Literature Review

Unlocking human potential through the workplace FacilitiesNet.com; by AnnMarie Martin; 5/22/26 ... Today’s facility leaders are no longer simply maintaining buildings. They are actively shaping the conditions for organizational success, serving as the critical connector between people, place, strategy and technology. That shift carries both weight and possibility. ... The question driving forward-thinking facility leaders today isn’t whether the workplace matters. It’s how to make it matter more. ... At the heart of this life-centered, people-first approach is a simple but powerful premise: the built environment shapes behavior. Lighting affects focus. Acoustics affect stress. Layout affects collaboration. ...

Proposed Rulemaking - Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing: Licensed Practical Nurse Pronouncement of Death Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; 5/9/26 ... Background and Purpose: Prior to the recent amendment to the VSL, the authority to pronounce death in a home hospice setting was limited to registered nurses (RN), physicians, physician assistants and coroners. As a practical matter, that means that an LPN, who is often present and delivering end-of-life care to hospice patients, has to contact an RN and wait for the RN's arrival for the deceased to be pronounced dead, the family contacted, if they are not present, and the body released to a funeral director or county coroner. This approach is not practical or efficient. Moreover, it is not compassionate to grieving families to wait, sometimes for hours, for the RN to arrive to have their loved one removed.

Where do unhoused people go to die? The Denver Clarion, Denver, CO; by Hawke Baldwin; 5/4/26 ... On April 29th 9News presented its documentary “Refuge” in DU’s Anderson Academic Commons, giving viewers a glimpse into the reality of death. “Refuge” is a sad yet inspiring story that delves into end-of-life care for those both terminally ill and unhoused in Denver. ... A person featured in the film is James Patrick Hall, a Gregorian Frier and former engineer who founded Rocky Mountain Refuge, a haven for those in need of end-of-life care. The refuge is a hospice center providing home-style care for free. ... The documentary follows four unhoused and terminally ill individuals: Jennifer, Renne, James and Jose. All of whom were unable to find appropriate care anywhere else, so they turned to Rocky Mountain Refuge.

Have guitar, will travel: music therapist brings comfort Lovin' Life; by Karen Schaffner; 5/3/26 Michael Hieber has a warehouse of music in his brain, everything from the Great American Songbook to Rob Zombie and beyond. He knows the value of music and how personal it is. As a board-certified music therapist, Hieber’s job is no different from other types of therapy. “The way to think of music therapy just in general is, imagine any kind of therapy there is: cognitive behavioral, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, et cetera,” Hieber said. “Music therapists can work in all those areas but you use music to achieve your therapeutic goals.” Hieber is a music therapist at Casa de la Luz Hospice, has a Yamaha guitar and will travel to patients.

End-of-life doctors reveal 5 common fears people face in their final moments SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/3/26  Most people avoid thinking about death, but doctors who work in hospice and palliative care say the same fears come up again and again. ... Research shows that death anxiety is common, with many people experiencing fear tied to the process of dying, not just death itself. ... here are five of the most common fears [identified by these doctors] among people facing their final moments.

The importance of communication in pediatric and perinatal palliative care Catholic Exchange; by serenella Verduchi; 4/20/26 The word “communicate” comes from the Latin communicare, which means “to share,” “to make known,” or “to bring together.” ... The etymology of this word prompts us to reflect on how communication is more than just a space for interaction or a duty; it is a gift. Just as we strive to pay attention to the details when offering a gift, so too must we show care for others when choosing our words, because the power of words is great—they can give hope and transform a person’s life for the better, or they can linger and affect the person for the worse.

Local boy becomes honorary doctor with Hospice Family Care teamFox 54, Huntsville, AL; by Caleb Aguayo; 4/24/26 A young boy battling what his caretakers call a "likely incurable disease" got to live out a dream Friday when his hospice care team made him an honorary doctor for the day, complete with scrubs, a white coat bearing his name, a name tag and his very own stethoscope. Abobakr Almageleh, who has spent years surrounded by medical equipment, has long shown a fascination with the tools and routines of the health care professionals caring for him, from listening to his own heartbeat to tracking the rhythm of monitors nearby. His caregivers at Hospice Family Care took notice.

Cultivating interdisciplinary shared wisdom through a structured case conference American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Meredith A. MacMartin, MD MS, Amelia M. Cullinan, MD, and Catherine H. Saunders, PhD MPH; 4/8/26 Objectives: To develop and understand the impact of a structured, case-based, facilitated discussion of communication challenges on the function and wellbeing of an interdisciplinary specialty palliative care team. Conclusions: Embedding a weekly facilitated case discussion in the usual practice fostered a virtuous cycle of individual growth and team connectedness among interdisciplinary palliative care providers. Similar conferences could be implemented in other medical teams to teach practical wisdom and reduce burnout.

Medical ethics unpacked: clinical ethics consultation in practice Consultant LIve; by Dominic Sisti, PhD and Aliza Narva, JD, BSN, MS; 4/20/26 In this episode of Medical Ethics Unpacked, Dominic Sisti, PhD, a bioethicist from Penn Medicine, speaks with Aliza Narva, JD, BSN, MSN, director of ethics at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, about the practical realities of clinical ethics consultation. ... Common consult themes include end-of-life decision-making, surrogate disputes, and clinician moral distress. She emphasizes that ethics consultants are often called when clinicians feel constrained or uncertain about next steps.

Woman indicted for mother's death turns tragedy into advocacy WJBF-6 ABC News, Augusta, GA; by Kim Vickers; 4/16/26 A woman is speaking out after she was indicted last year for the death of her mother. Rachel Waters gave her mother morphine provided by a hospice company, which authorities believed led to the woman’s death. Six months later, the charges were dropped. Now, Waters is turning her experience into something positive. ... Foster was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and bone cancer and eventually her oncologist recommended home hospice care. The hospice company prescribed an end-of-life care kit for Waters to use when Foster needed it. End-of-life care kits contain several drugs specific to the patient’s needs, including liquid morphine. We spoke to several Hospice nurses who told us they are commonly prescribed to families and caregivers to administer to their loved one.

Sovereign Hospice: addressing late-stage renal condition care gaps in Fort Worth MyCarrollCountyNews.com, Dallas, TX; by Sovereign Hospice; 4/16/26 End-stage kidney disease affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. When kidneys can no longer sustain life without dialysis or a transplant, families are left to make decisions that few feel prepared for. Sovereign Hospice ... is drawing attention to a gap many families face: not knowing that hospice care services exist as a legitimate, fully supported option at this stage of illness. ... For patients with end-stage kidney disease, the shift away from aggressive treatment means that symptom management becomes the priority. Common symptoms at this stage include fatigue, pain, restlessness, and fluid retention. The interdisciplinary team is trained to address all of these through individualized care plans.

The power of showing up: how families can support loved ones who are aging or ill Good Men Project; by Harvey Max Chochinov; 4/14/26 For many families, visiting a loved one who is aging or seriously ill can feel surprisingly hard. ... What if the problem is not that families have too little to offer, but that we misunderstand what truly helps? ... By emphasizing presence over fixing, dignity over distraction, and meaning over outcomes, it helps families: