Literature Review

Strong social connections improve older adults’ well-being regardless of setting, study finds McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 4/7/25 Social connections, trust in others in their community and community cohesion significantly improve elderly well-being whether seniors live at home or in nursing facilities, according to a new comparative study published in BMC Public Health. However, researchers found that nursing home residents generally reported lower subjective well-being compared to their community-dwelling counterparts, even after accounting for health status and demographic factors. ... According to the authors, these findings “indicate the necessity for tailored interventions that address the unique needs of each care environment to promote healthier aging experiences. [Continue reading ...]

What to do if a loved one is evacuated from a nursing home or assisted living AARP; by Emily Paulin; 1/10/25, updated 1/23/25 Running from a wildfire is a terrifying ordeal for anyone. But there’s added fear for those who have limited mobility, rely on medical equipment or suffer from dementia and struggle to comprehend what is happening. ... Evacuating these vulnerable, high-needs residents is a complex and precarious operation. Family members may be unsure of how to find their loved one or what to do to support them in a disaster situation. We’ve gathered advice from disaster response and long-term care experts on five topics to help family caregivers navigate these situations.

Jackson County nurse braves floodwaters to reach isolated hospice patient Fox 56, Jackson County, KY; by Corey Elam; 4/4/25 When deadly flooding cut off access and phone service for a Jackson County hospice patient on Friday [4/4/25], a healthcare worker teamed up with emergency management teams to care for her patient. According to Hospice Care Plus, after finding out her patient was isolated and couldn’t be reached by phone, Nurse Makale Fox worked with Jackson County Emergency Management (JCEM) to find a way to get to her. “With the support of Jackson County Emergency Management, Makale ... was able to safely navigate through the flooded area and reach her patient, ensuring they received the comfort and care they deserved,” Hospice Care Plus wrote. The hospice care nonprofit thanked Makale for her unwavering commitment, as well as JCEM for making it possible for her to get to her patient. [Continue for photos and more ...]

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)!

Franciscan Health men’s group meets to grieve together Daily Journal, Indianapolis, IN; by Ryan Trares; 3/31/25 The depths of the loss felt so great. When Phil Darmelio’s wife, Joanne, died in March 2023, he knew he needed help in his grief. The couple had been together for 60 years, and Darmelio was not certain who to talk to about his feelings. The suggestion of attending a bereavement group specifically for men seemed like a good place to start. The support has been overwhelmingly positive. ... The men’s bereavement group, hosted by Franciscan Health, has offered men grieving a death in their lives a place to heal with others in similar situation. Meeting weekly at the Franciscan Hospice House on the southside, the group offers a specially tailored program intended to meet the emotional needs of men. [Continue reading ...]

Hospices must ‘evolve’ to better support next generation of caregivers Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 3/31/25 Individuals in the millennial and generation Z (Gen Z) age groups represent a swelling proportion of today’s family caregivers. They face unique challenges when providing support for hospice patients compared to others, recent research has found. ... Understanding the competing, complex priorities of these generations is pivotal for hospices’ ability to deliver quality care, according to Nicole McCann-Davis, senior client advisor and research director at Transcend Strategy Group. [Continue reading ...]

Niagara Hospice to offer free community presentation for National Healthcare Decisions Day Niagara Frontier Publications; Press Release; 3/28/25 April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is a day set aside to educate and empower individuals to discuss and document their end-of-life health care wishes. Niagara Hospice invites the community to attend the free presentation, “Advance Care Planning: Advance Directives for Health Care,” ... Advance care planning includes advance directives like health care proxies, do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, and living wills. Advance directives help to ensure end-of-life care wishes are followed if one is unable to make necessary decisions for themselves. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: For more information about National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), explor The Conversation Project, at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. 

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.  

Foster Funeral Home helps Friends of Hospice provide children’ grief coping books to Hannibal, Mexico libraries Oswego County Today, Fulton, NY; 3/28/25 Foster Funeral Home has partnered with the Friends of Hospice in Oswego County (FOHOC) , to expand their program of offering books at local libraries to help children coping with grief and loss, said Klara Stellingwerf, manager, Foster Funeral Home. FOHOC launched the program in January by donating these books to the Oswego, Fulton and Pulaski public libraries, said Elena Twiss, FOHOC executive director. “Foster Funeral Home has helped us expand this program by donating these books to Hannibal public library and FOHOC donated them to the Mexico public library. ... There are book options for ages zero to eighteen-plus, and one of the books is even for adults to help assist parents in talking to their children about loss.”

Long-overdue recognition: Vietnam veterans welcomed home at emotional ceremony Grice Connect; by DeWayne Grice; 3/29/25 A poignant and heartfelt welcome home ceremony was held at Ogeechee Area Hospice, honoring Vietnam veterans from the surrounding communities. The event, filled with emotional tributes and personal stories, aimed to provide long-overdue recognition for the sacrifices made by these veterans. The ceremony, organized by Ogeechee Hospice, the American Legion Post 90, and Georgia Department of Veteran Affairs, brought together veterans, their families, and community members. The atmosphere was one of gratitude and respect, as attendees acknowledged the often-overlooked service of those who served during a tumultuous period in American history.Editor's note: We add this to previous posts, 

Daughter embraces mom’s hospice journey City Sun Times, Phoenix, AZ; by Lin Sue Flood; 3/25/25 As a nurse, Robin Benton is used to caring for people who are ill. But it’s different when your mother is the one who is sick. Her mom, Charlotte Brewer, a former nurse herself, has multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer. In March 2024, the 80-year-old Valley resident decided to stop curative treatments in favor of comfort care with Hospice of the Valley, where she worked for over 10 years, before retiring in 2007. ... Charlotte’s Hospice of the Valley nurse, Kelly Langston, admires the way the family is living this stage of life with great intention, creating new ways to deepen their love for each other. “They came up with an idea for a hug shirt,” shared Kelly. “Everyone in the family painted their arms then took turns hugging each other — stamping an imprint of encircled arms on the shirts. It’s a way to feel each other’s hugs even when they aren’t together.” [Continue reading ...]

Executive producer Bradley Cooper's film Caregiving to premiere on PBS for nationwide broadcast June 24, streaming begins May 27ABC WHTM-27, Harrisburg, PA; 3/20/25 PBS and WETA Washington, DC, today announced that Caregiving, the documentary created with executive producer Bradley Cooper highlighting the challenges and triumphs of caregiving in America, will premiere Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), and on the PBS YouTube Channel. Caregiving will be available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS App beginning Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba (The Residence, Painkiller, Orange is the New Black) was also announced as the film's narrator, bringing her own experience as a caregiver for her mother to the project. The two-hour documentary is centered on the personal experiences of caregivers providing for loved ones, and the challenges and triumph they face each day. These stories are interwoven with the broader context of the cultural and economic conditions in the U.S., leading to a care system tipping into crisis. [Continue reading ... including "Bradley Cooper Invites the Public to Share Their Caregiving Story]