Literature Review

Rising suicide risk among seniors due to loneliness, mobility, financial insecurity, study finds McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/5/24As the number of adults over 65 continues to grow, suicide rates among older adults have also been rising, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Between 2008 and 2017, the share of suicide-related emergency department visits among adults 65 years and older more than doubled. These older adults face age-related stressors that can negatively affect mental health, such as declining physical health, reduced mental sharpness, or the loss of friends or loved ones, which can heighten the risk of suicide. 

A 'national treasure': St. Peter's Health volunteer has spread smiles and care for over 50 yearsIndependent Record, by Sonny Tapia; 2/20/24A volunteer with an infectious smile, care in her heart and a willingness to put others first has partially called it quits after 53 years at St. Peter’s Health. Helen Bunkowske is retiring from part of her duties at the hospital that included walking patients to their rooms for appointments and helping stressed-out patients before a surgery, but is continuing her work with the hospice program and the No One Dies Alone program through the hospital.

'One more moment' singer Cat Janice, 31, shares heartbreaking health update weeks after her song to help son through diagnosis went viralThe U.S. Sun, by Olivia Salamone; 2/21/24... Janice underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and was told that she was cancer-free in July 2022. However, in June 2023, she announced that the disease had come back, this time in her lungs. ... The singer has continued to make music throughout her cancer battles. ... "Dance You Out Of My Head" ... made it to the top 10 worldwide songs on iTunes, and ... number one on TikTok Billboard Top 50. ... The musician transferred the song rights to her son, Loren "which means all the proceeds for the now-viral hit (along with the rest of her catalog) will go directly into his bank account," the outlet continued. ..."I don’t want to die. But I’ve had a really wonderful life, and I got to have this really incredible last moment, and I thank God for it." The U.S. Sun has reached out to Cat Janice for comment and her husband Kyle Higginbotham for an update.

Identity shifts throughout HCT: A holistic approach to patient, caregiver supportHematology Advisor; by Katie Schoeppner, MSW, LICSW; Leah Christianson, OPN-CG; Hailey Hassel, MSW, LICSW; Cortney Alleyne, MPH; 2/20/24Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), their caregivers, and family members often experience dramatic shifts in their identity during and after the transplant process. These shifts can cause significant disruption in their lives, even among the most stable family and friend units. With holistic guidance and informed, empathetic care from professionals on healthcare teams, these patients and their support persons can better cope with the identity-related challenges they face.Editor's Note: See the patients you serve as persons. While this article focuses on person undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant, its rich insights about the patient/person's "tangible and intangible identity shifts" apply to the persons you serve, whatever the diagnosis. Read this article to develop your empathy and its practical applications throughout the services your organizations provide.

Death can be isolating and dehumanizing. But what if it didn’t have to be?City Life, by Ben Seal; 2/17/24... In the three years since Elaine’s passing, I’ve longed for a world where more people could be given the chance to die as she did — with the fullness of life surrounding her, and with complete support, emphasizing the emotional and spiritual, not just the medical. In Philadelphia and beyond, a growing community of death-care workers — doulas, nurses, grief counselors, social workers, even funeral directors — is trying to build that world. They are reclaiming death and dying from the institutional model that has become the norm over the past century. Editor's Note: Has hospice now become so institutionalized and medical/regulatory focused that we have lost sight of "emphasizing the emotional and spiritual, not just the medical"? I ask the question, but do not draw judgment, as answers must be contextualized. 

This hospice volunteer program is transforming end-of-life care for inmates in MaineYouTube - News Center Maine, video news; 2/16/24The prisoner hospice volunteer program started in 2001 as a partnership among the Maine Hospice Council, Maine State Prison, and Maine Department of Corrections.

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. U.S. Medicine, by Chester Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret), MC, USA; 2/13/24New Year’s Eve 2023 was marked with sadness for my family as my mother-in-law, Susan “Sue” Timperley, passed. ... Because of Sue’s strength in life, when her death came faster than we or her physician expected, we were spared further trauma. ... Hospice proved as helpful in death as they were in life by easing the weight of Sue’s loss through arrangements for her body. This support allowed Sue to die as she lived, with quiet strength and regal dignity. Our family was gifted with the time to focus on her memory rather than sterile hospital rules and cold machines.

Alabama agencies get new resources for dementia care amid 'great void' in servicesAlabama Reflector, by Alander Rocha; 1/31/24In a meeting of the Interagency Council for the Prevention of Elder Abuse on Tuesday, Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) Commissioner Jean W. Brown said the department is “awash in money to just go where we’ve never gone before in dementia services and dementia care.” ... According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alabama in 2021 had the second highest mortality rate from Alzheimer’s disease, behind only Mississippi, at 46.8 per 100,000 people. 

See how 5 families balance care and comfort in pediatric palliative careNational Geographic, by Taylor Sisk, photographs by Lynn Johnson; 2/1/24This medical team chooses to help families of children in palliative care prioritize quality of Life over taxing procedures and treatments. Our photo essay offers a glimpse of how they make the most out of life. ... [Interviews and photos are with the] Division of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. ... The goal of this pediatric hospice program is clear: Put family first.Editor's Note: Note this source, National Geographic. Where do these photos and stories "take" you? I am grateful for Hospice of Louisville's (now, Hosparus) first hospice pediatric program in the U.S. I served on our Pediatric Care team for 4 years, and was forever, profoundly changed by knowing these children and their families.

The nurse who helps dying patients write poetryThe Telegraph (UK News), by Flora Bowen; 1/25/24What will happen to me after I die? Will my family cope? How will I be remembered? These are familiar questions for Rekha Vijayshankar. As a palliative care nurse who is now Marie Curie’s deputy head of quality and clinical governance, she has helped thousands of patients to explore their feelings towards such themes through writing poetry and journal entries together.

Cutting hair, growing care: Stylists volunteer for hospice patients Montrose Press, by Katharhynn Heidelberg; 1/22/24... [Kathy] King is among several stylists who volunteer to cut hospice patients’ hair — just a way, they said, of giving back by making others feel good. ... “Contributing is probably the highest gift you can give,” said King. “As far as HopeWest goes, I lose the word sometimes as to what they do, and what they do for the community. I’m just so proud to (volunteer) for them.”

Head chef at Jersey Hospice cherishes the privilege of cooking for end-of-life patientsBNN, by Mahnoor Jehangir; 1/19/24The head chef at Jersey Hospice, Sam Sherwood, has a deeply personal mission. His role is not merely a professional one, but a labor of love, driven by the memory of his father who passed away just days before Sherwood took the helm of the hospice kitchen. For Sherwood and his team, preparing meals for patients in end-of-life care is more than just a job; it’s a calling.

Hollywood's portrayal of cancer in movies fuels misconceptions, new study findsPR Newswire; 1/17/24... Researchers reviewed more than 100 films released between 2010-2020 and found several key findings about films' lasting impact on public perception of cancer treatment, prevention and care options. Key findings from the study include: