Chris Perez; 8/12/25 A former county official in Florida claims he "helped" his 90-year-old grandfather out by killing him with a deadly cocktail of Ambien, morphine and other prescription drugs, according to cops. Christopher Balter, 35, is currently charged with delivery of a controlled substance and forgery after he allegedly attempted to forge signatures onto a "quitclaim deed" — a legal document used to transfer ownership of real estate — just weeks before Gilbert Balter's death on Feb. 1, police say. Christopher Balter's arrest affidavit outlines how he allegedly discussed and admitted to friends that he killed his grandpa while the nonagenarian was in home hospice care at a residence in Brevard County earlier this year. He allegedly claimed in phone calls that Gilbert Balter "never wanted to live like that" and had asked his grandson to take his life.

Blindsided: Some nursing homes across the country aggressively pursue friends and relatives for a loved one’s unpaid bill 14 News; by Jill Riepenhoff and Chris Nakamoto; 8/11/25 Toni Cook opened the letter from her mother’s nursing home and cried in horror. Lynn Marie Witt dropped to her knees and sobbed when she read the letter from her mother’s nursing home. Both women — stiff and grief-stricken over the loss of their beloved mothers — learned from those letters that the nursing homes intended to collect their mothers’ unpaid debts from them. Neither had any financial control over their mother’s bank accounts or assets after their deaths, court records say. They simply were loving daughters who signed paperwork to have their mothers admitted to a nursing home.

This test tells you more about your heart attack risk KFF Health News; by Paula Span; 8/1/25 A long list of Lynda Hollander’s paternal relatives had heart disease, and several had undergone major surgeries. ... A cardiologist told Hollander that based on factors like age, sex, cholesterol, and blood pressure, she faced a moderate risk of a major cardiac event, like a heart attack, within the next 10 years. ... Her doctor explained that a coronary artery calcium test, ... could provide a more precise estimate of her risk of atherosclerotic heart disease. “The test is used by more people every year,” said Michael Blaha, co-director of the preventive cardiology program at Johns Hopkins University. Calcium scans quadrupled from 2006 to 2017, his research team reported, and Google searches for related terms have risen even more sharply. Yet “it’s still being underused compared to its value,” he said. One reason is that although the test is comparatively inexpensive ...Editor's Note: Good news. This test predicts and protects heart health, potentially providing extra years of good (or at least better) quality of life. Bad news. It is "being underused compared to its value," partly because "the test is comparatively inexpensive"? Bad news. What does the low-cost factor say ethics, choices, and quality of life? Good news. Because of my family's cardiac history, my physician recently recommended I take this test. I did, and received great results! I move into the future with greater confidence, less fear, and more gratitude for the some 100,00 heartbeats we each experience, each day.

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. ~ Diane Ackerman

Heart to Heart Hospice broadens reach with new Kalamazoo location to serve patients Third News; Press Release; 8/12/25 Heart to Heart Hospice is taking significant steps to enhance its service delivery in southwestern Michigan with the official opening of a new facility in Kalamazoo. This strategic expansion positions Heart to Heart among the premier hospice care providers in the region, offering critical support to patients and their families during challenging times. ... Headed by Executive Director Stacy Sturgeon, RN, the Kalamazoo facility is operated with a focus on patient comfort and dignity.

First-ever global ranking of palliative care: 2025 World Map under the new WHO framework Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Vilma A. Tripodoro, Jesús Fernando López Fidalgo, Juan José Pons, Stephen R. Connor, Eduardo Garralda, MA, Fernanda Bastos, Álvaro Montero, Laura Monzón Llamas, Ana Cristina Béjar, Daniela Suárez, Carlos Centeno; 8/7/25 This is the fourth edition of mapping global palliative care development and the first to introduce a country ranking using the new WHO framework. Covering 201 countries, the findings reveal deep inequities and highlight priority areas for action. The Global Development Score enables the creation of tailored strategies, supporting advocacy, policy, and investment to expand access and reduce serious health-related suffering worldwide. [To view the map, open the source article and scroll down to Figure 3.]

Amazon documentary exposes 'neglect and pain' in many nursing homes. It's only going to get worse. Morningstar; by Jessica Hall; 8/9/25  Susie Singer Carter's mom, Norma Pecora, suffered from Alzheimer's disease for 16 years and spent the last five years of her life in a nursing home. She died at age 89 after enduring sepsis, urinary-tract infections, bed sores and dehydration at a five-star facility in Los Angeles. ... In a new three-part documentary streaming on Amazon Prime (AMZN) called "No Country for Old People: A Nursing Home Expose," Carter walks viewers through her mom's early life, including her time as a singer for Capitol Records, as well as her final months - when she suffered from infections and other complications that required emergency hospitalizations while being cared for at a nursing home. 

Field notes from the end of life: My thoughts on living while dying Texarkana Gazette, Texarkana, TX; 7/26/25 As friends are quick to tell me, we are all living with dying. True enough. Especially because I'm 76, or, as my late husband, Alec, would say, "too old to die young." But it's still disturbing to get official notice of your imminent demise. ... In a series of stories, I'll be sharing my field notes as I make my way from here to there, in the hope that others might find it useful. ... When I start feeling grim about my situation, I'm finding it useful to take a "Would it help?" moment to consider whether my response can improve the situation or help me cope. 

Monastery dig uncovers details about 8th century end-of-life care Care Home Professional; by Stephen Hall; 8/4/25 Archaeologists have picked up their trowels to learn more about how people lived, died and were cared for at the site of an 8th-9th century monastery in Cookham. The remains of the monastery were first discovered in 2021 in a test excavation by staff from the University of Reading’s Archaeology Department and volunteers from local archaeological societies. ... Thomas Hayes, director of the university’s field school, told the BBC this year they had found evidence of illness and treatment in human remains, including bedsores, suggesting palliative care may have taken place.

Hear all sides and you will be enlightened. Hear one side, and you will be in the dark. Wei Zheng

‘You made my life’: VITAS caregiver scores NHL tickets for hospice patient through Wish Maker program McKnights Home Care; by Foster Stubbs; 8/8/25 When hospice nurse Natalie Villabrera-Williams came to visit her client and hockey lover, Alan Reddish, last year she noticed that he was growing a beard that would make Rip Van Winkle blush. When she asked him if he wanted to shave it off, he explained that his beard would remain unkempt as long as his beloved Florida Panthers remained in the 2025 NHL Playoffs. ... After that interaction, Villabrera-Williams, a nurse for VITAS Healthcare in Broward County, FL, saw an opportunity to bring Reddish, of Lauderhill, FL, closer to the action on the ice.  ...

Emerald Coast Hospice hosts Annual Back-to-School Drive-Thru Jackson County Times; by Shelia Mader; 8/4/25 Emerald Coast Hospice Care once again stepped up to support the community it serves, hosting its third annual back-to-school drive-thru supply event this past Friday morning. Though not held consecutively each year, the effort continues to grow in impact, reaching nearly 140 children this year with essential school supplies and a few extra treats. ... Through their ongoing efforts, Emerald Coast Hospice Care continues to be a vital presence not only in healthcare but also in the daily lives of families across the region. Editor's Note: How inspiring. Due to the philanthropic nature of our hospice work, giving to a hospice organization is an easy norm. This out-of-the-box example of a hospice supporting the community--and for children instead of senior adults--encourages us all to see needs, creatively respond. Make a difference. Thanks Emerald Coast Hospice!