Literature Review

Delivery driver’s heartbreaking realization after he picks up hospital job Newsweek Life; by Lydia Patrick; 2/13/25 A food delivery driver's shift took an unexpected and poignant turn when he accepted a hospital order that carried a heartbreaking significance. Reddit user u/ondasher808, who chose to remain anonymous, shared that delivering to hospitals is common, as many staff members place orders. However, this particular request included a room number in the ICU, which does not allow direct deliveries. ... He called the customer upon arrival. ... The woman who answered thanked him and assured him that someone would come down to retrieve the food. Then, she added something that left him stunned-it was "someone's final meal." ... Five minutes later, a nurse arrived to collect the bag. ... "I noticed that the bag contained a Happy Meal and that was a bit of a shock because I didn't expect it." ... Later that night, he turned to Reddit to process his emotions, surprised by the outpouring of support from fellow drivers, customers who had ordered final meals for loved ones, and health-care workers who had witnessed similar moments.

Hodges remembered as hospice founder The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA; by Scotty Dransfield; 2/12/25Helen Hodges, the last living founder of what is now Connections Plus Hospice + Healthcare, died on Feb. 1, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and dedication, and a lasting impact on health care in Rockbridge County. Her work helped shape end-of-life care in the area, ensuring that those facing their final days could do so with dignity and comfort. Hodges was one of the four women ... who set out in the late 1970s to bring hospice care to the community. They were a grassroots team with no paid staff and no established structure — just a vision of providing comfort and support for terminally ill patients and their families. By 1983, their efforts had formalized into an official organization, and in 1984, Rockbridge Area Hospice was officially chartered. ... A stone plaque in the hospice gardens now bears her name, a quiet but permanent reminder of the foundation she built. ...

What do you say to a friend who is dying Equity Atlas; 2/12/25 It’s a situation no one wants to find themselves in – facing the imminent death of a friend. The emotions that come with this can be overwhelming, leaving you at a loss for words. You may find yourself grappling with what to say, how to act, and how to provide support during such a difficult time. In this article, we will explore some insights on what to say to a friend who is dying, as well as provide guidance on how to navigate this delicate and heartbreaking situation.

Bringing children home: Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s approach to pediatric end-of-life care American Hospital Association; 2/8/25 When parents have a child with a serious illness, all they want is for their child to get well. If that no longer becomes a possibility, often all they want is to bring their child home. Most — around 70% — of pediatric deaths related to illness occur in the hospital, but the Kentucky Children’s Health Pediatric Advanced Care Team offers some families the chance to transport their child home using life-sustaining technology. That’s not an easy feat; these patients are medically fragile, and the outcome can be unpredictable. A team made up of hospital administrators, hospice providers, coroner and the transportation team comes up with a plan. The child’s parents complete an informed consent procedure, recognizing that their child may not survive the journey home. The transportation team tries to ensure that the journey is as comfortable as possible, as well as planning what to do if the child’s condition deteriorates on the journey. If that happens, he or she will be supported as they pass without resuscitation efforts.

As I held my dying daughter’s hand, what did I feel? Immense pride in a young woman who – despite a lifetime of complex special needs – taught us that perfection comes in many different guises Express Digest - DailyMail.co.uk; 2/7/25 As I held my dying daughter's hand, what did I feel? Immense pride in a young woman who – despite a lifetime of complex special needs – taught us that perfection comes in many different guises. ... There is no doubt that without her, our own lives might have been easier and much less of an emotional roller-coaster – yet they would also have been so much poorer. For she introduced us to the richness of worlds and wonderful people that we might never have encountered without her.  ... Iona showed that life was for living, despite her disabilities and health struggles. She fuelled my compassion, smoothed my sharper edges and gave me courage ...

After Eaton fire response, a search and rescue team gears up for a future of wildfire DirectRelief; by Talya Meyers; 2/10/25 Like many California volunteer rescuers, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team members got their start doing wilderness missions. Now, they’re preparing for a bigger role in an era of more frequent, severe wildfires. When the volunteers on the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team look back on the first night’s response to the Eaton Fire, what they remember most is problem-solving, and quickly. ...  “We were building an airplane while we were flying it,” is how operations leader Carolyn Grumm described it. ... For [Rob Klusman, senior paramedic team member], the vast and urgent need came into focus early that evening, when his team went to check on a medically complex patient receiving end-of-life care. ... [Immediately after countless evacuations,] he and his teammates moved into their second, grimmer assignment: Moving through devastated, burned-out neighborhoods, ... to find human remains. ... [Now, on] a larger scale, Klusamn explained, California search and rescue teams are thinking about the escalating severity and frequency of wildfires — and how they can be there to respond.

Rock legend reveals he can’t walk, is grateful to be alive ahead of farewell show Penn-Live Patriot News; by Brian Linder; 2/7/25 Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath revealed this week that they are reuniting for one final show, and there’s no doubt it will be a special occasion. And, while it seems a lot of bands announce farewells only to make a comeback years down the line, this really does appear to be it for Osbourne and Black Sabbath. And that’s because Osbourne, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease back in 2020, is struggling health wise. "I have made it to 2025,” Osbourne said ...  “I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive. I may be moaning that I can’t walk, but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”

3 lessons for living well, from the dying DNYUZ; 1/31/25 What if you knew that you were at the end of your life? Would you have done anything differently? A friend of mine volunteers at a hospice, and she hears one regret over and over from patients: letting relationships wither. They wish that they had made more plans with good friends, or they thought about getting back in touch with an old buddy, and talked themselves out of it. ... Dr. Vicki Jackson, president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Board of Directors, said that for the same reason, she doesn’t hesitate to tell people that she loves them. “I am not Pollyanna; I’m a big academic,” said Dr. Jackson, who has treated dying patients for a quarter century. “But I tell people I appreciate them a lot. I have a lot of deep gratitude, because I know it is dumb luck that it’s not me in that bed. And I know tomorrow it could be.” I asked Dr. Jackson and other palliative and hospice care experts about what they’ve learned from patients. They offered advice that you can apply to your life, from those at the end of theirs.

Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic School gives back to community ABC WJCL 22 - Savannah, GA; by Dave Williams; 1/30/25 A Wilmington Island Catholic school continued its tradition of giving back to the community. ... It’s part of the school’s annual SOCCKS Day, or Serving Our Community Catholic Kids Style. “It makes you want to help out others more because you like the feeling of makes you feel good when you can help other people," said Parker Ditommaso, a Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic School eighth grader. ... Each grade level at the school chose a certain charity to help. Among those charities, Ronald McDonald House, the Humane Society and Hospice of Savannah.

Reflection on the Potomac River Crash Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger, Editor in Chief; 1/30/25We are absorbing unfolding news about Thursday night’s tragic plane and helicopter crash at the Potomac River. As with many of you, I’m flooded with memories of flying in and out of this same airport: gazing out the plane’s window to delight in DC’s historic sites; delighting in the diversity of my fellow travelers and whatever their stories might be. Many of these Washington DC trips were to be with our hospice and palliative colleagues at the (then) NHPCO Conferences or other related meetings. Today, I’m grateful for our safe journeys then. Today, I hope for renewed connections: the joy of each person’s unique life-journey; the relationships we’ve developed in moments at meetings, meals, and follow-up communications; the sacredness of this profound work we are privileged to share. And—with these current Potomac River tragic deaths—we are reminded of icy currents of own traumatic losses. For me, I’m struck with the pains of a beloved family in my childhood’s home church, whose adult son was killed in the 1982 Potomac River plane crash; with the heart-wrenching death of my grandfather when he was killed by a drunk driver; and more. For you? As news continues to unfold, may we treasure anew the unknown measure of our time on this earth. Of our connections with each other—whatever our differences—profit or nonprofit, political, and more. May we sensitively tune into the life-altering traumas carried within those we serve—and the healing compassion we can give. Humbly, Joy

What can we learn from the dying? Newscastle's News Letter Journal (NLJ), Newcastle, WY; by Kelly Evans-Hullinger, MD; 1/26/25 For the last five years, I have had the great privilege of serving my local health system as Medical Director for Home Hospice. Every week I sit in a meeting with the multidisciplinary caretakers on this team ... Patients facing their own deaths want to talk about their lives. Our staff frequently tries to facilitate what they call a “life review” in which a patient can openly talk about their childhood, family, career, service, and sometimes their regrets. This is therapeutic for the dying patient and their loved ones.  ... I have recently thought about this particular human need – to reflect and remember one’s life. I take this as a reminder to both seek those stories from my own loved ones (I wish I had asked my grandmother more questions about her life) and, perhaps, to tell and write about the things in my own life I would want to be remembered after I am gone. For if there is another thing I’ve learned serving patients on hospice, it is that my death is also inevitable; but, I think, life’s finality is what gives it beauty and meaning. 

[Hospice of the Western Reserve Volunteer] WWII veteran celebrates 100th birthday, years of service Fox 8 WJW-TV Cleveland, OH; 1/24/25 What were you doing on this day 100 years ago? Well, if you were World War II Veteran Bob Zonneville, you were saying “hello” to the world! On Thursday, many of his friends and family got together at David Simpson Hospice House to celebrate this incredible accomplishment. Hospice of the Western Reserve hosted the event, which had a very special meaning to both the organization and Zonneville.  Over the years, not only has this World War II veteran offered tireless support to the Hospice program, but he’s also responsible for raising nearly $100,000. Zonneville has been a passionate Hospice volunteer for decades. According to Hospice of the Western Reserve, Zonneville received the prestigious Chair’s Award for his extraordinary contributions to the hospice community in 2008. ...