Literature Review

Stitching love The Ironton Tribune, Ironton, OH; by Mark Shaffer Patriotic-themed quilts made by the Ohio Hospice Quilters are on display at the Lawrence County Courthouse. Some of the quilts are for sale to buy more quilting supplies and the others will be donated to veterans. Ohio Hospice Quilters has made hundreds of quilts to comfort. For years, the members of the Ohio Hospice Quilters have put their skills to use to bring comfort. ... Each quilt is catered to the recipient as much as possible, they are designed for men, women, veterans or to a person’s interest or hobby.

What will people remember about you after you die? But legacy can manifest in different ways and even be an unconscious act Daily Sun; by BBC Future; 5/31/26 When Beth Hunter's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she asked him whether she could record them having a conversation, so she could listen back to it in years to come. He refused. He wasn't the type to have deep heart-to-hearts about their relationship, Hunter says – he didn't confront his diagnosis or talk about death. Instead, he prioritized writing his war stories, and did so by hand, before hiring someone else to type them. This is what he felt was most valuable to pass on after his death.

HopeHealth receives $200K grant to expand community engagement efforts Providence Business News, Providence, RI; by PBN Staff; 6/7/26 HopeHealth, the second-oldest hospice organization in the country, says it has received a $200,000 grant from Papitto Opportunity Connection to support the launch of a new community engagement program aimed at connecting underserved people with grief support, palliative care services and end-of-life care through hospice. The aims of the new program include building awareness of the benefits of palliative care, hospice, grief support and family caregiver support.

Father with terminal illness fights to attend MHSAA championship to see son play Northeaset Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, MS; by Caleb McCluskey; 6/6/26 From the time Carter Barefoot, 17, could walk, he was playing baseball, especially with his father, Alan Barefoot, who played Division I baseball in college. But illness has limited his father’s ability to enjoy the game they have shared throughout their lives. ... “He never missed a game,” Carter said. After doctors diagnosed Alan, 55, with terminal cancer and admitted him to Sanctuary Hospice, he physically could not be there for most of Carter’s junior-year season. Sanctuary made it happen, arranging for Alan to attend the playoffs in Pearl, where he watched his son’s Mooreville team become Class 4A state champion. It meant the world to Carter to see his dad there. 

Community Hospice and Health Services invests in behavioral health Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/3/26 California-based Community Hospice and Health Services is extending its mission to improve quality of life into the behavioral health space. In addition to the nonprofit’s bereavement care program, five years ago it established Hope Counseling Mental Health Services, to provide talk therapy to individuals from the community in need of additional support. Licensed clinical social workers and a marriage and family therapist staff the center, according to Monica Ojcius, director of strategic development at Community Hospice. “We formalized a mild to moderate outpatient mental health program. We did that because folks heard about our services for people experiencing grief and bereavement after hospice,” Ojcius told Hospice News.

Volunteer gardeners raise funds for care of the gardens and meadow at Community Hospice House in Merrimack The Cabinet Press, Merrimack, NH; by Loretta Jackson; 6/1/26 "Gardeners and shoppers braved unseasonably cold, wet and windy weather for the display of beautiful native plants grown in New Hampshire,” said Barb Young, co-leader of the garden team, along with Jeanne Abramson. Proceeds from the sale go directly to the CHH garden fund ...” The Community Hospice House, built in 2000 and operated by the nonprofit Home Health & Hospice Care, based in Merrimack, has expanded in recent years to 16 suites. The CHH gardens with new plantings, new benches, a supportive irrigation system and other enhancements have developed into a lovely enclave of respite, ... tended by more than 20 volunteer gardeners, ... with visibility from each patient's room and common areas.Editor's Note: Hospice care extends beyond clinical services. This volunteer-led effort shows how community support can help create and sustain comforting spaces for patients and families, while preserving resources for direct patient care.

‘Behind the blue’: social work's Abbie Latimer on how to support those who are suffering UKNow | University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, KY; by Kody Kiser; 6/1/26 When someone we care about is going through something painful, many of us struggle with the same question: what do I say? On this episode of “Behind the Blue,” Abbie Latimer, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, discusses hospice and palliative care, serious illness communication and how people can better support one another during difficult moments. Latimer also holds an affiliate appointment in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Palliative and Supportive Care. 

Minster Baseball Hospice Night raises record $8,000 for Grand Lake Hospice Mercer County Outlook, Minster, OH; by Mercer County Outlook Staff; 5/30/26 The Minster Wildcats baseball program once again brought the community together for a meaningful cause during its annual “Minster Baseball Hospice Night,” raising a record $8,000 this year to benefit Grand Lake Hospice. ... In addition to fundraising, Hospice Night serves as a time of remembrance and recognition for local families who have been touched by hospice care. The Minster baseball program continues to honor those individuals, reinforcing the personal connections that make the event so impactful. 

Early palliative integration for heart failure Medscape; by Karel De Pourcq, PhD; 5/27/26 ... Chronic conditions such as heart failure often bring relentless symptoms, repeated hospital admissions, and deep emotional and social effects for patients and their families. Bringing a palliative perspective into care widens the focus beyond disease-directed treatments to include ongoing symptom relief, emotional support, and help for overburdened caregivers. It also promotes early, shared planning about treatment intensity — deciding when worsening episodes can be managed at home vs when hospitalization is needed — and clarifying care goals as the illness progresses.

What I've learned at the bedside: Jewish wisdom for the time before death ReformJudaism.org - Jewish Life In Your Life; by Ptarmigan Emery; 5/27/26 I have been a hospice nurse for 10 years. ... I am also a Jew, though not a particularly observant one. ... What has surprised me is how often those two parts of myself, the nurse and the Jew, have found each other in the same moment at the bedside. Jewish tradition has a great deal to say about the time before death. ... In traditional Jewish law, a person who is actively dying has a name: a goses. The rabbis gave this passage its own category, saying: this time is sacred and deserves our full attention. ...Editor's Note: Sacred Time. Without rushing or turning away, this thoughtful reflection explores how Jewish wisdom honors the moments before death as deserving presence, meaning, and our fullest attention.

Signs it’s time for in-home healthcare: 11 warning signs U.S. News & World Report News; by Barbara Sadick; 5/27/26 

Sevierville teen seeking Eagle Scout rank turns personal pain into purpose WBIR 10 News, Knoxville, TN; by Heather Waliga; 5/27/26 A Sevierville teenager working toward her Eagle Scout rank is being recognized for a project that's helping families navigate one of life's hardest experiences: grief. Arrianne Witt, 17, transformed a once-empty prayer room inside Sacred Ground Hospice House into a peaceful space for reflection. ... The project quickly grew into a major undertaking. Witt spent months fundraising, collecting thousands of dollars in donations and organizing nearly two dozen volunteers to help bring the vision to life. The result is now a calming retreat inside the hospice house, complete with thoughtful décor and a soothing atmosphere meant to give families a moment of peace during difficult times. 

Unlocking human potential through the workplace FacilitiesNet.com; by AnnMarie Martin; 5/22/26 ... Today’s facility leaders are no longer simply maintaining buildings. They are actively shaping the conditions for organizational success, serving as the critical connector between people, place, strategy and technology. That shift carries both weight and possibility. ... The question driving forward-thinking facility leaders today isn’t whether the workplace matters. It’s how to make it matter more. ... At the heart of this life-centered, people-first approach is a simple but powerful premise: the built environment shapes behavior. Lighting affects focus. Acoustics affect stress. Layout affects collaboration. ...