Literature Review

Strategies to prepare hospice providers to interact with adolescents with a parent in hospicePalliative & Supportive Care; William Grayson, Denice Kopchak Sheehan, Pamela S Stephenson, Kristen DeBois, Caitlin Sheehan; 5/25The sample included 18 young adults (18-28 years old) whose parents died in hospice or palliative care while they were adolescents (12-18 years old). Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams. The participants described a variety of skills that are important for hospice providers to know. They provided specific suggestions for hospice providers who seek to help adolescents navigate this critical time when their parents are dying or have recently died. These results can also be used to inform the development of interventions that assist hospice providers with strategies tailored to an adolescent's specific needs.

Hospice: Relatable language, cultural humility key to grow rural utilizationHome Health Line; by MaryKent Wolff; 6/18/25 Agencies in rural communities that make information about their care more accessible to community members who may be isolated or lack trust in health care services could see both increased hospice utilization and patient engagement. [Subscription required for full access.]

Winning with whiskers: A new approach to salesTeleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Dawn Landry; 6/18/25In this engaging conversation, Chris Comeaux and Dawn F. Landry explore the intricacies of leadership, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, self-awareness, and empathy.  Dawn shares her journey in business development and her unique approach to understanding personality traits through her book, Winning with Whiskers [A Business Fable About Overcoming Obstacles by Knowing Yourself & Others]. Their discussion highlights the significance of building strong relationships and navigating friction in professional settings, ultimately advocating for a more authentic and empathetic leadership style.  Dawn discusses the importance of self-awareness, understanding personal strengths, and the dynamics of building effective relationships in both personal and professional settings.

Navigating the ‘Long Goodbye’ Help for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Dementia The Journal; by Renee Bledsoe, LPN, CHPLN, Hospice of the Panhandle; 6/16/25 ...  [Important statistics:] ... Right now, there are more than 38,000 individuals over the age of 65 in West Virginia with Alzheimer’s Dementia and about 65,000 caregivers. The estimated total lifetime cost of care for someone with Dementia is more than $400,000 and about 70 percent of that cost is borne by family caregivers in the form of unpaid caregiving and out-of-pocket costs. Sixty-six percent of caregivers live with the person for whom they are caring. More than half provide care to a parent or in-law, and about a quarter of those are also caring for at least one child. It comes as no surprise that 59 percent of dementia caregivers report high emotional stress, and 38 percent report high physical stress, according to the 2025 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. ... Hospice of the Panhandle is no stranger to the emotional, physical and financial challenges that the caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Dementia in our area face every day. ...

Death, Taxes, and Talking to Your Parents: Why the conversation you’re avoiding might save your familyPsychology Today; by Nancy J. Kislin, LCSW, MFT; 6/11/25Key points:

My dad had an Advance Directive. He still had to fight to die Newsweek - My Turn; by Maggie Schneider Huston; 8/26/24, published in our newsletter 8/27/24My mom died peacefully. My dad died 72 days later, angry at the doctors for ignoring his wishes. ... Dad had heart surgery on December 20, 2023. An hour after the surgery ended, his vital systems started shutting down. A cascade of interventions, one after another, kept him alive. Four days later, he said: "Put me on hospice." The doctor dismissed this request, rolling his eyes and saying: "Everyone on a ventilator says that." On Christmas Day, my father asked for hospice again. He was in pain. He knew his recovery would be long and ultimately futile. He would never have an acceptable quality of life again. ... Dad's care team insisted palliative care was the same as hospice care, but he knew the difference. He wanted hospice care. Finally, they reluctantly agreed and called for a social worker to make arrangements. It wasn't necessary. Once they removed his treatment and relieved his pain, he died five hours later. ... Editor's Note: This article is not about Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). It is about honoring Advance Directives, person-centered care with communications and actions related to "palliative" vs. "hospice" care. Pair this with other posts in our newsletter today, namely "Improving post-hospital care of older cancer patients."

Commonwealth Hospice cuts ribbon on new office Times Leader, forty Fort, WY; by Sam Zavada; 6/10/25 Commonwealth Hospice — formerly based in Berwick — now has a presence in the Wyoming Valley. They held a ribbon-cutting and open house at their new office at the 900 Rutter Avenue building on Tuesday afternoon. The new location officially opened about two weeks ago. Residents of Luzerne County will now have access to the services provided by Commonwealth Hospice, including nursing assistance, social work and bereavement and spiritual care. Commonwealth also has a team of volunteers who can go to patients rather than vice versa.

Longtime Fargo-based hospice service has new name Fargo Forum, Fargo, ND; Press Release; 6/9/25 Hospice of the Red River Valley, which has had a presence in the region for decades, is now called HIA Hospice. Editor's note: The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Click here for more from HIA Health's website.

SCI Waymart meets needs of aging incarcerated population by training inmates in hospice care PBS WVIA News, NPR, Pittston, PA; by Lydia McFarlane; 6/8/25 Nurses and their inmate aides care for hospice patients. Some are bedridden, needing help with eating, changing and using the bathroom. The patients have recently signed do-not-resuscitate (DNR) forms. Some have just a few more months to live. The medium security prison's hospice unit looks like a nursing home. SCI Waymart is one of two prisons, along w ith SCI Laurel Highlands, in the Commonwealth that has a personal care unit. Waymart receives medical transfers from institutions across the state, making its population older than most of Pennsylvania’s state prisons. The average age of a Waymart inmate is 45.5, according to SCI Waymart’s superintendent, Mark Wahl. About 36% of inmates are over the age of 50, and 10% are over 65 out of a total of 1,122 as of April of this year, he said. Wahl said SCI Waymart averages one death per month.

Understanding hospice care: Eligibility, cost and purpose Emmanuel Hospice; 6/5/25 How do you want to live? It may be surprising to learn that’s the first question Emmanuel Hospice asks every new patient. Isn’t hospice about dying? While hospice is often associated with death, Melissa Wedberg will tell you it’s more about living, especially at Emmanuel Hospice, where she serves as vice president of community relations. With more than a decade in the hospice industry, Wedberg has spent years dispelling this and many other myths. Despite having roots in the U.S. dating back to the 70s, there remains a lot of mystery about hospice. Common questions Wedberg hears include: What is hospice and who’s eligible? How does hospice work? How is hospice paid for? Editor's note: This simple question jumps to the core of person-centered care, "How do you want to live?"

Death literacy is fostering positive conversations about the end Counterpunch; by Caren Martineau; 5/30/25 “[D]eath literacy is defined as the knowledge and skills that make it possible to understand and act upon the end-of-life and death care options,” according to a 2024 article in the journal Palliative Care and Social Practice, and its four foundational pillars: knowledge, skills, experiential learning, and social action. ... The U.S. Census named 2024 as the start of “Peak 65,” a period that will last through 2027. Around 4.1 million Americans are expected to turn 65 each year from 2024 to 2027 (approximately 11,000 a day). By 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 or older. Implications of “Peak 65” include:

Sister Grace spent her life helping the homeless. Now in hospice, she reflects on legacy and lessons WXXI News NPR, Rochester, NY; by Gino Fanelli; 6/6/25Sister Grace Miller smiles as she props herself up in her hospice bed and gently teases her strands of chestnut brown hair. “How does my hair look?” she asks. It’s the type of remark one would expect from Miller. Sister Grace is many things: a radical compassionate, a devout follower of the Catholic faith, a civil disruptor, and a wielder of a sharp, slightly sardonic wit. ... The 89-year-old champion for the homeless and destitute is dying, in hospice care at a congregation home on Carter Street. But her spirit is alive and well. “I would fight with them over whatever, whatever the people needed,” Miller said, referring to the county and city administrations she often tangled with over the years. “I would fight for the people. ... She said it was, ultimately, an undying, uncompromising commitment to the work she does as a fierce and fearless advocate for the poor.

A World War II hero is facing his final battle - with Medicare | PennLive letters PennLive Patriot News; by PenLive Letters to the Editor; 6/5/25 “Is this how one treats a 100-year-old World War II Army veteran?” I am such, having defended my country in the Philippines and then as one of the first GIs to step on Japan’s shores when it surrendered. Today, I am a widower, living alone under hospice care in the same small, comfortable home my wife and I cherished for so many years. My health condition has deteriorated dramatically, due to the ravages of ESRD, bladder cancer, anemia, high blood pressure, depression, and loss of balance. I am mostly bedridden, waiting for the inevitable. And yet, just now, I have received a Notice of Discharge from hospice because of an “extended prognosis,” literally meaning in lay terms that, “I’m living too long for hospice and Medicare purposes.” They argue that I’m now able enough medically to make it on my own without hospice care! ... I know I have only weeks, perhaps a month to live, but their rejoinder is simply, “Thank you for your service, but get out of our sight.”Editor's note: Click here for a similar related article and my editor's note, Dementia patient discharged from hospice over Medicare requirement. Here’s why it happened. (One of our "most read" Sunday posts.) These cases are too common. Basic communication, information, and coordinated care planning can mitigate much of the distress and pain. How does this dynamic play out with the patients and families you serve?