Literature Review

Translating suffering through sculptureAAHPM Quarterly; by Ronit Elk; 6/27/25... I began to sculpt with clay at 15, and it was when the clay was in my hands that I became truly at one with what I was creating. I translated the untold suffering I had witnessed reflected in the eyes of the African women, together with their resilience and “can’t do otherwise” attitude, into the sculptures. I didn’t plan these, they literally emerged. In some of my sculptures the pain in the eyes of the women is so clear that people who see them often look away. In this sculpture I hope you can see reflected both the suffering of the African women and their strength and resilience to take care of and provide for their families and communities.Publisher's note: This brief article is a heartfelt expression through the arts.

[United Kingdom] King's College London: Half of UK adults worried about painful death King's College London; 6/24/25 Almost half (47%) of UK adults are worried that they or their loved ones will have a painful or undignified death, according to a survey commissioned by King’s College London. The survey conducted by Focaldata explores public attitudes to death and dying and finds that almost half (44%) of respondents also feel worried about the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in the UK. Previous research indicates that up to 90% of people in the UK will require palliative care before they die. ... 40% of respondents said they did not know how to access palliative care in their area, and almost one third said they did not know enough about the healthcare system to find the support that a dying person needs. 

[Canada] Hospice Northwest receives support to help unhoused people get palliative careCBC; by Sarah Law; 6/27/25Kimberley Ramsbottom, outreach program coordinator at Hospice Northwest, says it's important for everyone to have access to quality end-of-life services, no matter their personal circumstances. Accessing palliative care can be stressful for anyone, but for people experiencing homelessness, even getting to medical appointments can be an impossible barrier. The Palliative Advocacy Care Team (PACT) in Thunder Bay, Ont., works to address these challenges by connecting unhoused individuals who have life-limiting illnesses with essential services, such as food, transportation, communication methods and primary care... The $10,000 award will go directly to meeting clients' needs, from helping them find transportation, to getting a cellphone so their doctor can reach them about upcoming appointments.

St. Joseph’s Center of Trumbull to permanently close Aug. 9 Westfair Business Journal, Trumbaull, CT; by Gary Larkin; 6/30/25The Town of Trumbull and the state Department of Labor (DOL) have reported they are trying to help the 179 employees laid off by St. Joseph’s Center after its parent company [Genesis Healthcare] announced it was closing the nursing home on Aug. 9. ... St. Joseph’s Center has been serving Trumbull for more than 50 years with an array of services such as: independent living, short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and hospice services. 

Grief literacy’s growing impact on hospice bereavement care models Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/27/25 Evolving trends related to grief literacy have trickled into the innovative bereavement approaches that hospice providers employ amid rising demand for family support. Hospices have fine-tuned how they measure quality and shape services within their bereavement programs as more is learned about the diverse ways people both understand and experience grief. Even the term “grief literacy” has been gaining ground in recent years, according to Sarah Saltee, executive director of Colorado-based 3Hopeful Hearts (3HH). The term generally refers to the ability to understand and recognize that grief experiences span beyond a person’s death and can apply to any significant loss of health, relationships, goals, self-identity or safety, Saltee stated.

Wisconsin author discusses her mother’s aging, dying in the American health care system: The long-term care system failed both her and her mother, she writes Wisconsin Public Radio; by Colleen Leahy; 6/27/25At age 99, Judy Karofsky’s mother was kicked out of her Wisconsin hospice facility. Within 48 hours of that decision, Karofsky became her mother’s default nurse. “I had to find a wheelchair for her. I had to keep track of her meds. I had to buy all the bandages and supplies that she would [need],” Karofsky told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” Karofsky is the author of “Diselderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice.” In it, she chronicles nightmare scenarios as her mother aged and died in the American healthcare system: making her way through independent living, six different assisted living facilities, memory care, skilled nursing and hospice.  

Choice Bank’s 'Go Hawaiian for Hospice' campaign has raised $1.3 million since 2012 to support end-of-life care by HIA HospiceInForum; by Drew Berg; 6/24/25A Fargo bank is having fun while raising money for local end-of-life care. Choice Bank held its 14th annual “Go Hawaiian for Hospice” event on Tuesday, June 24. The event raises money for HIA Hospice, formerly known as Hospice of the Red River Valley... Choice Bank says the event has raised over $1.3 million since 2012.

[Italy] Last signs of life: What to expect in final hoursMedscape; by Mirko Riolfi, 6/13/25 (Medscape ran 6/25/25)Caregivers of terminally ill patients often turn to health professionals to learn what to expect in the final weeks, days, and hours of life. Regardless of the underlying cause, many signs and symptoms are similar during this period. Addressing families’ concerns proactively can ease discomfort and anxiety and help prevent crises during hospital stay. Below are the key topics to discuss with caregivers as death approaches a patient.

How Empath Health integrates end-of-life care into PACEHospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/26/25Under the Programs for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) model, patients generally do not transition to the Medicare Hospice Benefit as they near death. Consequently, Empath Health has taken pains to ensure quality end-of-life care is integrated into its program. Empath considers these services to be a key component of its “Full Life Care” model, that seeks to longitudinally support patients over the course of their serious or terminal illness, according to Dr. Nick Joseph, senior vice president of Empath’s Complete Care Division. The organization provides end-of-life care in the home, with services that mirror its hospice program.

Tending to sexuality and intimacy in hospice and palliative medicineAAHPM Summer Quarterly; by Danielle Chammas, Teddy Scheel, Mike Rabow; 6/27/25Sexuality and intimacy are often absent from the list of concerns routinely addressed in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM), despite being central to quality of life for many patients. This is rarely an intentional omission and often reflects deep barriers that exist on multiple levels, including our own discomfort as clinicians. Building our capacity to tend to patients’ experiences with sex and intimacy is supported by clinician preparation in the domains of (1) personal reflection to understand the impact of our own attitudes, identities, and biases; (2) skill development to inclusively and nonjudgmentally open and hold space for these conversations; and (3) utilization of biopsychosocial assessment to guide treatment planning.

Regret is the price of playing it safe. Personal perspective: We wait too long to live with purpose.Psychology Today; by Jordan Grumet; 6/26/25Key points:

Inside the Archives: How George Soros Changed End-of-Life Care in AmericaOpen Society Foundations; by Elizabeth Rubin; 6/27/25The Project on Death in America (PDIA) ran from 1994 to 2003, with an ambitious goal: to transform the experience of dying in the U.S. Journalist Elizabeth Rubin spoke with Dr. Kathy Foley, the physician George Soros chose to lead it, to reflect on its impact... Soros’s fundamental belief was simple: Death deserves the same careful attention we give to life... [Dr. Kathy Foley commented] “We had to educate people that palliative care isn’t just about dying, but about supporting patients with serious illnesses and improving their quality of life.”Notable mentions: Kathy Foley, Susan D. Block, Robert ("Bo") A. Burt, Andy Billings, Robert N. Butler, David J. Rothman, Joanne Lynn, Patricia Prem, Ana Dumois, William Zabel, James Tulsky, Tony Back, Bob Arnold, Diane E. Meyer, Center to Advance Palliative Care, R. Sean Morrison, National Palliative Care Research Center, Richard Payne, Angola Prison Project, Lewis Cohen, Judy Nelson, Steve Pantalat, Tammy Quest, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Kornfeld Foundation, Bill Moyers, and On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying.

Memorable leadership: What makes certain leaders unforgettableForbes; by Joseph Folkman; 6/26/25Here are the 10 standout leadership behaviors that separate exceptional leaders from the rest: