Literature Review
All posts tagged with “General News | Changing the Culture of Dying.”
KCAD grad Brianna L. Hernández explores intersection of art, death, and grief through prestigious Hyperallergic curatorial fellowship
06/28/24 at 03:00 AMKCAD grad Brianna L. Hernández explores intersection of art, death, and grief through prestigious Hyperallergic curatorial fellowship Ferris State University, Grand Rapids, MI; 6/25/24 As Brianna L. Hernández grieved the loss of her mother, she understood she was not alone in the experience and her thoughts turned to helping others. Her work to share the experience has earned recognition. Hernández, a 2016 graduate of the Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, was one of five people selected for the prestigious 2024 Emily H. Tremaine Journalism Fellowship for Curators ... Every year, the fellowship offers five curators $5,000 to support their research while developing their journalistic skills. ... [Experiencing her mother's death] profoundly shifted her work toward a focus on death, and the living who are left behind to cope with loss. “As she was dying and right after she died, I knew I needed to make work about it for my own healing, but I also knew that my situation was not unique,” Hernández said. “I felt like it was of both artistic and social importance to put that out there in a way that hasn't been addressed.”
When victims die more than 30 days after a crash, they don’t count
06/26/24 at 03:00 AMWhen victims die more than 30 days after a crash, they don’t count StreetsBlogUSA; by Kea Wilson; 6/24/24... Since it first launched in 1975, the federal Fatality Analysis and Reporting System database has excluded all car crash deaths that occur more than 30 days after the initial collision. That means people like [9-year-old] Ben — who lived with a traumatic brain injury, a severed spinal cord, an inability to speak, and other major disabilities for five years before he died — aren't included in official annual death totals. Survivors say those stats also don't capture the sheer scale of the grief, horror, and hardship suffered by victims and their families, whether they succumb to their injuries immediately or manage to hang on.
Reflections: Three ways to think about death and dying
06/26/24 at 02:30 AMReflections: Three ways to think about death and dyingPost Alley, Seattle, WA; by Anthony B. Robinson; 6/21/24Our book group had a wrap-up session on our “Aging and Mortality” series last night. We invited everyone to share their own take-aways from our six books. What did we learn? What was comforting? Challenging? How might this effect your planning and decision-making? Before I share my own take-aways from the series, I would note one general theme in what we read: the more we isolate death and the dying, the more we fear death. Here my three take-aways from the series and our conversations:
When your parents die: Becoming an adult orphan
06/20/24 at 03:00 AMWhen your parents die: Becoming an adult orphan The Montecito Journal; by Deann Zampelli; 6/18/24 Shortly after I got married, my 64-year-old mother lost her battle with breast cancer. Seven years later my father joined her. The loss isn’t any less painful just because you are a grown-up. ... Many don’t realize that grief isn’t linear. We don’t go through a neat little phase, checking off each stage as we complete it. The famous (and somewhat debunked) five stages of grief introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the 1960s (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) were from a study she did on the emotional states of patients who were dying. It was their stages she was referencing, not ours. ... I came to a frightening realization. ... It suddenly dawned on me that my siblings and I were next in line to kick it. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]Editor's Note: While serving in your hospice leadership roles, you experience the ongoing aging, changes and likely even deaths of your own family members, friends, and mentors. Do you, your hospice communications, and/or your grief services rely on the outdated "Stages of Grief" model? These "stages" opened the door in the 1960's for talking about death and dying, but became overpopularizd for surviving and healing after the loss. These have been replaced with extensive bereavement/loss/grief research, clinical best practices, and more. For expert information, resources, and bereavement professionals, examine www.adec.org, the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
It’s your funeral! How to plan ahead for the best party you’ll never attend
06/20/24 at 03:00 AMIt’s your funeral! How to plan ahead for the best party you’ll never attend The Guardian; by Doosie Morris; 6/14/24 Years before the indomitable Joan Rivers died in 2014 she immortalised hopes for her own farewell in her memoir. ... The rise in so-called “death positivity”, along with the mortal reality check wreaked on us by the pandemic, has helped to reframe death as a part of life for many of us. Taboos around discussing death are breaking down and planning your own funeral is increasingly considered as responsible as writing a will. ... While the latest Australian Funeral Industry report found less than one in five Australians have actually planned their own funeral, a definite vibe shift is occurring and 90% of people say they want to. ... “When people say ‘I don’t want a funeral’ I remind them it’s not actually for them,” Griffith says. “You might think you’re doing your loved ones a favour, but you are actually denying everyone who needs somewhere to put their grief.” ...
How funerals and death became the new hot things
06/19/24 at 03:00 AMHow funerals and death became the new hot things New York Post; by Alix Strauss; 6/16/24 ... Funeral homes, similar to cemeteries ... are becoming the new community centers, and people are attending events not for sad occasions, but because they have become death curious, death fascinated, and death comfortable as we all move closer to that final chapter. “The stigma around funeral homes is dissipating. The vibe of our funeral home is changing. People come to these events wanting to be here, as opposed to having to be here,” said William Villanova, president of Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel. “There’s a void we are filling in our community. We put on large-scale, high-quality, catered events with talented people at an extraordinary space.”
Building bridges before loved ones pass - personal perspective: The loss of a loved one
06/13/24 at 03:00 AMBuilding 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.
Pride Month 2024: LGBTQ+ Resources for Hospice & Palliative Care Organizations
06/12/24 at 02:00 AM
Patient’s wish to visit Graceland granted with help of Texarkana’s Heritage Hospice
06/10/24 at 03:00 AMPatient’s wish to visit Graceland granted with help of Texarkana’s Heritage Hospice NBC KTAL-6, Texarkana, TX: by Hunter Trombetta; 6/7/24A Texarkana hospice recently fulfilled one of its patients’ wishes. Debora Warren is a patient with Heritage Home Health & Hospice. She says she has been an Elvis fan since she was 10 years old. ... Her favorite Elvis song, “If I Can Dream,” surely takes on a new meaning now because, at the age of 71, her dream to visit Graceland came true thanks to a unique program at Heritage Hospice. “Wishes is a program where we grant our hospice patients their final wishes. Miss Debora Warren wanted to go to Graceland, and so we made that happen,” says Kristy Minton, the Volunteer Coordinator at Heritage Home Health and Hospice.
The Aging Revolution: Growing old in America becoming more dignified, but with senior population booming, is nation’s health system prepared?
06/07/24 at 03:00 AMThe 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.
Most people don’t get the end-of-life care they really want. Here’s what you can do to change that.
06/04/24 at 03:00 AMMost people don’t get the end-of-life care they really want. Here’s what you can do to change that.[Maria Shriver's] Sunday Paper; by Karen Spencer; 6/1/24My mother died of cancer in 2011, when I was in my 30s. My father had died a decade earlier, and most of our family lived far away. So even though I lived in Boston and my mom was in Denver, we had to figure out how I could help care for her from a distance. ... Here are 3 lessons I’ve learned along the way that I hope will help you, too.
They sacrificed to care for family and ended up on the street
06/03/24 at 03:00 AMThey sacrificed to care for family and ended up on the street Wisconsin Public Radio; by Kat McGowan; 5/29/24 ... A son or sibling or niece gives up their own apartment or full-time job to look after a relative who needs help. They share expenses, maybe living off of a benefits check. But when that family member passes away or moves to a nursing home, the social security or housing subsidy stops coming. The caregiver is in mourning, out of a job and out of a place to live. “These were folks who had left behind something to go care for mom, and then the bottom falls out,” says Margot Kushel, a homelessness researcher and professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. Her team documented this pattern in their intensive surveys and in-depth interviews of older homeless Californians. ... Kushel envisions one brighter possibility. Given the extreme shortage of capable home caregivers, both in California and nationwide, people who have played that role for family could be recruited to do the same job for others, helping to build this essential workforce. “If you’re caregiving for 15 months for your mom, for instance you probably have transferrable skills,” she says.Editor's Note: Pair this with recent articles we posted on 5/30/24, "The real cost of cancer: 49% of patients carry $5K+ in medical debt" and "56 percent willing to dip into retirement savings to be family caregiver: survey."
Suicide rates among cancer patients are falling
05/31/24 at 03:00 AMSuicide rates among cancer patients are falling U.S. News / HealthDay; by Ernie Mundell; 5/30/24 Even as suicide rates have risen among Americans generally, one group appears to be bucking that trend: People diagnosed with cancer. Experts are crediting improved access to counseling and other "psychosocial care" with easing the emotional toll of cancer and keeping more patients from making tragic decisions.
America’s biggest Medicaid insurer just pledged to help build nearly $1 billion of affordable housing: ‘We know 80% of what drives health is nonmedical’
05/24/24 at 03:00 AMAmerica’s biggest Medicaid insurer just pledged to help build nearly $1 billion of affordable housing: ‘We know 80% of what drives health is nonmedical’ Fortune Well; by Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez; 5/20/24The nation’s largest Medicaid insurer is pledging to help build nearly $1 billion worth of affordable housing in eight states as it moves to address one of the biggest determinants of health. ... “We know 80% of what drives health is nonmedical. Eighty percent,” Dr. Michelle Gourdine, senior vice president at CVS Health, said earlier in the conference. “We could have the best doctors in the universe and it would only fix 20% of the problem.”
Major corporate, foundation, and institutional partners join in support of caregiving, the PBS documentary and engagement project from executive producer Bradley Cooper
05/10/24 at 03:00 AMMajor corporate, foundation, and institutional partners join in support of caregiving, the PBS documentary and engagement project from executive producer Bradley CooperWETA; Press Release by Project Partners on National Engagement Initiative include Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Milken Institue for the Future of Aging, Grantmakers In Aging, Global Coalition on Aging, and National Alliance for Caregiving; 5/8/24 WETA President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Percy Rockefeller today announced the shared commitment from a slate of major funders and partners to support the documentary and engagement campaign for the new project Caregiving, currently in production. Bradley Cooper is an executive producer of the two-hour documentary slated to premiere on PBS in Spring 2025. Funders for this ambitious project include Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.; Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation; Ralph C. Wilson; Jr. Foundation, Care.com; and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Support for the engagement and outreach for Caregiving is made possible by The John A. Hartford Foundation.
The Check-Up: How seniors can better take care of their mental health
05/10/24 at 02:00 AMThe Check-Up: How seniors can better take care of their mental health The Keene Sentinel; by Olivia Belanger Sentinel Staff; 5/8/24 My generation talks about mental health a lot. In our late 20s, my friends and I routinely check in to see how we’re feeling, reschedule plans because we’re in a mental funk or talk about how we can help support each other when we’re not feeling mentally healthy. ... But I know that for older generations, this can be hard to come by. ... [Older] adults are more likely to experience life changes — like coping with a serious illness or losing a loved one — which can lead to feelings of grief, social isolation or loneliness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Loneliness in particular is one of the biggest threats to seniors, especially those who live in rural areas like the Monadnock Region where reliable transportation is limited. Research shows loneliness is as bad for people’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Signs that you may need to help your mental health, NIMH says, include: ...
Terminal cancer: What matters to patients and caregivers
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMTerminal cancer: What matters to patients and caregivers Medscape Medical News; by Megan Brooks; 5/6/24 What's most important to patients with terminal cancer and their caregivers? New research found that patients and caregivers both tend to prioritize symptom control over life extension but often preferring a balance. Patients and caregivers, however, are less aligned on decisions about cost containment, with patients more likely to prioritize cost containment. ... As patients approached the end of life, neither patients nor caregivers shifted their priorities from life extension to symptom management.
The spectrum of end-of-life experiences: A tool for advancing death education
05/04/24 at 02:05 AMThe spectrum of end-of-life experiences: A tool for advancing death educationOmega; by Shared Crossing Research Initiative; 3/24 Abstract: Studies on end-of-life experiences (ELEs) suggest that caregivers and loved ones of dying patients also have ELEs, though these are rarely explored. This article introduces the Spectrum of End-of-Life Experiences (SELE) as a descriptive list of types of ELEs reported by all members of the care unit, including dying patients, their caregivers, and their loved ones. We applied SELE towards identifying ELEs reported by 143 caregivers and loved ones and successfully identified every experience. Interviews revealed that participants viewed their ELEs as profound communicative events, yet a substantial minority also reported struggling to name and process these experiences. We propose that SELE be included in death education to raise awareness about ELEs that can occur within the care unit, and we suggest that SELE has additional applications, including use as a prognostic aid in end-of-life care and as a therapeutic aid for bereavement support.
HHS issues new rule to strengthen nondiscrimination protections and advance Civil Rights in health care
05/01/24 at 03:00 AMHHS issues new rule to strengthen nondiscrimination protections and advance Civil Rights in health careHHS Press Office; 4/26/24Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) advancing protections against discrimination in health care. By taking bold action to strengthen protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability, this rule reduces language access barriers, expands physical and digital accessibility, tackles bias in health technology, and much more.
America’s graying. We need to change the way we think about age.
05/01/24 at 03:00 AMAmerica’s graying. We need to change the way we think about age. The Harvard Gazette; by Alvin Powell; 4/25/24 Experts say instead of disability, focus needs to shift to ability, health, with greater participation, economically and socially. People in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s run marathons, write books, and go to work daily. But the predominant national conversation on aging focuses on disability rather than ability, something experts say is a problem as participation of America’s older adults grows more important, economically and socially, as the nation ages.
Understanding is better than criticism
04/30/24 at 03:00 AMUnderstanding is better than criticism The Pike County News Watchman; by Loren Hardin; 4/26/24 The first time I met Glenn was at his brother, Kenny’s, and sister-in-law, Tressie’s wedding anniversary party. ... Glenn walked into the party with a swagger, was wearing dark tinted sunglasses, grabbed his belt, pulled up his pants, stuck out his chest and sat down at the kitchen table. I thought, “Who is this guy wearing dark sunglasses on an overcast day?” To be honest, I thought, “This guy is kind of cocky acting”. Little did I know that in the not-too-distant future, I would become Glenn’s hospice social worker, nor did he? ... [Click on the title's link to read more of this insightful, inspirational story.]
University of Texas club puts life's memories into book for people receiving hospice care
04/30/24 at 03:00 AMUniversity of Texas club puts life's memories into book for people receiving hospice care Austin American-Statesman; by Nicole Villalpando; 4/27/24 "What would you like your legacy to be?" Galilea Dupree asks Bob Bell, as she and two other University of Texas students gather around the dining room in Bell's North Austin home. ... Bob, 92, has congestive heart failure. After three strokes and two heart attacks, he began receiving services with Hospice Austin in November. He is one of nine people in hospice who are having their stories told by UT students as part of the Last Writers club. The club works with Hospice Austin and Compassus hospice to identify people who would like to have their stories told.
My Patients tell me they've had a paranormal experience. I believe them — I had one too.
04/25/24 at 03:00 AMPatients tell me they've had a paranormal experience. I Believe Them — I had one too. MSN HuffPost, by Scott Janssen; 4/23/24 Tank’s life has been full of conflict and strife. Now he’s stuck in a wheelchair on his back porch with me, a hospice social worker, peppering him with questions. He’s pondering my query about why he’s feeling peace about his impending death. His eyes soften as he motions with his head toward the workshop near the back fence. “You remember me telling you about my older boy?” he asks. “The one that died by suicide?” I ask. “Yeah, I remember.” “If you count my old man, I was the second-worst father that ever lived. Most of my life I figured I’d go straight to hell when I died.” ...
Hospice nurse reveals the most common deathbed regrets
04/25/24 at 03:00 AMHospice nurse reveals the most common deathbed regretsUnilad; by Niamh Shackleton; 4/24/24Bronnie Ware, a nurse who has spent a large majority of her career working in palliative care, found that there were five common things that people regretted about their lives upon reflection as they approached death.
New facility is first in Wisconsin to serve homeless people with terminal illnesses
04/25/24 at 03:00 AMEnd-of-life care facility for people experiencing homelessness opens on Monona Drive [Wisconsin] Isthmus, Madison, WI, by Linda Falkenstein; 4/23/24It started as an idea from palliative care physician Dr. Ann Catlett. Catlett had experienced having to discharge terminally ill patients who had no housing onto the streets. And she had seen a model home where patients without a home could live out their days in peace, receive hospice services and other daily palliative care. ... Thus was born Solace Friends, a Madison-area nonprofit with the goal of opening a care facility for people with terminal illnesses who are unhoused or experiencing housing insecurity. ... The opening of the adult family home was celebrated Tuesday with a press conference and tour of the facility.