Literature Review

Tiny tree reappears along Lititz Pike to brighten the holiday season Lancaster Online, Lancaster, PA; by Claudia Esbenshade; 12/23/25 ... Anderson, a social Worker with Hospice & Community Care, took the initiative that year to give "Charlie," which is what Anderson called her tree, some love and adorned it with a little blue blanket and one red ornament. She named the tree in honor of the beloved tree from "A Charlie Brown Christmas." ... "Charlie had become more than a weed in a crack. He was a symbol. A pause. A quiet reminder that resilience exists even when conditions are ugly, and hope can show up where you least expect it," she wrote in her post. "My work centers around people who are often really fragile and facing limited life expectancy," Anderson said in an email. "So sometimes the smallest, most overlooked things end up meaning the most, especially to people who are tired, grieving, or just trying to get through the day. That little tree’s resilience has always been really special to me."

A time for community and kindness Senior Concerns; by Martha Shapiro; 12/24/25 I am inspired by the spirit of the holidays and hope to carry some of it with me into the coming year. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season. Then Chanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and finally the New Year. ... In truth, each holiday brings its own traditions, but together they form a season that invites reflection, generosity, and connection. ... Recently, someone wished me “happy all the things.”  It was a sweet and funny way to say happy holidays without knowing what holiday I celebrate. Truthfully, I do not mind what holiday someone references if their intent is to be kind. ...  At the same time, I am reminded that the holidays are not joyous for everyone. ... This year, I am making a conscious effort to practice small acts of kindness towards others, and to intentionally recognize and thank those that do them for me.

Laramie Car Club hosts private show for 11-year-old boy fighting cancer Cowboy State Daily, Laramie, WY; by Dale Killingbeck; 12/22/25 Like many 11-year-olds, Wyatt loves cars, especially tricked-out classic rides that are blinged-out to the max. But as a cancer patient in hospice care, he can’t get out to the car shows he loves. So, the show came to him Sunday. Wyatt got to watch from hospice as a parade of classic cars and trucks slowly cruised by. Jimmy Mora, a member of the Rollerz Only Car Club and owner of a 1936 Plymouth P2 Deluxe Coupe, helped organize the private parade for Wyatt.

Flossmoor foundation funds last wishes for hospice patients, boost for nursing students Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL; by Janice Neumann; 12/24/25 A foundation that was created to help hospice patients and their loved ones handle medical costs is also providing comfort when families need it most. Often, that comes in the form of resources to make the most of their remaining time. ... Formed in 2021, the Oasis Foundation raises money for education, well being, community events, funerals and transportation, officials said. It also funds a program called Hearts Desires, which endeavors to provide for patients’ last wishes requests. 

Girl, 6, spends pocket money on gifts for hospice BBC News; by Charlotte Benton; 12/23/25 A six-year-old girl has used her pocket money to buy Christmas presents for patients in a hospice. Eleri purchased "a car boot full of goodies", including chocolates, puzzle books, magazines and slippers, for people at Myton Hospice in Warwick, which cared for her grandmother. The six-year-old asked staff what gifts would help the most and said she wanted the patients to "feel looked after" and "not worry about not having things that they need." Sharon Kelly, ward manager at the hospice, said Eleri's kindness had "truly touched our whole team." She added: "Every item she thoughtfully chose will bring comfort, dignity and moments of joy to our patients and their families."

A woman in hospice granted a wish of one last swim WEAU-13 News, Bloomer, WI; by Danile Gomez; 7/16/25 Often times the small things are taken for granted. Like a dip in the pool. For Barbara Melby, it was on the final list of things to do as she lives out her time in hospice care. “Barbara has been doing pretty well. She has had some fatigue and some tiredness,” said Leah Grace, the registered nurse with St. Croix Hospice assigned to Melby’s case. ... Grace worked hard to make sure Melby’s last dip in the pool would come to fruition. She cleared it with Melby, her family and the managers at the hospice center. The aquatic center helped in granting the wish too. ... “The way the chair put me in down the water was very nice,” said Melby. Of those in Melby’s family that jumped in the pool with her included Stoll and her kids Colby, Sydney and Brody. “I grew up swimming in my grandmother’s pool. ...” said Stoll. She is happy to be there for her grandmother’s last swim. “Just a pretty special memory we will all hold on to for a pretty long time.” Melby was a swim instructor, ... It was something she always loved and it made her happy to have had her wish granted.

Remembering the Holocaust with little-known story about a Jewish refugee and Cicely Saunders: Honoring the International Holocaust Remembrance Day - 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

City forced him to cut the oak tree tied to his late wife, so he found a way to save it forever Scoop Upworthy; by Prachi Mallick; 11/4/25 It was where he had proposed to her, where they carved their initials 30 years earlier, where their love had taken root. In a recent post, one husband shared how a city order forced him to say goodbye to the oak tree that had been central to his marriage, and how, instead of letting that final link vanish, he found a way to rebuild it into something he could carry with him forever. ... "For two years, I couldn’t touch it. Then, one day, I saw someone who had turned wood from his grandfather’s barn into furniture. Something clicked inside me. I taught myself woodworking through YouTube videos and practicing at night. Every cut, every curve of that tree became part of a door. The branches that once bore our initials are now the frame for all who enter our home."Editor's Note: Click here and scroll down for a photo of this husband's beautiful artistry.

Elderly people look at their younger reflections in this beautiful photo series by Tom Hussey Digital Synopsis; photos by Tom Hussey; retrieved from the internet 7/10/25 'Reflections of the Past' is an award-winning photo series by commercial advertising photographer Tom Hussey. The photographs show an elderly person looking pensively at the reflection of his/her younger self in the mirror. Hussey was inspired by a World War II veteran who said "I can't believe I'm going to be 80. I feel like I just came back from the war. I look in the mirror and see this old guy." It's beautiful, touching ... Editor's Note: Click here to view this touching series. The phrases "every photo tells a story" and "a picture is worth a thousand words" come to life. This award-winning campaign was used in a marketing campaign by Novartis for a treatment of Alzheimer's disease. [Our newsletter has no disclosures to report.] These photos are under strict copyright laws with strict enforcement. They can be shared easily via social media links at the top of its webpage. 

Redmond family honors late husband with holiday trees for cancer patients NBC KING-5, Redmond, WA; by Anne Erickson; 12/15/25 Every December, Linda Pankow's Redmond home fills with volunteers, friends and family for a 25-year tradition born from loss. "I like the mayhem," Pankow said with a smile. The group decorates more than 100 small holiday trees destined for cancer and hospice patients at Evergreen Health. "It's hard around holidays when you've lost somebody," Pankow said. Her husband, Rick, a nursery owner, died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 43. The tree-decorating project became a way to honor his memory and his love of trees. "Doing this and knowing my husband loved trees because he was a nursery person, it just kind of brings me joy," Pankow said. "It's a good memory of him and a tribute to him." The tradition has grown to include multiple generations. This year, Rick's two-month-old great-nephew Milar joined the effort.

Community comes together for hospice patient’s motorcycle ride wish 29 News, Charlottesville, VA; by Gabby Womak; 12/18/25 A 41-year-old hospice patient got his wish Thursday, December 18, when Hospice of the Piedmont and Stonewall Harley-Davidson helped arrange for him to ride a motorcycle one more time. Kevin Olague, a patient with Hospice of the Piedmont, had one simple request: to feel the road again. “Even in the middle of dying, I’ve never felt so alive than when I’m on a bike,” Olague said. “I don’t know. It’s just freedom. It’s somewhere between flying a plane and skydiving. There’s just nothing like it.” Hospice of the Piedmont worked with Stonewall Harley-Davidson in Ruckersville to make the ride happen, with Olague’s loved ones watching. 

I was 36 when my husband died — here's what most of us get wrong about grief Yahoo!Health; by Laura Williams, MS, ACSM EP-C; 12/16/25 Grief is universal, yet deeply personal. Instead of trying to "fix" or "help" someone who's grieving, it's important to make space for them to perpetually navigate the permanent reality of death. ... It turns out, time doesn't heal all wounds. Life simply grows around the immediacy of the pain — the sun rises and sets, and new experiences accumulate, whether or not you want them to, gradually taking the edge off. However, grief isn't just "deep sadness." It's not depression. It's not something you "get over" or "move on from." Grief is the loss of someone you loved — a voice you'll never hear again, a laugh you'll never share. It's the inside jokes no one else understands, the clothing that won't be worn again, ... It's a bed that won't be slept in, a dining room chair that remains empty, a silence that won't be filled.Editor's Note: This first-person reflection gives language to what grief truly is—and is not. It dismantles the myth that time “fixes” loss and instead names grief as a lifelong companion shaped by absence, memory, and love. If this piece feels uncomfortable or heavy at first glance, that discomfort may be instructive. For hospice and palliative leaders, it invites a sober question: how well does your organization acknowledge grief as enduring—and provide timely, meaningful support beyond death?

Daughters of Marshall: 4th-generation graduate credits family's perseverance for her success The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV; by Mary Jane Epling; 12/13/25 What looks like an ordinary graduation stage to most will feel more like a well-worn trail to Marshall University senior Emma Randan--a path carved by three generations of women who crossed it before her.  ... [Forty-six years before ]her great-grandmother, Laura Darby, was wrapping up her long-awaited associate's degree in nursing, taking part in Marshall's Class of 1979. ... Darby would go on to complete a bachelor's degree in nursing and earned a master's by 1982, using her Marshall-built network to dream up Hospice of Huntington for a senior project. The nonprofit founded by Darby was the first hospice in the state of West Virginia to become Medicare-certified, and it still provides end-of-life care to patients from West Virginia, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky.