Literature Review

It’s been weeks since I watched Elizabeth Olsen's His Three Daughters, and there's one thing I still can't shake CinemaBlend; by Heidi Venable; 11/10/24 There is a seemingly never-ending list of great options to binge on Netflix, and while I do love to actually make a trip to the theater, there’s no denying the convenience of streaming. After hearing some positive things about His Three Daughters — an offering on Netflix’s 2024 schedule — I decided to check it out, despite knowing the subject matter might hit a little close to home. It’s now been weeks since I watched the movie about three sisters navigating their father’s final days, and I still cannot shake how true it felt to my family’s own experiences with end-of-life care. ... Old wounds and a complicated family dynamic are quickly revealed as they all deal with his impending death in their own ways. The story really stuck with me, and here are a few reasons it felt so real.

Blue Ridge Care expands bereavement care with new Center for Hope & Healing Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/1/24 Blue Ridge Care has unveiled its new Center for Hope & Healing, a facility dedicated to offering comprehensive grief care. The Virginia-based nonprofit hospice, palliative care and PACE provider financed the center through philanthropic donations. The facility is located in the same building as Blue Ridge’s PACE program, according to CEO Jason Parsons. At the center, Blue Ridge bereavement care staff will offer specialized programs, workshops, support groups and individual counseling. “The center is a central organizing unit of our mission fulfillment in the areas of grief, family support and loss in a place people can come to that’s welcoming, inviting and centered around hope and healing,” Parsons told Hospice News. ... The center was built to create a relaxing atmosphere to help put visitors at ease, according to Parsons, with a sky blue color palette and several murals depicting natural scenes. In one display, a collection of rocks symbolizes the weight of grief. Visitors can write a message on the rocks to “leave that weight behind,” Parsons said. They can also paint their loved ones’ names on a mural of a branching tree in the lobby area. 

How end-of-life dreams and visions are bringing comfort to dying patients: A conversation with Christopher W. Kerr, MD, PhD The ASCO Post (American Society of Clinical Oncology); by Jo Cavallo; 11/1/24 Just weeks or even days or hours away from death, the majority of conscious terminally ill patients often experience growth and meaning in their lives and the absence of fear through end-of-life dreams and visions, according to research by Christopher W. Kerr, MD, PhD. Dr. Kerr is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo, New York, and coauthor of Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life’s End (Avery, 2020). ... In this interview with The ASCO Post, Dr. Kerr discussed how end-of-life dreams and visions bring comfort to dying patients, the difference between these experiences and hallucinations, and the importance of ensuring that patients understand the reality of their prognosis when cure is no longer attainable.

I'm a palliative care nurse and I look after patients on their deathbeds - these are the top 5 regrets I hear from people in their final days DailyMail.com; by Ellen Coughlan; 10/30/24 When people are faced with their own mortality they experience a variety of emotions and gain perspective on their lives. A palliative care nurse, who works at Old Colony Hospice in Massachusetts, wrote a blog post, which has since resurfaced, revealing the top five regrets people express on their deathbed.  ...

Cemeteries no longer just for the dead: Spaces have a new life of their own USA Today; by Phaedra Trethan; 10/27/24 It all began with Rudolph Valentino. The silent movie star, one of cinema's first sex symbols, is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, one of many celebrities interred there. Showing his movies for the devoted fans who showed up to remember him decades after his sudden and shocking death in 1926 at just 31, the cemetery's operators noticed the gathering grew year after year. Why not host more movie nights, especially in the final resting place of Hollywood royalty: Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Mickey Rooney, Tyrone Power and Douglas Fairbanks, to name a few, they thought? ... Hollywood Forever isn't the only cemetery offering programs beyond the usual historic tours and talks. Visitors at many U.S. cemeteries can check out movie screenings, market days, concerts, art installations and dance and theater performances. Some are even finding ways to change the conversation around death itself − and bringing life to spaces previously thought of only for the dead. Editor's note: Happy Halloween!

The ‘perfect way to die’ in North Dakota CBS KX News, Bismarck, ND; by Brendan Rodenberg; 10/27/24 Death is not something people tend to look forward to at the end of their lives, but it is important to discuss nonetheless — and while many have ideas of how they would like to pass away, these vary immensely across America. This begs the question: How would North Dakotans like to spend their last moments?  ... [An insurance poll that surveyed 3,000 people from across the nation indicated]  that the perfect death for a North Dakotan would be to pass while hiking White Butte, the state’s highest point. ... The survey also delved deeply into other aspects of one’s last moments, including those surrounding them and what occurs after the moment of death. Below is a list of the most prevalent takeaways from this part of the study.

Dombi scholarship established HomeCare, Tampa, FL; 10/21/24The National Alliance for Care at Home and its legacy organization have established a scholarship fund in honor of retiring National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC) President Bill Dombi, leaders announced Monday at the organization’s transitional conference in Tampa, Florida. ... The William A. Dombi Scholarship Fund at the University of Connecticut, Dombi’s alma mater, topped its initial fundraising goal of $50,000 and was on the way to $100,00, said Marcylle Combs, a NAHC board member who organized the gift. NAHC and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) merged this year to create the new Alliance, ... The scholarship announcement followed a moving video send-off to Dombi, who has been with NAHC since 1987, when he came aboard as lead counsel and helmed the landmark lawsuit that reformed the Medicare home health services benefit. (Read his retirement interview with HomeCare here.)

America’s longest-serving sheriff enters hospice at age 92 Georgia Sun; by Thom Chandler; 10/17/24 Cullen Talton, Houston County Sheriff for nearly 52 years, has entered hospice care, marking the end of an era in Georgia law enforcement. Talton, 92, is the longest-serving sheriff in the United States, and his health decline was announced at the Georgia Sheriff’s Association’s annual luncheon.

Gallery brings creativity to hospice care BBC News, United Kingdom; Joshua Askew; 10/6/24 A Kent gallery has partnered with a local hospice to bring creative activities and the enjoyment of art to hospice patients. The Turner Contemporary, in Margate, is holding the "Look Club" where those living with life-limiting illnesses can explore ideas and questions around exhibitions with its team. Brian Hodgson, 77, from Broadstairs, who was referred to the hospice by his neurologist, described it as "a special and emotional experience to be there with an artist, listening to them talk about their work". Pilgrims Hospices also hosts "Living Well" sessions, offering patients and their families social, creative, and educational activities. By working together, Turner Contemporary said the pair were showing the "transformative power of art in healthcare settings." It said giving patients opportunities for creative expression, social interaction and personal growth could help break the stigma around hospices being solely places for end-of-life care.

I asked my dad to write my wedding speech after he was given 6 months to live. I'm holding on to it for my special day. AOL.com - Insider; by Lara Rodwell; 9/29/24 ... I remember the moment my dad told me he had six months to live like it was yesterday. ... "Lar, we need to have a chat," he said, hovering beside the edge of the bed. "I've received some news. It's not good." ... Wrapped in the comforting arms of my dad, I blurted, "Dad, you're not going to walk me down the aisle one day." ... During one sleepless night, it hit me. I wanted to create a keepsake where my dad and I could write letters, share memories and process our feelings, together. I found a tatty old notebook and wrote my first letter to him. ... The very first thing I asked him at the end of the letter, ink smudged with tears, was if he could write his wedding speech for me. ... It was a hot summer's morning, the day my dad died in the care of our local hospice. He'd been there for three weeks — in a lot of pain, stabilized by a lot of morphine — surrounded by his family. .... Later that day, ... amongst pages of financial practicalities and funeral wishes, there was a folder of white envelopes addressed to each of us - his wife and four children. On the front of mine read "Lar...". On the back: "Your wedding speech." To this day, the envelope remains sealed, tucked away at the bottom of my "dad box" — along with the notebook we shared, photo albums of memories, and a collection of swimming medals he wanted me to show his grandkids one day. ...

Improv for Caregivers receives a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts EINPressWire; by A. A. Cristi; 9/23/24 The New London Barn Playhouse received an arts in health grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts to continue and expand their Improv for Caregivers program through a larger umbrella program titled “Improv for a Cause.” “Improv for a Cause” will encompass two communication programs that use a similar process to reach different communities. The first, Improv for Caregivers, in partnership with Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice, is an ongoing communication workshop series for those who care for loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer's. ... Each improv workshop session combines insight from healthcare professionals with improvisational theatre techniques, with a goal of developing new communication skills, strategies to cope with stress, flexibility in relationships, and an understanding of loved ones' changing perspectives. With guidance from the VNA and caregivers in the community, the team of actors prepare short scenarios that portray situations caregivers commonly face, such as sundowning, taking away car keys, collaborating with care staff, and hallucinations. ...

Simon Boas’ ‘inspirational’ book A Beginner’s Guide to Dying is published posthumously Jersey Evening Post; by Rod McLoughlin; 9/13/24 Friends and family of the late Simon Boas gathered ... to celebrate the posthumous publication of his book, A Beginner’s Guide to Dying. The former Jersey Overseas Aid chief executive – who died from throat cancer on 15 July at the age of 47 – spent his last months developing into a book ideas first explored in articles for the Jersey Evening Post. Described by the Daily Mail as “an inspirational paean to the joy of life”, Mr Boas’ words reached a huge audience after they were reprinted in the national press and broadcast on the BBC’s Today programme. A proportion of the proceeds are being donated to the African Palliative Care Association and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network. Mr Boas’ inspiring writings in the face of his terminal diagnosis saw him awarded the Bailiff’s Silver Medal in May. Shortly before his death, he also received a personal letter from the King and Queen ahead of their visit to Jersey.

Two decades after 9/11, Tarrant County interfaith group brings women together Fort Worth Report, Fort Worth, TX; by Marissa Greene; 9/10/24 Janice Harris Lord remembers Sept. 11, 2001, crystal clear. ... In late 2001, it struck Harris Lord that there was something she could do: pull women of different faiths together. By January 2002, Harris Lord formed Daughters of Abraham, a discussion group made up of local Muslim, Jewish and Christian women. The group serves as a venue for women to learn about and build friendships with women of different religions. In its 22-year history, the group has grown from 18 women to various regional groups in Fort Worth, Arlington, northeast Tarrant County and Dallas. ... In the group’s two-decade history, the most poignant thing Harris Lord learned was the tradition that Jewish and Muslim families undergo when preparing a deceased loved one for burial. Muslim and Jewish families participate in a tradition called ghusl in Arabic or tahara in Hebrew, which involves washing and purifying a body before burial. It is considered one of the greatest good deeds someone can do for another in the faiths. When Harris Lord’s husband tragically died ..., she knew she wanted to honor him in that way. “(The hospice nurse) gave me some soap and water, and we shaved him, and I washed his hair and got it combed right, like he wanted it,” Harris Lord said. “It was beautiful. I think it helped me more with my grieving than anything, because I knew I had done the very last thing I could do for him.”