Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Clinical News | Spiritual Care News.”
17 "Spooky" things that happened right before terminally-ill patients passed away, according to nurses who saw it first-hand
06/03/25 at 03:00 AM17 "Spooky" things that happened right before terminally-ill patients passed away, according to nurses who saw it first-hand BuzzFeed Staff; by Raven Ishak; 5/31/25 "At the beginning of my shift, my patient kept pointing to a corner of the room and said to me, 'Do you see them?" ... When medical professionals work closely with patients who may pass soon, a lot of "supernatural" things may occur. So we thought to ask the BuzzFeed Community, "Nurses with dying patients, share with us the most unexplainable things you've ever witnessed." Here's what they said below: ...
Jewish hospice volunteer goes beyond ‘Shabbat blessings’ with ‘Froth and Bubble’
06/03/25 at 02:00 AMJewish hospice volunteer goes beyond ‘Shabbat blessings’ with ‘Froth and Bubble’ Jewish News; by Shannon Levitt; 5/20/25 Jeff Lewis, 71, had about 100 boxes of books with him when he moved to the Valley from California more than a decade ago. Surprisingly, those books became his first link to Hospice of the Valley (HOV), an organization that would become very important to him through the years. ... Thus, when he decided to retire from his photography business but wanted to stay busy, his friend again nudged him toward HOV and its Shabbat Blessings volunteer program. ... As a Shabbat Blessings volunteer, Lewis, a member of Temple Solel in Paradise Valley, offers hospice patients a small Shabbat service, including lighting Shabbat candles, saying the Hamotzi and Kiddush blessings and offering small prayers. [Story of patient financially choosing between medicine and food.] ... [Lewis} started buying $75 grocery gift cards to give away. [This developed into] The Froth and Bubble Foundation for Food Assistance. Editor's note: This inspirational Shabbat blessings story tells the rich background behind our 3rd top-read story from last week, Hospice volunteer donates 10,000 gift cards to cancer patients. Scroll to the end of this story for the meaning behind the name "Froth and Bubble."
MLN Fact Sheet: Creating an effective hospice Plan of Care
05/30/25 at 03:00 AMMLN Fact Sheet: Creating an efffective Hospice Plan of CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Learning Network (MLN); 5/10/25 The hospice plan of care (POC) maps out needs and services given to a Medicare patient facing a terminal illness, as well as the patient’s family or caregiver. CMS data shows that some hospice POCs are incomplete or not followed correctly. This fact sheet educates on creating and coordinating successful hospice POCs. The primary goal of hospice care is to meet the holistic needs of an individual and their caregiver and family when curative care is no longer an option. To support this goal:
ALS and mental health: The importance of caring for the whole person
05/28/25 at 03:00 AMALS and mental health: The importance of caring for the whole person ALS Association; by Amber Johnstone, MSW, LISW-S; retrieved from the internet 5/27/25 ... May is ALS Awareness Month and also Mental Health Awareness month. ALS and Mental Health go hand in hand. One of the first things I tell newly diagnosed individuals that I work with is that ALS affects the whole family. And to be truthful, it affects many more than just that nuclear family unit. A person living with ALS is like a pebble thrown into a pond. That first splash is the biggest, but then the water ripples all the way out to the edges of the pond. Those ripples are all the people with which the person with ALS shares their journey. ... The ALS Association understands how important mental health can be. ... The ALS Association is proud to offer ALS Academy to community healthcare professionals and caregivers. ALS Academy is free, online, self-paced, catalog of ALS education videos.
Primary mental health competencies for hospice and palliative medicine physicians: A Delphi study
05/27/25 at 03:00 AMPrimary mental health competencies for hospice and palliative medicine physicians: A Delphi studyJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Lisa Podgurski, Danielle Chammas, Keri O Brenner, Leah B Rosenberg, Neha G Goyal, Maria I Lapid, Sue E Morris, William F Pirl, Bridget Sumser, Benjamin W Thompson, Lindsey Wright, and Daniel Shalev; 5/20/25 Objectives: To establish and prioritize 'primary mental health competencies' for specialist hospice and palliative medicine physicians using expert consensus methods. Results: The expert panel proposed 68 competencies divided into: (A) psychological foundations of serious illness care, (B) diagnosis and management of mental health disorders in serious illness, and (C) systems-based practice. After first-round voting, 23 competencies were recirculated for a second vote. Following second-round voting, 32 competencies were included in the final list: 7 from part A, 20 from part B, and 5 from part C.
"You're next": People are sharing the last words they heard someone say as they were dying, and they're not all inspiring
05/26/25 at 03:00 AM"You're next": People are sharing the last words they heard someone say as they were dying, and they're not all inspiring BuzzFeed; by Mike Spohr; 5/21/25There's so much we don't understand about the end of life. Recently, we shared a post where Quora users shared their experiences being present for the final moments of someone's life...and hearing their last words. Well, as it turns out, BuzzFeed's readers wanted to share their experiences hearing someone's last words too, so we rounded them up here:
[Taiwan] Spiritual well-being of terminally ill patients and next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care: A quantitative and qualitative approach
05/24/25 at 03:00 AM[Taiwan] Spiritual well-being of terminally ill patients and next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care: A quantitative and qualitative approachPalliative and Supportive Care; Er-Jung Hsueh, Shu-Chun Tsai, Jun-Hung Lai, Chi-Yu Lu, Tsai-Wei Huang, Made Satya Nugraha Gautama; 4/25Terminal cancer patients often endure significant distress, impacting their quality of life. Spiritual well-being provides peace and meaning during this challenging period. This mixed-methods study included 30 terminally ill patients and 17 next-of-kin caregivers in hospice care. Spiritual well-being was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), and symptom distress with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Patients showed a significant improvement in spiritual well-being over time, ... [and] symptoms such as shortness of breath ... , drowsiness ... , and anxiety ... were negatively associated with spiritual well-being. Caregiver spiritual well-being positively influenced patient scores, especially with female caregivers ... Qualitative findings supported these results, revealing themes of spiritual adjustment, the impact of physical symptoms on spiritual well-being, and the crucial role of caregivers in providing emotional and spiritual support.
Yes, you can die from a broken heart
05/21/25 at 02:00 AMYes, you can die from a broken heartMedscape; by F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE; 5/14/25 A patient comes crashing into the emergency room with severe chest pain. The EKG looks like this: A patient comes crashing into the emergency room with severe chest pain. The EKG looks like this: [graphic]. As a doctor, if you see this, you’re calling the cardiac cath lab. This is an ST-elevation myocardial infarction — the big one — indicative of a blood clot blocking blood flow to a large section of the heart. The sooner you get that blood clot out, the better chance the patient has to survive. So the patient is rushed to the cath lab, and they find… nothing. Clear coronaries. No blood clot. Further questioning reveals that the patient, an older woman, lost her husband recently. This is stress-induced cardiomyopathy, medically known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC). It’s the pathophysiologic manifestation of a broken heart. First described in 1991, Takotsubo syndrome occurs in the setting of deep psychological, emotional, or physical stress.
What is it like to die? University of Minnesota’s VR experience offers some answers.
05/20/25 at 03:00 AMWhat is it like to die? University of Minnesota’s VR experience offers some answers. The Minnesota Star Tribune; by Richard Chin; 5/2/25 Our reporter returned from the Embodied Labs experience with some thoughts on what he’d like his last hours to look like. When the University of Minnesota offered to let me experience what it’s like to die, naturally I said yes. Aren’t we all morbidly curious about the undiscovered country, as Hamlet put it, from which no traveler returns? Except this time, happily, I would get to return because it would be a virtual death, an experience in a VR studio that’s part of the university’s Health Sciences Library system.
Blessing hands, healing hearts: CHP honors nurses with special ceremony
05/19/25 at 03:00 AMBlessing hands, healing hearts: CHP honors nurses with special ceremony Hometown Stations - ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, Delphos, OH (WLIO); by Todd Cummins; 5/15/25 A local nonprofit agency is recognizing the dedication of its staff with a special blessing ceremony. In honor of National Nurses Week, the staff of CHP Home Care and Hospice participated in a “blessing of the hands” — a centuries-old tradition meant to honor the vital role nurses play in healing and compassion. The idea came from Colleen Quickery, the administrator of Hearth & Home in Van Wert. Chaplain Steve Haddix said he has performed about 240 blessings for staff across Paulding and Van Wert counties, as well as the Lima and Delphos offices. This marks the first year CHP has offered the ceremony, and it has had a powerful impact on many who received it.Editor's note: Reminder that CNA Week is June 12-18, 2025.
Unintended, percolated work: Overlooked collaborative opportunities during end-of-life care
05/16/25 at 03:00 AMExploring overlooked collaborative opportunities during end-of-life care Medical Xpress; by Institute of Science Tokyo; 5/14/25 [This study's researchers describe:] "Bereaved family members broadly recollected the mixed regretful actions and decisions that should have been taken during the end-of-life care process. Coordination and cooperation challenges that existed between health care professionals and family caregivers emerged as factors that impeded these actions at the time." [They identified three types of] unintended, percolated work (UPW). ...
The future of dying with Dr. Ira Byock | Pop 1205
05/16/25 at 03:00 AMThe future of dying with Dr. Ira Byock | Pop 1205 Practice of the Practice; podcast by Joe Sanok with Dr. Ira Byock; 5/14/25 How can we embrace conversations about death and dying? What is the healing power of forgiveness and connection in end-of-life care? When we face morality, how can we transform fear into meaningful connections? In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about the future of dying with Dr. Ira Byock. .. In this podcast:
Team work makes the dream work for hospice veteran
05/14/25 at 03:00 AMTeam work makes the dream work for hospice veteran Veterans Administration, VA.gov; by Douglas A. Etter; 5/12/25 When Marine Corps Veteran Ivson Shelley came to the Lebanon VA Medical Center for a follow-up visit with his oncologist, Suhail Ali, MD, the staff was concerned about how much the former New York resident had declined since his last appointment. They didn’t think he could be cared for at home any longer, so a decision was made with the family to admit him to the medical center’s hospice unit Thursday afternoon. Once there, the Marine shared a heartfelt wish with the staff – he wanted to marry his lifelong love, Wanda Rivera. The couple had dated more than 50 years ago and rekindled their relationship 10 years ago. Upon hearing the Vietnam Veteran’s wish, the VA team, lead by Hospice Nurse Manager Jessica Himes, RN and Hospice Social Worker, Erin Miller, MSW, LCSW quickly came together to make it happen. Palliative care nurse Melissa Buchinski, RN began to research what the requirements were to secure a marriage license for the couple. ... [Continue reading this inspirational story.]
Trailor for "The Chaplain & The Doctor"
05/07/25 at 03:00 AMDid someone call for a chaplain Jewish Journal; by Jonah Sanderson; 5/2/25 I am an interfaith hospice chaplain who on average handles 20 deaths every week; at times I manage 40. This number may sound staggering but it’s not. As people age and society understands death, more people will choose to die with the dignity of hospice. The career of a chaplain is not one of the most appealing for new clergy. Why would someone want to hold the hand of a woman as she goes in and out of consciousness surrounded by her family and friends? ...
What not to say to patients with serious illnesses
05/05/25 at 03:00 AMWhat not to say to patients with serious illnesses Medscape; by Lambeth Hochwald; 4/30/25 Robert Den, MD, a radiation oncologist in Philadelphia, constantly reminds himself that while he’s in the ‘cancer world’ every minute of the day, his patients aren’t. “As oncologists, we may be meeting with the third patient that day with a newly diagnosed metastatic cancer, but for this individual, this is their first time hearing news like this,” Den told Medscape Medical News. That’s just one reason Den says words matter. ... [He identifies] "Five Things Docs Shouldn't Say" ...
Breaking with the status quo in end-of-life care through de-implementation
05/03/25 at 03:20 AMBreaking with the status quo in end-of-life care through de-implementation Journal of Internal Medicine; by Chetna Malhotra and Ellie Bostwick Andres; 4/17/25... In the realm of serious illness, many patients undergo interventions that may marginally prolong life but often sacrifice quality of life and entail significant costs. These interventions, categorized as ‘low-value care’, often involve complex procedures, frequent hospitalizations and intense medical management, leading to considerable discomfort, reduced functional ability and overall decreased well-being and calling into question the efficiency and effectiveness of current end-of-life (EOL) care practices. ... How to conduct de-implementation in EOL contexts:
From stigma to support: Changing the cancer conversation
05/01/25 at 03:00 AMFrom stigma to support: Changing the cancer conversation Oncology Nursing Society (ONS); by Anne Snively, MBA, CAE; 4/29/25 Certain treatments (palliative care, opioids) and diagnoses (lung cancer) are more prone to association with cancer-related stigma. Nurses can play a vital role in reframing these thoughts and promoting empathy. ... Caner-related stigma has wide-reaching effects across the care continuum, including poorer patient outcomes. ...
Wings of remembrance: NorthBay butterfly release memorial focuses on healing hearts
04/29/25 at 03:00 AMWings of remembrance: NorthBay butterfly release memorial focuses on healing hearts The Reporter, Fairfield, CA; by Robin Miller; 4/26/25Under a sky painted in soft gray, the air a cool 60-degres, families and friends gathered quietly Saturday morning for a moment both tender and powerful. They had come to NorthBay Health Hospice & Bereavement memorial butterfly release — an event born from love, loss, and the enduring process of healing. ... Before the release, Darren Paulson, a hospice chaplain with Kaiser Permanente, stepped forward to speak. ... “Each of you came here with someone,” he said, “a companion you didn’t ask for and didn’t want: grief.” He spoke of a culture uncomfortable with sorrow, one that urges us to hide our tears and move on too quickly. But grief, he reminded them, doesn’t follow a schedule.
Prayer for patients? Readers and ethicists respond
04/29/25 at 03:00 AMPrayer for patients? Readers and ethicists respondMedscape; by Alicia Ault; 4/24/25 ... In a recent Medscape column, Andrew N. Wilner, MD, related the story of a physician offering to pray for his wife at the conclusion of a routine visit. She had no previous relationship with the clinician and only a minor complaint. Wilner found the physician’s action disturbing and wrote in his column that while there might be situations where prayer would be appropriate, his wife’s visit did not fit in that category. Some readers took issue with Wilner’s response. ... He thinks there are a lot of considerations to weigh before a doctor should ask. “Prayer is very personal, and religious beliefs are very, very personal,” said Wilner, adding that “For some people, they’re profound.” Others might be agnostic, and it is not likely possible to know all of this if there is no prior patient-doctor relationship, said Wilner.
Opening the door to wholistic patient care: Results from a nationally representative database on the use of spiritual and religious counseling
04/26/25 at 03:35 AMOpening the door to wholistic patient care: Results from a nationally representative database on the use of spiritual and religious counselingHealth Services Insights; Peter J. Mallow, Pierson Savarino; 4/25The introduction of the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) code Z71.81 in 2015 enabled the systematic documentation of spiritual and religious counseling (SRC) in hospital settings, opening avenues for research into its effect on patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization. Religion and spirituality are integral to many patients’ lives, influencing their well-being, recovery and health outcomes. SRC is primarily utilized in complex, high-mortality cases, underscoring its role in holistic care for severely ill patients. The disparities observed highlight the need for standardized SRC documentation and equitable access to SRC. Future research should investigate the clinical and economic impacts of SRC to enhance patient-centered care in alignment with value-based care practices.
[Switzerland] Comforting styles of serious illness conversations: a Swiss wide factorial survey study
04/26/25 at 03:05 AM[Switzerland] Comforting styles of serious illness conversations: a Swiss wide factorial survey studyBMC Medicine; by Robert Staeck, Carsten Sauer, Steven M. Asch & Sofia C. Zambrano; 4/14/25 Background: Serious illness conversations can cause discomfort in patients, potentially impeding their understanding and decision-making. Identifying ways in which physicians can reduce this discomfort may improve care. This study investigates which physician communication styles and characteristics individuals perceive as comforting in physician–patient serious illness conversations. ... Methods: We conducted a nationwide online factorial survey in German, French, and Italian with 1572 Swiss participants from the public (51.4% women) aged 16 to 94. ...Conclusions: Taking time, providing clear information, and ensuring continuity of care are pivotal in enhancing comfort. Also relevant are the expression of sadness, physician self-disclosure, and a prior relationship with the patient.
CMS releases HOPE Guidance Manual (V. 1.01) and Tables
04/25/25 at 03:00 AMCMS releases HOPE Guidance Manual (V. 1.01) and TablesCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); by CMS; 4/22/25On April 22, 2025, CMS released the HOPE Guidance Manual (V. 1.01) and connected tables. Providers can use v1.01 for HOPE planning, as this is considered final before HOPE implementation. Also note that earlier this month, the final HOPE data specs have also been released, helping software developers to finalize their HOPE software for testing in the coming months.
Special team at Norton Children's Hospital focused on giving the gift of life
04/23/25 at 03:00 AMSpecial team at Norton Children's Hospital focused on giving the gift of life CBS WLKY-32, Louisville, KY; by Jennifer Baileys; 4/21/25 Caring for sick and dying children is a tough and heartbreaking job. One special group at Norton Children's Hospital is focused on helping these children and their families. ... "She's missing the left side of her heart," Kindra Edwards, patient mother, said. ... Edwards said there was one consistent source of strength and encouragement the Norton Pediatric Support Team. "They're always there. You know, coming in, checking on us when in our multiple stays at the hospital," Edwards said. The team is made up of pediatric and palliative care specialists, nurses, social services, therapist and pastoral care. ... [Through two decades,] pediatric palliative care has evolved. At Norton Children's Hospital it has grown into a team of almost a dozen people, specializing in not just treating, but caring for the sickest patients and their families.
Belief in an afterlife is increasing in the United States: Even among the non-religious
04/22/25 at 03:00 AMBelief in an afterlife is increasing in the United States: Even among the non-religious The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA); by Ryan Burge; 4/17/25 This post has been unlocked through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment for the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). The graphs you see here use data that is publicly available for download and analysis through link(s) provided in the text below. ... I wanted to dig a bit deeper on the variations in those belief metrics today, with a question that I haven’t really probed a whole lot. The General Social Survey, which is available on the Association of Religion Data Archives website, contains a really straightforward question, “Do you believe there is a life after death?” And it has an even simpler set of response options - yes or no. It’s been asked with regularity since 1973, so we have nearly five decades of data on this one specific question. ... Even today, the share of Americans who believe in life after death is 82%. When people ask me, “Is the United States a religious country?” This is the stat that I’m going to trot out.
Palliative care and advanced cardiovascular disease in adults: Not just end-of-life care: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association
04/18/25 at 03:00 AMPalliative care and advanced cardiovascular disease in adults: Not just end-of-life care: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association AHAIASA Journals - American Heart Association; by Lucinda J. Graven, PhD, APRN, FAHA, Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, Martha Abshire Saylor, PhD, MSN, BA, RN, Larry Allen, MD, MHS, FAHA, Angela Durante, PhD, RN, Lorraine S. Evangelista, PhD, RN, CNS, WAN, FAHA, Amy Fiedler, MD, James Kirkpatrick, MD, Lakeisha Mixon, MSW, and Rachel Wells, PhD, MSN, BA on behalf of the American Heart Association Complex Cardiovascular Nursing Care Science Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; 4/17/25 ... This scientific statement (1) discusses the application of effective communication, shared decision-making, age-friendly care, and advance care planning in advanced cardiovascular disease palliative care; (2) provides a summary of recent evidence related to palliative care and symptom management, quality of life, spiritual and psychological support, and bereavement support in individuals with advanced cardiovascular disease and their care partners; (3) discusses issues involving diversity, equity, and inclusion in cardiovascular disease palliative care; (4) highlights the ethical and legal concerns surrounding palliative care and implanted cardiac devices; and (5) provides strategies for palliative care engagement in adults with advanced cardiovascular disease for the care team.