Literature Review

When they don't recognize you anymore The New York Times - The New Old Age; by Paula Span; 4/20/25 People with dementia often forget even close family members as the disease advances. "It can throw people into an existential crisis," one expert said. [Additional access may require subscription.]

Family Hospice partners with Alzheimer’s Association to expand educational outreach EIN Presswire.com, Atlanta, GA; by Brittany Brown; 4/8/25 Family Hospice announces an official partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter, to enhance educational outreach and raise awareness of available resources for individuals facing Alzheimer’s or other dementia.This collaboration will provide families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals with critical information on hospice and Alzheimer’s and dementia-related support. As part of this effort, Family Hospice and the Alzheimer's Association are planning an upcoming statewide initiative in Georgia aimed at expanding awareness and support. Both organizations will share educational materials at community events and through social media to ensure families and caregivers have access to the guidance they need. [Continue reading ...]

Art meets history, grief, boots and landscapes at First Friday Artwalk Steamboat Pilot & Today, Northwest Colorado; by John Componeschi; 4/3/25  April’s First Friday Artwalk will celebrate artistic diversity and storytelling, both of which form the framework of the Yampa Valley’s creative arts community. [Published 4/3/25, before Fri. 4/4/25] ... An emotionally powerful exhibit entitled “Good Grief” will open at the Depot Art Center, ... The works of Krystal Mackey will be presented in partnership with Northwest Colorado Health’s Hospice program. Mackey, who has a background in design and architecture, created the series as an emotional coping outlet. Her pastel on sanded paper and digital drawing pieces offer the viewer an honest and vulnerable exploration of grief. Selected works were displayed during “Tuesdays with Morrie” at Perry-Mansfield in March. “Grief may be scary, sad and hard to look at,” said Mackey. “But it’s worth it.” Influenced by artists Chagall, Kandinsky, Warhol and Lichtenstein, Mackey’s style combines vibrant color with feeling- and grief-based introspection. The exhibit invites viewers to reflect on whether grief has affected them and if they would benefit from talking about their experiences with it.

Hospice Savannah partners with Live Oak Public Libraries for ‘Aging in Place’ series WTOC 11, Savannah, GA; by Simone McKenny; 4/2/25 A year-long series of free seminars will be coming to Live Oak Public Libraries through a partnership with Hospice Savannah to educate the community on aging and hospice care. One of the topics will be virtual reality in healthcare. Part of the seminars will be on the benefits of virtual reality in healthcare and they will be taught by Dr. Kathleen D. Benton, the president and CEO of Hospice Savannah and Healthcare Outreach Educator Kellie Whelchel. They will discuss topics from the book Virtual Reality for Serious Illness which is co-authored by Dr. Benton and Teri Yarbrow, the president and CEO of MagikaVRx. Organizers say the seminars will highlight the way virtual reality engages the brain’s neurological pathways using immersive three-dimensional experiences to reduce anxiety, fear, and chronic pain.Editor's note: Many of my colleagues know that I was born and raised in Savannah, GA. Imagine my delight when clicking on this article and viewing the photo Savannah's downtown library. I have wonderful memories in this building as child and teen. For years, my mom took us every Wednesday, with her guidance to return books and check out new ones. As a teen, I learned to research school papers beyond the encyclopedias our parents kept stocked in our home (pre-internet). Surely, these helped instilled my passion for learning, researching, and disseminating info. Years later, Hospice Savannah has tended many family members and friends. Thank you, Hospice Savannah and Live Oak Public Libraries (formerly Savannah Public Library)!

Practical tools and heartfelt hope: How Nancy Y Treaster is empowering dementia caregivers worldwide Thrive Global; by Stacey Chillemi; 4/2/25 In this empowering interview, dementia care expert Nancy Y Treaster shares practical strategies, emotional insights, and vital resources to help family caregivers navigate the challenges of caregiving with confidence and compassion. ...

National Healthcare Decisions Week highlights the importance of Advance Care Planning JAX Chamber - Jacksonville News, Jacksonville, FL; 4/1/25 National Healthcare Decisions Week kicks off on April 14, 2025, with a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the importance of advance healthcare decision-making. This initiative encourages individuals to take proactive steps in planning for their future healthcare needs. Through various events and resources, the week aims to promote thoughtful conversations about healthcare decisions and the completion of advance directives to ensure patients' wishes are known and respected. ... For more information about National Healthcare Decision Day, please visit http://nhdd.org.

What is death positivity? Healthline; by Sarah Choi, medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, ACSW, RDDP; 3/28/25 Death positivity involves acknowledging death as simply the final phase of life. It emphasizes open discussions around death and education on the options, rights, and choices surrounding it. ... The Death Positivity Movement was coined in 2011 by funeral director Caitlin Doughty, but the sentiment existed long before — the movement’s origins date back to the 1970s, drawing on the hospice movement. ... Elements of the Death Positivity Movement:

What to know about palliative and hospice care Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ); by Liz Seegert; 3/28/25 ... [Palliative care] is fundamental to health and human dignity and is a basic human right, according to the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard.  When reporting on serious illnesses, journalists can help demystify palliative care and encourage more people in need to take advantage of it by clearly explaining the differences, and benefits, and incorporating anecdotes to further illustrate how these types of care make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. [Continue reading ...] Editor's note: Share this article--written for health care journalists--with your communications and marketing leadership, with your community newspapers' journalists, and your employee/volunteer educators. Too often, new hospice/palliative care employees at all levels of roles and responsibilities begin their roles without clear knowledge, comprehension, and application of distinctions between standard healthcare, palliative care, and hospice care.  

Palliative care in home health: Misconceptions and market opportunities Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 3/28/25 While palliative care remains an uncommon offering among home-based health care providers, forward-thinking providers have recognized a growing market demand and are strategically expanding their service offerings to include palliative care solutions. Expanding service lines to include palliative care can help home-based care providers stand out from their peers, industry insiders told Home Health Care News. However, a significant knowledge gap is slowing the adoption of palliative care within the home health community. Home health care clinicians, patients and caregivers all report insufficient knowledge of palliative care, according to a recent study conducted by Columbia Nursing research and published in the Journal Home Healthcare Now. [Continue reading ...]

New musical asks, 'How do we deal with the end?' (with a singalong)Edge Media Network; by Kilian Melloy; 3/25/25 Worcester, Massachusetts natives and brothers Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour started making theater when they were still kids, ...  "It was a really beautiful coming together of the whole [theater] community to do these shows," Daniel adds. That communal spirit lives on in the brothers' latest work, "Night Side Songs," a production of the American Repertory Theater that's scheduled to play ... from March 27 – April 6 [and] April 8 - 20. Bringing audiences together for a full-length play that makes singing an integral part of the experience – the songs are written to be easy for the audience to sing and to participate in performing, much like hymns at a church service, the brothers say – "Night Side Songs" makes a cathartic shared experience from the story of Yasmine (Brooke Ishibashi), a woman facing cancer and chemotherapy but finding love, meaning, and her own voice as part of the journey. [Continue reading ...] 

Ohio reported its first measles case in 2025. Here’s what you need to know about this highly contagious virus. Signal Cleveland, Cleveland, OH; by Sue Zake and Reegan Davis Saunders; 3/25/25 An unvaccinated adult in Ashtabula contracted the first case of measles in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The individual had contact with someone who recently traveled internationally and was confirmed to have contracted the highly contagious respiratory virus. ... As of March 20, the CDC has reported 378 confirmed cases in the U.S.  — 95% of those who became ill were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Twenty-seven percent of children under 5 years of age who contracted measles have been hospitalized since Jan. 1. Here’s more information to help you understand the disease and protect yourself and your family [and prfoessionals]. [Continue reading ...]

Trellis Supportive Care to host day of support for caregiversThe Chronicle, Winston-Salem, NC; by WS Chronicle; 3/22/25 Trellis Supportive Care is hosting a day of support for caregivers, free of charge and open to the public.  The program, “Caring for You: A Day of Support for Family Caregivers,” is set for Friday, April 4, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness in Winston-Salem. This full-day program is both a retreat and educational day for caregivers. “We understand that caregivers are often unable to attend events such as this, therefore, we are removing that barrier,” shared Jacob Gordon, director of community programming with Trellis Supportive Care. For those responsible for caring for an adult family member, Trellis is arranging respite care in coordination with local partner agencies so that caregivers can attend.   ... “We hope this provides an opportunity for people to regroup, rejuvenate, and leave with valuable tips for moving forward as a caregiver,” shared Gordon.   

10 things hospice doesn’t tell you, shared by a Cleveland Clinic doctor The Healthy; by Patricia Varacallo, DO (author) with Laura Hoeksema, MD, MPH, FAAHPM (medical director for Cleveland Clinic Hospice); 3/19/25 ... Dr. Hoeksema shares key insights about hospice care and reminds patients and families that the hospice team is always available to answer questions and provide support when things feel uncertain.What hospice does not tell you, but you should know: