Literature Review

Miles for Mercy raises more than $4,000 before riders hit the road PR Newswire, Frederick, MD; by American Iron Speed-n-Cycle; 7/25/26 American Iron Speed-n-Cycle has raised more than $4,000 for Frederick Health Hospice through community sponsorships for the 2nd Annual Miles for Mercy Poker Run, nearly doubling the total raised during last year's event before a single rider takes to the road this year [on Oct. 17]. ... "The response from the business community has been incredible," said Tracy O'Clair, marketing manager for American Iron Speed-n-Cycle and organizer of Miles for Mercy. "These businesses aren't simply putting their names on an event. They're choosing to give back to an organization that supports people and families throughout our community during some of the most difficult times in their lives."

Dying man’s final wish comes true as his beloved dogs find a forever home together Greater Good; by Guest Contributor; 8/25/26 A man in New York spent his final weeks with one hope on his mind: that his beloved German shepherds would find a new forever home. His story, and the story of his dogs Bowie and Nikki, has moved thousands of people who care deeply about pet adoption and the special bond between humans and animals. At its core, this is a story about love, planning for pets when life changes, and the quiet heroism of animal rescues that step in when families are in crisis. ... One of the most moving moments in this story came when Mr. Spencer asked for something that many pet guardians nearing the end of life quietly hope for. He wanted to say goodbye. 

‘Light Up a Life’: Rice County approves courthouse trees for Faribault Area Hospice initiative LeSeur County News, Faribault. MN; by Lauren Viska; 8/19/26 For 40 years, Faribault Area Hospice has turned the glow of hundreds of white lights into a celebration of lives well lived. Each light on its traditional “Light Up a Life” tree represents a person remembered, honored and celebrated by those who loved them. Since 1985, Faribault Area Hospice has placed thousands of white lights on a memory tree, with individuals sponsoring a light in memory of someone special. Proceeds from the lights go directly toward helping hospice patients in the Faribault area who are experiencing financial hardship. ... Now, after more than four decades of the tradition, Hospice is looking to bring that familiar glow to a new set of evergreens.

Detroit teen’s cancer death sparks 5K walk and new Georgia diploma law hoodline, Detroit, MI; by Jerry McAllister; 8/16/26 A Detroit family walked the riverfront near their old neighborhood this week to honor a 15-year-old whose fight with a rare bone cancer ended in his death nearly two years ago but has since reshaped state law hundreds of miles away in Georgia. GaKobe Milton, who once lived in Detroit before his family relocated to Atlanta, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 13 in 2022 and died on December 10, 2024, after a two-year battle with the disease. His mother, Kuleesha Milton, brought his memory back to the city he called home with a 5K walk at Alfred Brush Ford Park along the Detroit Riverfront. ... Georgia lawmakers signed the GaKobe Milton Act into law in his honor, and Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1284 on May 5, according to the Georgia General Assembly. The law requires local school boards to petition the State Board of Education within 14 days for graduation requirement waivers, allowing schools to award diplomas to terminally ill students receiving end-of-life care, or posthumously if necessary. The act waives completion of all remaining high school graduation requirements for eligible terminally ill students.

Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare celebrates 23 years ithaca.com, Ithaca, NY; by Grant Terwilliger; 8/11/26 On the morning of Aug. 8, 330 women swam 1.2 miles from Camp Comstock to Myers Park to support Hospicare services. The swimmers participated in groups and were accompanied by paddlers in kayaks. Go the Distance fundraisers, swimmers, volunteers and spectators raised $663, 940 for Hospicare through 6,000 donations, according to the Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare website. ... “Twenty three years ago, two powerful, determined women decided to swim across the lake for the first time to celebrate a 60 birthday and raise money for hospice care,” said Emily Hopkins, director of development and community relations for Hospicare. “Fast forward to today, swimming in their wake, we have swimmers ages 18 to 82 who swam across the lake today.”  

AMOREM receives $35k grant from Broyhill Family FoundationAshe Post & Times, Hudson, NC; Staff Reporter; 8/9/26 AMOREM, a local nonprofit hospice provider, has four inpatient hospice facilities throughout its service area. Recently at AMOREM’s Jack and Shirley Robbins Center campus in Hudson the commercial hot water heater stopped working, requiring the organization to purchase meals from outside sources for the patients and their families being served at the Forlines Patient Care Unit at that time. ...  The cost to purchase and replace the dysfunctional equipment was $35k, and needed to continue preparing around 6,000 meals annually in that commercial kitchen. The locally-based Broyhill Family Foundation (of the Broyhill Furniture Industries) graciously donated funds to immediately order new equipment, to be installed before the end of the month.

The living dead among us - a call to recognize social death ehospice; by Aizaq P. Davis; 8/5/26... In healthcare, we often focus on physical symptoms.

What hospice care really means to a grieving familyKevinMD.com; by Ton La, Jr., MD, JD; 8/3/26Before my grandfather entered hospice, I believed it was where physicians sent patients to die. I saw it as the end of treatment, a quiet admission that medicine had given up. It was only through watching my grandfather’s final years that I came to understand hospice differently: not as the abandonment of care, but as one of its most compassionate forms. ... On Christmas morning, my uncle called to tell me my grandfather had fallen into a coma. His physicians urged us to say our goodbyes. When I arrived, the room was filled with family members offering prayers, and our rabbi came. Sitting beside him, I held his hand and prayed with everyone else. He passed away, and my entire world fell apart. ...   

Center for Hospice Care hosts 21st Lube-a-Thon event with Tom’s Car Care CenterCenter for Hospice Care, South Bend, IN; by Bennett Silveus; 8/3/26Summer oil changes can be more expensive due to rising motor oil and supply costs. On Friday, July 31, the 21st Lube-a-Thon for Hospice event offered attendees an oil change and a car wash for just a $50 donation to Center for Hospice Care (CHC). The event was put on by Tom’s Car Care Center on Sugar Maple Business Ct. in South Bend. Center for Hospice Care also co-hosted and was located at the Tom’s Car Care Center site on Sugar Maple Business Ct. in South Bend. ... . CHC has served more than 50,000 since opening its doors 46 years ago. The oil change fundraiser supports the nonprofit hospice provider with funding for different programs and services, particularly providing skilled, compassionate care for those who are eligible for services but are unable to pay for them.

Hospice doctor reveals the loved ones who will visit and those who won’t in your final dreams Upworthy; by Cecily Knobler; 8/1/26 “They had a pivotal role in the formation of who you were.” ... Hospice physician and neurologist Dr. Christopher Kerr, MD, PhD, recently appeared on The Oprah Podcast to discuss his experiences with people as they neared their last breath. After interviewing over 1,500 patients described as being in “lucid” mental states, he has discovered a common theme among the memories of their dreams. ... “End-of-life experiences testify to our greatest need to love and be loved, ... To be nurtured and feel connected. To be remembered and forgiven. They provide continuity between and across lives. ... The most common thing they would dream about is seeing their deceased loved ones. And it wasn’t just anybody. It was those that loved and secured the most. So there’s almost this form of final justice. If somebody withheld love, one parent, they were excluded, but the one who nurtured and loved and secured was included.”

[Scotland] We aim to grant dying wishes with special final ambulance trips BBC News, Northeast Scotland; by Ken Banks; 7/29/26 A group of Aberdeen paramedics have launched a venture aimed at granting terminally ill patients around Scotland a final journey to a place or event that is special to them. Kieran Hutcheon, 30, was inspired to act after his mother was unable to even go out for a coffee with him before she died from cancer. With co-founders Dan Bickmore, 37, and Karen Gill, 46, their Wish Ambulance Scotland charity has been formed. They plan to use a vehicle that is not as clinical as an actual ambulance, but can carry any necessary equipment for patients. Their aim is to offer relatively simple trips such as going to a favorite beach.

At and end-of-life care home, a young cancer survivor finds his calling  The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY; by Jon Harris; 7/28/26  Seated in the chapel at Sloan Comfort Care Home, 22-year-old Evan Folsom reflected on what working at the end-of-life facility has meant to him. "The Home did come at the right time for me," said Folsom, hours after finishing an overnight shift there, and a day before taking the daylong Medical College Admission Test. Folsom survived a brain tumor as a toddler and spent years recovering. That alone shaped an interest in medicine. ... His work at Sloan Comfort Care Home helped him come to terms with certain issues and fueled his interest in studying the complex moral and ethical questions that arise in medicine. So he took a "shot in the dark" and applied to Harvard Medical School's Master of Science in Bioethics program, along with a few other schools. He got into all of them but chose Harvard because Boston holds a special full-circle meaning for him. Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, is where he received treatment as a toddler. "Harvard was specifically deep for me, because that's kind of where my journey started," he said. Folsom leaves for Boston on Aug. 1 ...

There are moments that remind you just how powerful music can be. YouTube; by Navacare; 6/27/26There are moments that remind you just how powerful music can be. Recently, I had the privilege of attending a ceremony honoring a veteran for his service to our country. During the ceremony, Grace from AccentCare Hospice sang "I Will Always Love You." It was beautiful. It was moving. And if I'm being honest, it brought a few tears to my eyes. Not only because we were honoring someone who had given so much, but because it was also my dad's favorite song. Music has a remarkable way of connecting us to people, memories, and emotions that words alone often can't reach. For many older adults, especially those living with dementia or memory loss, music can spark recognition, comfort, and moments of connection that feel truly extraordinary. [Watch the video to the end, to hear the dad's response.]