Literature Review

How to prevent delirium by improving sleep for patients with serious illnessCAPC blog; by Jeremy M. Hirst; 6/11/25A palliative care psychiatrist shares eight behavioral interventions to improve sleep—and offers guidance on prescribing pharmacological treatments. Sleep is essential for rest and repair, but for many patients with serious illness, getting quality sleep is a struggle. Poor sleep can compromise functional status and contribute to or exacerbate the risk of delirium—a concern that's both commonly reported by patients and supported by research. As clinicians, we must address sleep to help prevent delirium, as it directly impacts mental clarity, healing, and quality of life. In this blog, I share behavioral interventions I've used to help patients improve sleep and discuss when pharmacological treatments may be appropriate.

A sacred commitment: Eden Memorial Jewish Funeral Home and Chapel in New Jersey upholds Jewish burial traditions The MarCom Journal, Fort Lee, NJ; by Frank Patti; 6/17/25 As contemporary life continues to evolve, Eden Memorial Chapel in Fort Lee remains dedicated to honoring Jewish burial traditions that have guided generations. Located at 327 Main Street, this New Jersey Jewish funeral home and chapel serves communities across New Jersey and New York, including Englewood, Manhattan, Harlem, Yonkers, and Newark, offering a full range of funeral services grounded in halachic practice and compassionate care. The funeral home’s approach reflects a balance between tradition and modern needs. Its services are structured around sacred Jewish customs, including Tahara (ritual purification), Shmira (guarding the deceased), and the use of a traditional Aron (plain wooden casket without metal parts). These practices are carried out in accordance with rabbinical standards and in coordination with Chevra Kadisha organizations, ensuring religious integrity throughout. 

The Family CNA Model: Supporting families and improving care for children with medical complexity Mondaq; by Stephanie Anthony, Alixandra Gould, Blair Cantfil, and Jessica Lyons; 6/16/25 Children with medical complexity represent less than 1% of all children in the U.S., but have significant, specialized, and long-term health care needs, accounting for one-third of pediatrics costs in the U.S. ... The Family CNA model trains and reimburses family members—including parents, guardians, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents—to provide certain types of home care for children with medical complexity that would otherwise be provided by a registered nurse (RN), a licensed practical nurse (LPN), or a non-family CNA. This care includes low acuity in-home nursing tasks, such as medication administration, gastronomy tube (G-tube) care, or catheter care. Family CNAs are licensed or certified health care professionals that work in concert with other providers on a child's care team, including RNs and LPNs who provide supervision and perform high-acuity tasks, to support their child's medical needs and activities of daily living at home. The unique benefits of the Family CNA model include: ... [Click on the title's link.]

‘Smartest thing I ever did:’ Woman shares how grief counseling helped her through tragedy WGHP, Asheboro, NC; by Brayden Stamps; 6/17/25 Everyone goes through grief at some point in their life and it is important to get help when you need it. Hospice facilities serve families in more ways than just providing their loved ones with a place to stay during their final days. “It was the smartest thing I ever did,” said Darlene Tolbert, a grief counseling client with Hospice of Randolph. Tolbert came to Hospice of Randolph at the recommendation of a friend after she lost her son to suicide.

Nurse practitioners step in as geriatrician ranks shrink The Washington Post; by Jariel Arvin; 6/15/25 On Fridays, Stephanie Johnson has a busy schedule, driving her navy-blue Jeep from one patient’s home to the next, seeing eight people in all. Pregnant with her second child, she schleps a backpack instead of a traditional black bag to carry a laptop and essential medical supplies ... “Our patient isn’t just the older adult,” Johnson said. “It’s also often the family member or the person helping to manage them.” Johnson isn’t alone. Today, nurse practitioners are increasingly filling a gap that is expected to widen as the senior population explodes and the number of geriatricians declines. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a 50 percent increas in demand for geriatricians from 2018 to 2030, when the entire baby boom generation will be older than 65. ...

Navigating the ‘Long Goodbye’ Help for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Dementia The Journal; by Renee Bledsoe, LPN, CHPLN, Hospice of the Panhandle; 6/16/25 ...  [Important statistics:] ... Right now, there are more than 38,000 individuals over the age of 65 in West Virginia with Alzheimer’s Dementia and about 65,000 caregivers. The estimated total lifetime cost of care for someone with Dementia is more than $400,000 and about 70 percent of that cost is borne by family caregivers in the form of unpaid caregiving and out-of-pocket costs. Sixty-six percent of caregivers live with the person for whom they are caring. More than half provide care to a parent or in-law, and about a quarter of those are also caring for at least one child. It comes as no surprise that 59 percent of dementia caregivers report high emotional stress, and 38 percent report high physical stress, according to the 2025 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. ... Hospice of the Panhandle is no stranger to the emotional, physical and financial challenges that the caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s Dementia in our area face every day. ...

Serious illness has mental health implications — palliative care can help Becker's Behavioral Health; by Dr. Simeon Kwan and Dr. Rowland Pearsall; 6/12/25 ... As health plans and providers strive to deliver whole-person, value-based care, we must recognize that treating the body is only part of the equation. Mental and emotional well-being are critical dimensions of serious illness, and they demand more focused attention. Fortunately, we have a powerful but often underutilized ally: palliative care. ... According to multiple studies, up to 40% of patients with advanced cancer experience clinical depression. Anxiety and spiritual distress are also common, particularly when facing the unknown or confronting the loss of autonomy. For those managing progressive illnesses over time, mental health concerns can erode treatment adherence, accelerate physical decline, and strain family caregivers.

Grandad rehearsed his funeral 10 years ago – Now his final wishes come true after his passing Good News Network; 7/28/24; published in our newsletter 8/1/24A British senior who pre-planned his funeral and rehearsed it on TV in 2013, had his final wishes come true after peacefully passing away in June. Malcolm Brocklehurst, who is a renowned aircraft expert, commissioned an orange airplane-shaped coffin ten years ago from Crazy Coffins, an offshoot of a Nottingham-based traditional coffin and urn maker in England that helps people customize their funeral. The grandfather-of-nine was filmed sitting in the coffin on Channel 5’s Bizarre Burials, which also featured a rehearsal of the ceremony that the former aerospace engineer coordinated to the last detail. The plane was aptly called Tango One and numbered with MB 1934—his initials and year of his birth. He also announced that he wanted the funeral procession to leave from the stadium pitch where his favorite football team, Blackpool FC, plays. ... But speaking about the rehearsal in 2013, he said it was all “light-hearted fun.” 

To Be or To Do? Women and Men's different styles of grievingComposing Life Out of Loss; by Joy Berger; retrieved 6/12/25

Caring for Gladine: A Las Cruces man's account of caregiving for his wife with dementia Las Cruces Sun News; by Leah Romero; 6/10/25 When Gladine Lindly was diagnosed with dementia in 2018, she and her husband Steve Gaskell decided to manage at home. But as Lindly’s dementia progressed, Gaskell quickly realized he needed help taking care of her. ... “She said, ‘I want you to be my caregiver. ... I don’t want to go into a home or facility,’” Glaskell recalled. “I proceeded to walk into the doors of Home Instead to apply for a job because I wanted to learn how to be a caregiver. Never done anything like that before.” ...  By September 2024, Lindly ... was placed on hospice care. By December, the hospice nurse told Gaskell it was time for family and friends to start saying their goodbyes.  ... [Gaskell described her death,] "And it was as peaceful as you can imagine. And that was…this sounds crazy to say, but that was probably the easiest part of the whole process.” Lindly passed on Jan. 7, 2025 at the age of 77. [Go to the source article for more of this inspiring story about caregiving through dementia.]

Therapy dog offers comfort, brings calm for family and patients at the Center for Hospice wn.com, South Bend Tribune, South Bend, IN; 6/8/25 Teddy brings comfort and smiles at the Center for Hospice Care in Mishawaka. His full name is Theodore H. Bode. However, he answers to the shorter version of the name. He bounds down a hallway and stops to greet a nurse or a family member. Those big brown eyes will win you over immediately. In the hospice rooms in the Ernestine M. Raclin House, the dog knows to follow commands and not run in recklessly. Teddy is a mini Australian Labradoodle and he has been the hospice therapy dog for about 18 months. He is two years old and has been on staff for slightly more than a year.Editor's note: When looking for pet therapy volunteers, ensure that the dog has been certified through a reputable organization. Their certification process needs to include training, evaluation of both the pet and the handler/owner, proof of current vaccinations, proof of insurance (carried by the certifying organization), and ongoing requirements for maintaining the pet's viability. For example, examine www.kywags.org (serving healthcare, schools, and other community needs in the Louisville, KY region). 

Understanding hospice care: Eligibility, cost and purpose Emmanuel Hospice; 6/5/25 How do you want to live? It may be surprising to learn that’s the first question Emmanuel Hospice asks every new patient. Isn’t hospice about dying? While hospice is often associated with death, Melissa Wedberg will tell you it’s more about living, especially at Emmanuel Hospice, where she serves as vice president of community relations. With more than a decade in the hospice industry, Wedberg has spent years dispelling this and many other myths. Despite having roots in the U.S. dating back to the 70s, there remains a lot of mystery about hospice. Common questions Wedberg hears include: What is hospice and who’s eligible? How does hospice work? How is hospice paid for? Editor's note: This simple question jumps to the core of person-centered care, "How do you want to live?"

Central Coast VNA enhances grief counseling and hospice support across Monterey region Economic Policy Times, Monterey, CA; Press Release; 6/6/25 In response to increasing community needs, Central Coast VNA & Hospice has expanded its bereavement support services across Monterey County, deepening its long-standing commitment to holistic, home-based end-of-life care. The expansion strengthens the nonprofit’s hospice and palliative care offerings, particularly in supporting families navigating grief and loss in the wake of a loved one’s passing. ... Expanded Bereavement Services Include: