Literature Review

Minnesota’s first dual-certified green burial funeral home opens News.net, PR Quantum, Saint Paul, MN; by Mueller Memorial; 7/22/26Interra Green Burial has become the first funeral home in Minnesota to earn certification from both the Green Burial Council and the National Funeral Directors Association. The milestone reflects the funeral home’s focus on environmental sustainability and its role in expanding eco-friendly funeral choices for families in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The dual certification signals a meaningful commitment to offering end-of-life services that align with values of environmental stewardship. Green Burial Council certification is granted to funeral homes that satisfy rigorous standards for environmentally responsible operations. Requirements include the use of biodegradable materials, participation in carbon offset programs, and the adoption of sustainable practices at every stage of the funeral process. 

Wabash Valley Sewing Connection donates quilts to veterans in hospice care WTWO/WAWV Terre Haute, Terre Haute, IN; by Noah Gastineau; 7/20/26 Veterans can sometimes feel left out or forgotten, especially those in Hospice care, but one group is thanking local veterans for their service one quilt at a time. The Wabash Valley Sewing Connection is donating 44 quilts to the VNA and Hospice of the Wabash Valley to be given to veterans at the facility. The group has been doing this for years, but this year is extra special as it coincides with America's 250th birthday. ... It took approximately 1,100 hours to quilt all 44 quilts together before they were donated to the VNA and Hospice of the Wabash Valley. 

Palliative Care team manifests dreams of butterbeer and Harry Potter Vanderbilt Health News, Nashville, TN; by Jill Clendening; 7/20/26 After Mike Guth and his family learned that his pancreatic cancer had advanced beyond treatment, the Vanderbilt Health Palliative Care team worked magic to make a dream trip possible. ... Mike, 53, a beloved high school social studies teacher in southern Indiana and father of four, was diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer in early 2025. ... Mike has always loved the magical lore of Harry Potter, excitedly consuming the books and movies with their children (now adults). Mike perhaps seized inspiration from the plot twists of the fantasy series to say he still longed to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. With careful planning to manage symptoms and stay on top of hydration, the Vanderbilt Health Palliative Care team surprised the Guths and said his dream was doable. ... Palliative care physician Zack Watson, MD described, "for him to have that time with his kids and his wife. Hopefully, this gave them an anchor of joy in the midst of this really tough time." On July 14, Mike died peacefully at home, surrounded by his loved ones.

Person who makes a difference: Dubuque volunteer brings personal, professional experience to service Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA; by reade Snelling; 7/19/26 After a lifetime of caring for people in the community, one might find that some time off was in order. Allen Meurer didn't, though. During and after his long career of serving Dubuque as a physician, Meurer has also been a caregiver and resource for older adults throughout the city. Now, as a volunteer at Bethany Home, Hospice of Dubuque, Hawkeye Care Center and Harmony Healthcare, plus serving on the board of directors of the first two organizations, he doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. "That's my passion, end-of-life care," Meurer said. "Since I retired about four years ago, I just continued on visiting the nursing homes like I did for my career."

An updated analysis of serious health-related suffering from 2021 to 2023 Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Afsan Bhadelia, Xiaoxiao Jiang Kwete, Tania Pastrana, Héctor Arreola-Ornelas, Jinfeng Ding, Oscar Méndez-Carniado, Lukas Radbruch, William E Rosa, Hongliang Tao, Valentina Vargas Enciso, Felicia Marie Knaul; 7/15/26 Results: Between 2021 and 2023, global serious health-related suffering (SHS) grew by 3.9% - outpacing population growth (1.8%) - driven by sharp increases in upper-middle-income countries (UMICs) (5.5%) and high-income countries (HICs) (5.2%) and notable condition-specific increases in SHS associated with lung disease (18.2%), inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (11.4%), and dementia (7.9%). Moreover, increases in SHS due to cancer were particularly stark in LICs (17.8%), while injuries markedly rose in HICs (15.9%).

Nurse practitioner: my patient qualified for hospice. I couldn’t get her there The Examiner News; by Diane Pagan; 7/15/26 ... I’ve been Marie’s primary care nurse practitioner for seventeen months. She was referred to me at the time by her PCP because she could no longer physically manage going into the office. She suffered from dementia and her gait was worsening ... Marie’s daughter chose a hospice agency close to her home. The agency reviewed my referral and notes and accepted Marie into their program. The next step was to send them a Certificate of Terminal Illness (CTI) stating that Marie had a terminal illness with an anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less. Then the obstacle arose. I couldn’t sign the form. ... The inability of nurse practitioners to sign a CTI does not stem from their lack of education or clinical expertise in determining when a patient is nearing end of life. The restriction is rooted in federal Medicare law, written more than 40 years ago, when the role of nurse practitioners was very different than it is today.

Cardiologists treating increasingly complex patients as America ages Medscape; by Sarah Amandolare; 7/14/26 ... Heart failure (HF) affects 15%-20% of adults over 80, according to the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Failure Society of America Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which becomes more likely after age 80, is related to other common conditions of aging, including hypertension, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity. “Almost by definition, most people that have HFpEF have multiple comorbidities,” Hummel said. “You have to account for a lot of them when you’re thinking about how to help the patient best.” This population also has higher chances of developing dementia and frailty, which affect 35% of adults age 90 and older and 31% of octogenarians, respectively. Older adults hospitalized for HF also have a high likelihood of polypharmacy; 68% take 10 or more medicines.

The Healing Page: how Akron Children's combines clinical care with narrative medicine poetry WOSU Public Media | NPR/PBS, Akron, OH ; by Jeff St. Clair; 7/13/26 The written word has healing power. That’s the idea behind narrative medicine, an emerging branch of healthcare that adds creative writing to the clinical toolkit. Akron Children’s Hospital is a leader in narrative medicine, and all this week, Ideastream Public Media is highlighting the program's writers in our series "The Healing Page." Dr. Sarah Friebert is director of Akron Children's palliative care center ... said when sick kids write about what they’re going through, “We tap into an inner spring of wellness and spirituality and wholeness ..." Friebert likened a critical diagnosis to a bomb going off in a family. Her program considers the blast radius of a diagnosis by extending services to impacted family members who are encouraged to write about their experiences and feelings.

HMN 2026: How Kids should be involved in their health care. Here’s how to make that happen Health Medicine Network; by HealthMedicinet; 7/9/26 Children have a right to learn, play and grow. To help children thrive, parents and health care professionals must ensure they get the medical support they need. However, existing evidence shows we could involve children more in their health care appointments. Research suggests children who actively participate in their own treatment recover faster from surgery, have less anxiety and feel more valued. Our new study examines what practices may help children be involved in health care appointments. So what are they? And how can we implement them?

Harpist brings hospice patients harmonic comfort with music WVIR, Charlottesville, VA; by Jackson Shock; 7/8/26 Thomas Jefferson believed music was the favorite passion of his soul. Hospice of the Piedmont is echoing that sentiment through a series of supportive music programs and workshops. Kate Tamarkin is a certified music practitioner who uses her harp to help hospice patients. “Music is a bridge to extend love, and it’s a way to reach people, it’s a way to connect,” Hospice of the Piedmont Music by the Bedside certified music practitioner Kate Tamarkin said. ... The music is tailored to each patient’s needs and is played during all stages of their journey.

Dignity therapy: What matters most in end-of-life care? Medscape; by Irene Salvetti, MD; 7/7/26 ... Many patients, especially in advanced stages of illness, express the fear of no longer being themselves, of becoming a burden, or of losing their sense of meaning, role, and memory. In these experiences, suffering is not merely physical but also related to identity, relationships, and spirituality. The way patients perceive themselves as viewed by others is an important determinant of their sense of dignity. Dignity therapy was developed to give voice to this often-overlooked aspect of the experience of illness. ...  Harvey Max Chochinov introduced dignity therapy as a brief psychotherapeutic intervention for individuals with advanced or terminal illness, with the goal of preserving a sense of personal dignity during times of frailty, dependence, and the approach of death.

The hidden healthcare workforce: why family caregivers are essential to the future of care Healthcare Business Today; by Lance A. Slatton; 7/7/26 Healthcare leaders across the United States are confronting a convergence of challenges unlike any in recent memory. Workforce shortages, rising healthcare costs, increasing patient complexity, chronic disease management, and a rapidly aging population are placing unprecedented demands on healthcare systems. As organizations search for solutions to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and maintain quality of care, one of the most important components of the healthcare ecosystem continues to be overlooked. Family caregivers. ... In many cases, they serve as the connective tissue holding an entire care plan together.

Saluting their own: veterans share sacred bond Lovin' Life; by Lin Sue Flood; 7/6/26 This July, as we celebrate America’s independence, the bonds of military service between two veterans are stronger than ever. This powerful connection drives Hospice of the Valley’s Saluting Our Veterans program, which matches patients with volunteers who also served our country. Especially trained volunteers have completed more than 3,500 tribute visits since the program launched in 2011. For hospice patients like Bill, an Air Force veteran of the Korean War era, these visits bring a profound sense of peace. His volunteer, Tom Kasbeer, is a fellow veteran who visits frequently to talk about the olden days. When I salute him, it makes me feel proud to be a veteran, Tom says. It’s like I have a whole new friend in Mr. Bill.