Literature Review

17 "Spooky" things that happened right before terminally-ill patients passed away, according to nurses who saw it first-hand BuzzFeed Staff; by Raven Ishak; 5/31/25 "At the beginning of my shift, my patient kept pointing to a corner of the room and said to me, 'Do you see them?" ... When medical professionals work closely with patients who may pass soon, a lot of "supernatural" things may occur. So we thought to ask the BuzzFeed Community, "Nurses with dying patients, share with us the most unexplainable things you've ever witnessed." Here's what they said below: ...

ALS and mental health: The importance of caring for the whole person ALS Association; by Amber Johnstone, MSW, LISW-S; retrieved from the internet 5/27/25 ... May is ALS Awareness Month and also Mental Health Awareness month. ALS and Mental Health go hand in hand. One of the first things I tell newly diagnosed individuals that I work with is that ALS affects the whole family. And to be truthful, it affects many more than just that nuclear family unit. A person living with ALS is like a pebble thrown into a pond. That first splash is the biggest, but then the water ripples all the way out to the edges of the pond. Those ripples are all the people with which the person with ALS shares their journey. ... The ALS Association understands how important mental health can be.  ... The ALS Association is proud to offer ALS Academy to community healthcare professionals and caregivers.  ALS Academy is free, online, self-paced, catalog of ALS education videos.  

"You're next": People are sharing the last words they heard someone say as they were dying, and they're not all inspiring BuzzFeed; by Mike Spohr; 5/21/25There's so much we don't understand about the end of life. Recently, we shared a post where Quora users shared their experiences being present for the final moments of someone's life...and hearing their last words. Well, as it turns out, BuzzFeed's readers wanted to share their experiences hearing someone's last words too, so we rounded them up here:

What is it like to die? University of Minnesota’s VR experience offers some answers. The Minnesota Star Tribune; by Richard Chin; 5/2/25 Our reporter returned from the Embodied Labs experience with some thoughts on what he’d like his last hours to look like. When the University of Minnesota offered to let me experience what it’s like to die, naturally I said yes. Aren’t we all morbidly curious about the undiscovered country, as Hamlet put it, from which no traveler returns? Except this time, happily, I would get to return because it would be a virtual death, an experience in a VR studio that’s part of the university’s Health Sciences Library system.

The future of dying with Dr. Ira Byock | Pop 1205 Practice of the Practice; podcast by Joe Sanok with Dr. Ira Byock; 5/14/25 How can we embrace conversations about death and dying? What is the healing power of forgiveness and connection in end-of-life care? When we face morality, how can we transform fear into meaningful connections? In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about the future of dying with Dr. Ira Byock. .. In this podcast: 

Good Samaritan: Kimberly Romey brings warmth and peace to Benefis Peace Hospice NBC, Billings, MT; by Joee Taylor; 4/28/25 At Benefis Peace Hospice, Kimberly Romey is more than just a housekeeper. She is a source of comfort and care for patients and their families. Romey, who is responsible for maintaining cleanliness throughout the hospice, is known for her personal connections with patients. "My job is to take care of this place. I clean the whole building, bathrooms, patient rooms. I sit and I visit with patients. If there's something that's not health care wise that I can get them, I'll get them," Romey stated. Her dedication goes beyond her job description. "It's good to be here for people that, you know, this is their last stay, and to make them comfortable and to make them happy and to do things for them; it's very rewarding," she said. Latoya Reovan, the director of Benefis Peace Hospice, witnesses Romey's commitment daily.Editor's note: Thank you, Kimberly, Latoya, and NBC of Billings for this empowering story, with powerful teachable moments. Calling all executive leaders: Do you know the housekeepers in your hospice inpatient facilities? At a minimum, do you intentionally greet and thank them with warmth and authenticity? What hospice-oriented culture do you foster? Read more of Kimberly Romey's descriptions about her role, "Because to me, this isn't just my job. I love being here." 

What role do immigrants play in the direct long-term care workforce? KFF; by Priya Chidambaram and Drishti Pillai; 4/2/25 President Trump has made a slew of immigration policy changes focused on restricting entry at the border and increasing interior enforcement efforts to support mass deportation. While these actions are focused on undocumented immigrants, they likely will have ripple effects across immigrants of all statuses and millions more people living in immigrant families. Mass deportations could negatively impact the U.S. economy and workforce, given the role immigrants play, particularly in certain industries. ...

Nurse honor guard hoping to grow in South Dakota Sisseton Courier, Sisston, SD; by Brenner Cariveau; 4/4/25Nurse Honor Guard is a national organization which aims to honor the life of a nurse in funeral services. Traveling home, health and hospice nurse Laura Frankenhoff said the ceremonies help highlight the career of the nurses and is a way to ensure they are recognized for the work they have done as a nurse. Nurse Honor Guard has been performing ceremonies to honor the lives of nurses nationwide since their inception in the 1980s, Frankenhoff said. Regarding the honor guard, the base is made up of volunteers, according to Frankenhoff. "It's a volunteer chapter. You can make a chapter anywhere." Editor's note: Especially for pioneer hospice organizations--typically non-profits but definitely not all--do you honor those who laid the foundations for the work you're able to do now? If not, how can you? While nurses are absolutely core, how might you also honor your aides, social workers, chaplains, grief counselors, executives, office staff, and others who invested their talents and years in hospice care? May we remember. May we humbly thank and honor them.

‘Unsung backbone of care delivery’: The growing need for hospice aides Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/28/25 As workforce shortages persist in health care, some operators are struggling to recruit and retain essential members of their care teams — hospice aides. The demand for hospice aides is expected to grow in the coming years. However, factors such as turnover, retirement, slow wage growth and immigration policy could complicate hospice’s ability to fill those positions. Many companies are focused on bolstering their nursing workforce, who are also in high demand, but providers also need to prioritize hiring a sufficient number of aides, according to Cooper Linton, associate vice president of Duke HomeCare & Hospice. [Continue reading ...] 

Hospital workers share 26 deathbed regrets they’ve heard that changed their lives Boredpanda; by Ruta Zumbrickaite; 3/28/25 While painful, regret can also be a motivator for learning and growth, encouraging us to avoid repeating past mistakes and make better decisions in the future. We guess that’s why self-help author Debbie Ford once said, “Pain can be our greatest teacher.” Someone on the web asked hospital workers, “What regrets do you hear from dying patients?”, and folks who’ve been there in people’s last moments shared the words that hit them the hardest. Here’s a list of some of their most profound responses.  

Carolyn Hax: Does sibling love justify traveling to abusive mom’s deathbed?The Washington Post, Washington, DC; 3/24/25 Sister asks the letter writer to join her at their dying mom’s bedside — despite their PTSD-inducing childhoods. [The rest of this article may require a subscription to The Washington Post.]Editor's note: Even if you're not able to access the full article, what does this question stir in you? Be aware that many family caregivers (or simply family members) face complex, conflicted relationships with the persons they are tending--or in this case, even considering visiting or not. Be attuned to these common, everyday occurrences that your direct care interdisciplinary team members regularly navigate. What family systems' education and support do you provide for them?

Willow Point Nursing Center raises pay by nearly 20% WIVT Binghampton, Vestal, NY; by Samantha Rich; 3/17/25 A local nursing home is recognizing the selfless contributions of its employees by significantly increasing its pay scale. The Broome County Legislature recently approved 16-20% pay raises for multiple healthcare roles at Willow Point Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Vestal. The pay scale was raised for Supervising Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Willow Point has also added several new openings in each role.

Sarcopenia in terminally ill patients with cancer: Clinical implications, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Se-Il Go, Myoung Hee Kang, and Hoon-Gu Kim; 3/1/25 Sarcopenia, characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is a prevalent but often overlooked condition in patients with cancer who are terminally ill. It contributes to functional decline, increased symptom burden, and reduced quality of life, yet remains underrecognized in palliative care. Diagnosing sarcopenia in this population is challenging because conventional imaging techniques are often impractical. Instead, alternative assessments, such as the Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls questionnaire (SARC-F), anthropometric measurements, and bioelectrical impedance analysis offer feasible options. Management should focus on symptom relief, functional preservation, and patient comfort, rather than on muscle mass restoration.