Literature Review

Palliative care physician: ‘Healing is possible’ even when cure is not Healio, Chicago, IL; by Jennifer Byrne; 6/26/24During her fellowship as a palliative care physician, Sunita Puri, MD, met a patient who taught her that healing is possible even when cure is not. Alice, a 35-year-old woman, had acute myeloid leukemia. ... Nobody wanted to say it out loud, but Alice was dying. “She was only a couple years older than me. She’d lived in San Francisco, a few streets away from where I lived in my residency,” Puri, program director of the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship program at UMass Chan School of Medicine. ... “She had a vibrancy that I had always hoped to embody, but she was intubated, wide awake, on dialysis and starting to suffer from ascending paralysis.” ... During rounds one day, Puri told her attending that she was at a loss about how to help Alice and didn’t feel she was doing anything meaningful for her. “My attending said, ‘What if just being at her bedside is achieving something meaningful?’” Puri recalled. “I’d always understood healing and cure to be different, but this was when I really felt it.” ... “What if healing is choosing to understand that there’s going to be suffering that we can’t alleviate — and sometimes that’s our own — but the most important thing to bring to that is presence?” she said. [Click on the article's title to continue reading.] Editor's Note: Though not directly related to this article, read "Today's Encouragement" at the end of today's newsletter.

Building bridges before loved ones pass - personal perspective: The loss of a loved one Psychology Today; by Sarah Rayner; 6/10/24 ... Last year I lost my mother ...  The only parent I have left is my stepmother. We have had our rows over the years, as she would leap to defend my father so swiftly. Now I appreciate that this was because she loved him deeply and committedly. ... From what I can see, she is going to be with us for a few years. She is an intellectual force of nature and at 88 was granted an honorary doctorate. ... “Wow,” I said, impressed. “You are an inspiration.” She brushed off the compliment. “I’m nothing. You should see my friend, Pam, she is 100! We all have to die sometime," she said. "We have to make way for the next generation." ... t's worth building bridges before loved ones pass. But whether you love or hate your parents, I believe it is often worth building bridges before they pass away, for the sake of both parties. Few people want to look back on the final encounter they had with a loved one regretting all the words left unsaid.

Paramedics helping hospice patients make final memories with family CKXS 99.1 News, St. Wallaceburg, Ontario; 6/7/24A new hospice program in Chatham-Kent is giving patients a chance to take one last end-of-life journey with their loved ones. Chatham-Kent EMS and the Chatham-Kent Hospice have partnered to create the Lasting Memories Program, which allows palliative patients to take a day trip to a location of their choosing. The program helps families create lasting memories of their loved ones in the final days through a trip to the farm, a ride to the lake, or enjoying a sporting event. Local paramedic Jon Benoit was credited for helping to get the program off the ground by coordinating services between the hospice and Medavie Health Services. “Medavie is really good about letting us use their ambulances and helping get this program running and supporting us through it… but the medics doing the actual program, it’s all volunteer time,” he said. Staff at the hospice work with families on coordinating the outing with volunteer paramedics, who escort them throughout the excursion, alleviating any health or medical concerns.

The Aging Revolution: Growing old in America becoming more dignified, but with senior population booming, is nation’s health system prepared?BusinesssWire; 6/4/24A half-century after renowned gerontologist, psychiatrist and author Dr. Robert Butler ridiculed the nation’s medical establishment for ignoring the suffering of older Americans, Northwell Health today announced the publication of The Aging Revolution: The History of Geriatric Health Care and What Really Matters to Older Adults, which chronicles the significant advancements made in improving the physical and emotional health of the nation’s rapidly aging population. 

Manatee County hospice volunteer celebrates patients' birthdays dressed in costumes Specturm News 9, Manatee County, FL; by Rick Elmhorst; 5/13/24 A Manatee County woman is bringing joy to people in hospice care by celebrating their birthdays. Pam Freas volunteers with Chapters Health Lifepath Hospice by dressing in costumes and visiting patients for their birthdays. She also helps manage the supplies for milestone birthday celebrations, including packing birthday bags full of blankets and pillows. Freas recently visited a young boy named Jackson who was in home hospice care. She dressed as a dinosaur since Jackson loves dinosaurs. Although Jackson has a difficult time communicating, Freas spent time talking with him to brighten his day.

At age 99, Jimmy Carter is still exercising his right to vote Story by CNN and Atlanta News First; 5/10/24 Former President Jimmy Carter, age 99, is still exercising his right to vote. Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, said the nation’s 39th president cast a mail-in ballot this week for the May 21 Georgia primary, emphasizing his grandfather is not going to miss an election. The former president entered hospice care more than a year ago in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Since then he celebrated his 99th birthday last October and attended the annual Peanut Festival, which celebrates the region’s cash crop. He also mourned the loss of his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died in November at the age of 96. To date, that has been Jimmy Carter’s last public appearance. 

The power of art in palliative care InSight+, Melbourne, Australia; by Caitlin Wright; 5/6/24 ... Melbourne artist Jeffrey Kelson is known for his thought-provoking portraits, several of which have been exhibited at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. He believes a portrait is a window into a subject’s heart and mind. However, after being diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer, it wasn’t this style of art that Mr. Kelson was drawn to. As soon as he felt well enough to return to his studio, he started work on a series of colourful collages. “At one point, my wife came into the room and commented on how bright they were and how full of life force. She was surprised that I could create pieces that were so energetic when I felt so ill. I hadn’t really thought about it. I just needed to work,” he told InSight+. ... Palliative care specialist Dr Eric Fairbank was one of Mr Kelson’s art students for several years before Mr. Kelson’s diagnosis. He said Mr Kelson’s approach to his diagnosis has confirmed his belief that the best outcomes of cancer treatment are achieved when they’re complemented by the patient’s own resources of mind, will and spirit. [Click on the title's link to view several of his paintings.]

JAMA Revisited, from May 1924: The Promise of a Longer Lifetime JAMA; 4/18/2024.Originally published May 10, 1924 | JAMA. 1924;82(19):1518-1519.Editor's Note: Yes. This article's original date is May 10, 1924; one hundred years ago, shortly after coming through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919.Modern hygiene has been described as the reaction against the old fatalistic creed that deaths inevitably occur at a constant rate. The study of vital statistics shows that there is no “iron law of mortality.” ... The New York report states that the increase in the expectation of life has been almost entirely confined to the ages before 35 years. In the future, the health officer must, of necessity, consider steps to be taken to minimize the mortality among those of middle and advanced life. There is much to encourage man today to seek to secure a normal lifetime.

Experts say Shannen Doherty’s approach to cancer ciagnosis can be helpfulToday Headline; 4/16/24Shannen Doherty, the actor best known for her role in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” has stage 4 cancer. She’s getting rid of her material possessions so she can focus on spending time with her mother. On an episode of her podcast, “Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty,” released on April 1, the actor said she wants to sell off some of her stuff so her mother doesn’t have to worry about dealing with it if she dies. ... She also said she hopes to use that money to travel with her mom without dipping into her savings.

Overcome fear of financial regret to embrace a fulfilling life Advisorpedia, Viewpoints by Ross Levin; 4/8/24 ... A primary job of financial planners is to help their clients see what is possible. It is also to help them balance living today while preparing them for tomorrow. But not knowing how many tomorrows we have can create too much emphasis on an uncertain future. ... One of our long-term clients is now in hospice. As we were talking, she said how grateful she was for what she and her husband did with their family ... Although cancer will rob her of some years, she has lived her life fully. I have worked with countless clients, and here is some wisdom I have discovered that helped them avoid regret: [click on the title's link to read]

Hospice wedding a declaration of love in the face of medical challenge Penticton Western News, by Alistair Taylor; 4/4/24 The essence of hospice philosophy – emphasizing the significance of cherishing every moment and embracing life to the fullest – was exemplified by the touching and beautiful wedding of Sean Adelberg and Mary Davidson at Campbell River’s Hospice House on Tuesday, April 2. ... “This journey to the altar accompanies Mary’s heroic battle with stage 4 Glioblastoma—an incurable brain cancer. Despite the odds, we’re seizing this incredible chance to celebrate our love,” Adelberg said.

Qualitative analysis of initial palliative care consultations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Christine L Watt, Ian C Smith, Jill Rice, Rebekah Murphy, Ari Breiner, Maria Duff, Danica Nogo, Shirley H Bush, Susan McNeely, Usha Buenger, Belinda Zehrt, Jocelyn Zwicker; 4/2/24, online ahead of print Background: Palliative care (PC) benefits patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), however the needs of patients and caregivers and the optimal timing of PC discussions remains unclear. This study reports the analysis of PC consult notes from a larger feasibility trial. The specific aims of this analysis were to i) identify the PC needs of patients with ALS via qualitative analysis and ii) identify characteristics of patients and caregivers that could predict specific PC needs.

Blue Shield's Palliative Care Program wins national recognition for improving lives Blue Shield California; 3/28/24 During the first quarter of this year, the Journal of Palliative Medicine published results of a study entitled “Cost and Utilization Implications of a Health Plan’s Home-Based Palliative Care Program” from leaders at Blue Shield and researchers from West Health Research Institute that garnered attention from industry publications. ...  Major findings from the study were that home-based palliative care delivered to people not yet eligible for hospice reduced their hospital and emergency room use, showed trends towards an increased length of life, and extended the continuum of care for people with serious illness and their caregivers.