Literature Review

[United Kingdom] Cream tea party for hospice breaks world record BBC News; by Caroline Robinson; 9/22/26 A hospice has broken a world record for the largest cream tea party. Cornwall Hospice brought 2,483 people together in the attempt to break the record previously held by Mercedes-Benz in Beijing with 1,088 attendees. The event at the Royal Cornwall Showground on Saturday was hosted by entertainer Johnny Cowling who said: "This is what Cornwall is all about - supporting one another." The charity said the record attempt also marked its 45th year of supporting people across the Duchy.

Finger Lakes Nurse Honor Guard gives late nurses a final tribute Democrat and Chronicle; by Mike Murphy; 9/21/26 As Ruth Benjamin was getting ready to retire after more than 50 years in nursing, two of her colleagues passed away. ... Nursing is a calling and a way of life, Benjamin said by way of explanation, and many like her and her colleague gave everything they had to their profession. ... After some research, Benjamin founded the Finger Lakes Nurse Honor Guard, which celebrates its third anniversary in October. The all-volunteer honor guard ensures that late nurses are recognized, in a similar way that honor guards pay tribute to late military or first responders. ... The service is free.Editor's Note: Though this article is behind a paywall, you can learn more about this inspirational Finger Lakes Nurse Honor Guard from their website.

HPNF awarded Spanish-language access grant Hospice & Palliative Nurses Foundation; Press Release; 9/18/26 The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) has received a $107,000 grant from Elea Institute for a new project titled the Spanish-Language Access to Hospice and Palliative Nursing Certification Initiative. Elea Institute is committed to ensuring all persons have access to high-quality hospice and palliative care and has awarded numerous grants supporting enhanced community access and educational resources. This grant project will address a critical barrier to equitable hospice and palliative care training: language access. Spanish-speaking nursing assistants are an essential part of the healthcare workforce, yet limited access to Spanish-language certification and educational resources creates barriers to professional advancement and equitable care delivery.

Loved ones remembered with release of 1,000 monarch butterflies The Courier, Waterloo, IA; by Maria Kuiper; 9/15/26 A break in the clouds Sunday seemed too good to be true as 1,000 monarch butterflies were released during Cedar Valley Hospice’s Release and Remember event. Despite the rain, about 2,000 people showed up for the fundraiser event where butterflies could be bought and dedicated to loved ones that died during hospice care. ... “Butterflies represent to so many people that transformation between one life and the other because they’re literally going through that transformation,” Suzanne Benda, Cedar Valley Hospice’s chief growth officer, said. “I think it does show that, I mean, what a special moment as they come out and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is playing and we see the butterflies start to take off.”

Family caregivers are the unsung heroes of many Granite State homes New Hampshire Union Leader; op-ed by Julie Stone; 9/15/26 ... According to AARP, nearly one in four New Hampshire adults serve as a family caregiver, providing care that is often unpaid and largely unseen. Together, they contribute hundreds of millions of hours of care each year. Without them, many older Granite Staters and individuals with serious illness would be unable to remain in the homes and communities they cherish. Yet while family caregivers provide extraordinary support, too many are carrying the burden alone. Many are balancing caregiving with full-time jobs. Others are raising children while caring for aging parents. ...

Medicare moments: The scarcity of Medicare caregiver benefits Allied News; by Joel Mekler; 9/14/26 ... AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving released the 2025 Caregiving in the U.S. report, their newest update since 2020. This comprehensive document offers an in-depth look at the evolving landscape of family caregiving for adults, highlighting key trends, challenges, and potential reforms. A key discovery is the swift growth in family caregiving. Almost 25% of adults — 63 million Americans — spent the last year caring for an adult (59 million) or a child (4 million) with complex medical needs or disabilities, marking a 45% increase since 2015. This trend underscores the essential role of family caregivers and exposes systemic shortcomings that place significant burdens on them, highlighting the pressing need for reforms.

Retired educator gives back to grieving children at Camp Braveheart WJAR-10, NBC, Cranston, RI; by Patrice Wood; 9/9/26 Young hearts come together at Camp Braveheart in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. And the first person to greet them when they get off the bus is Harry Potter. Potter is a retired Rhode Island school educator with a famous name and a heart of gold. They come Camp Braveheart to begin to heal after the death of a loved one. Braveheart is now in its 20th year and much of that time, Potter has been a trusted counselor. "The little kids think I'm magical. You see them running around the camp saying, 'Harry Potter, Harry Potter,'" Potter said. That connection eventually opens the door for a more serious conversation.

Sandwich generation caregiver shares how she cares for her mom with Alzheimer’s at home KVVU-TV Fox 5, Las Vegas, NV; by LeAnne Gendreau and Sondra 'Sam' Cradduck; 9/10/26 Ty Lewis, a dementia practitioner, takes care of her mother, Gertrude, who is in the end stages of Alzheimer’s while raising her children. She has been sharing her journey online with a community of more than 120,000 people online. Lewis, a member of the “sandwich generation,” sat down with Aging Untold expert and gerontologist Sam Cradduck to talk about what it takes to care for two generations and what the online community means to her family. 

When the end of life feels like a beginning: a hospice encounter raises questions medicine can't answerBroadview; by Ralph Klose; 9/8/26 As a retired neuropsychologist and longtime hospice companion, I often wonder what can still be measured at the end of life — and what cannot. ... Magda had lived in the hospice for three months. A former violinist, she rarely spoke about her past. But her hands still moved in gentle arcs, as if drawing invisible phrases from the air. ... One afternoon, I entered her room and paused. The air felt different — not cold, not scented, but bright. The blinds were closed. No sunlight entered. And still, the space around her shimmered faintly, like a curtain of breath. Her skin looked translucent. Her lips moved, but no sound came. Later, as I sat quietly at her bedside, a nurse whispered, “She’s speaking with someone.” There was no theology in her gestures. No visions of angels. But something had changed — as if a second world had unfolded beside the first, not replacing it, but resting gently alongside. ...

Caregiver's relationship with grandmother goes viral Today Show; by Morgan Chesky; 9/7/26 Twenty-four-year-old Grace Yockey and her grandmother Vava, have gone viral online for their adorable adventures together as roommates, all while shining a powerful light on young caregivers. NBC’s Morgan Chesky reports for TODAY.

Alzheimer’s blood test gets FDA clearance, but not CMS coverage Inside Health Policy, Washington, DC; by Jessica Karins; 9/2/26 A blood test aiming to help with early identification of Alzheimer’s disease, including in primary care settings, by detecting buildup in the brain of the key Alzheimer’s biomarker amyloid beta plague, has been cleared by FDA, but the test and others in its category are not yet covered by CMS or any Medicare Administrative Contractors, its developer confirmed, with MACs having to make an individual determination for each patient of whether payment for the test is appropriate.

Beloved celebrities who opened up about their battles with dementia MSN; by Travis Reeed; 8/31/26 Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have affected people from many walks of life, including some of the most recognizable figures in entertainment, politics, and culture. Their experiences helped bring greater attention to memory loss, cognitive decline, and the challenges faced by families and caregivers. From Hollywood legends to celebrated musicians and political leaders, these individuals continued to leave lasting legacies despite their health struggles. Their stories also helped encourage public conversations about conditions that were once poorly understood or rarely discussed openly. [Click on the slides to see personalized stories of Tony Bennett, Sally Kirkland, Ronald Reagan, Sean Connery, Margaret Thatcher, Rita Hayworth, and Jimmy Stewart.] 

I lost my sister to cancer. Here’s what I learned about medically assisted death. The Washington Post; by Steven Petrow; 8/29/26 The same year that my parents died, my sister, Julie, then 55, was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. Five years and three recurrences later, she’d exhausted all viable treatment options. At that point, she’d undergone one nine-hour surgery, six courses of chemotherapy and had joined two clinical trials. Like my parents’ physicians had done, Julie’s doctor eventually recommended palliative care, with at-home hospice, to keep her comfortable during her last months. ... [Julie, 61, chose legal MAID in 2023.] Approaching MAID as a journalist, I had questions: How is eligibility determined, what are the safeguards, does it always work, is a health care professional involved and many others. As a brother, however, I was conflicted and confused, and my questions felt more urgent and personal. ... [Access might be limited by a paywall.]