Literature Review

Cleaning reframes end‑of‑life care for mental health The Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia, PA; by Lynn Akesson; 3/28/26... At its core, death cleaning is a decluttering practice: going through one’s belongings with the intention of reducing what survives us. But its appeal lies less in organization than in its promise of emotional relief. By transforming an abstract fear — leaving chaos behind — into a meaningful act of care, death cleaning reframes preparation for death as a process that can support psychological well-being in life. Editor's Note: For a related caregiving video specific to bereavement, visit "Re-Membering: Scrap 'Em, Store 'Em, or Stitch 'Em Together, by Composing Life Out of Loss (disclosure, a newsletter sponsor)

Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley grief services coordinator discusses deeper meaning for spring cleaning North Country Now, Potsdam, NY; by Kate Favaro; 3/26/26 There is something about those first few spring days in the North Country that makes us want to throw all the windows up and let in the fresh air and sunlight. Spring cleaning has become a ritual of sorts. ... Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley offers the following when considering a deeper meaning behind spring cleaning: ... widen your idea of what spring cleaning can involve. Start with the basics and work out from there. Clean out a drawer. Label a photograph. Update a document or password. Tell a trusted person where they can find the important papers. Sometimes the most meaningful spring cleaning happens where no one else can see it, but everyone you love will one day feel its impact.

Facing loss & cancer: A daughter’s dual grief  Time.News; by Ethan Brooks; 3/22/26 ... We hadn’t told the kids yet. There was nothing definitive to say, only a growing dread. I braced myself to project a semblance of cheerfulness when Molly and Henry returned from their tournament, but it proved unnecessary. My sister called with news that eclipsed everything: our father was dying. Both our parents, long divorced, were in hospice, on opposite coasts. My mother’s decline had begun in June, but my father’s was swift, a mere week in the making and we hadn’t anticipated him going first.

Lanterns shine light on spiritual, financial help Fort Worth nonprofit gives to terminally ill FWR - Fort Worth Report, Fort Worth, TX; by Marissa Greene; 2/16/26 Nestled within a grove of trees, more than 300 lanterns twinkled around the perimeter of the Keith House on a recent evening in the Clearfork neighborhood. The pulsing glow of the tealight candle inside each white paper bag illuminated a first name and last initial inscribed into the front of the lantern. Each name represented a patient served by Project 4031, a faith-based nonprofit aiming to provide peace and comfort to terminally ill children, adults and families facing end-of-life challenges by easing financial burdens and fulfilling last wishes. 

Bridging the differences in care for grieving people: Worden's differentiation between grief counseling and grief therapyDeath Studies; by Mark D de St Aubin, William G Hoy; 2/26Worden's (1982, 2018) landmark textbook on caring for bereaved individuals differentiated grief counseling from grief therapy, defining the former as the efforts of both professional and lay caregivers to support bereaved people in normal grief. Grief therapy, he posited, is the more structured intervention offered by credentialed caregivers to support individuals coping with a more complicated experience of mourning. In this article, the authors explain Worden's perspective, describe his types of complicated mourning for which grief therapy might be warranted, and offer clinical application to the approaches Worden takes.

Chronic pain and unrecognized grief: epistemic barriers to personal and social recognition Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy; by Christopher Jude McCarroll, Ying-Tung Lin, Dominik Koesling, and Claudia Bozzaro; 3/29/26 What is it to grieve? What is the nature of grief? ... Importantly, a close examination of the phenomenology of chronic pain helps illuminate the ways in which it also involves the kind of losses that we can grieve over. The losses involved in experiences of chronic pain impact one’s practical identity in ways that can lead to grief. This chronic pain grief remains largely unrecognized, however. We outline four epistemic barriers to recognizing the grief involved in experiences of chronic pain. ...

Themed digest for palliative care professionals: Spiritual support for children ehospice | PACED; February 2026 Spiritual support remains one of the most complex and, at the same time, most essential elements of palliative care. In the February PACED digest, we present articles exploring the integration of spiritual care into nursing practice, families’ experiences in paediatric palliative care, and the role of professionals in discussing end-of-life issues with children and adolescents. This issue includes materials on professional competencies, system-level recommendations, and parents’ lived experiences. Together, they offer insight into how spiritual and value-based questions shape clinical practice and influence the quality of support provided to families. ...

Handmade patchwork quilts bring comfort to Taree palliative care patients and their families ABC - New South Wales, Australia; by Emma Siossian; 2/21/26 Kaye-Maree Hinton's husband Garry was in end-of-life care with a rare type of brain cancer, when a nurse laid a bright, handmade quilt over his hospital bed. Ms. Hinton, 62, says the simple act of kindness provided a spark of colour and comfort in the stark and sterile hospital environment. ... "It was so comforting … to cover him with something so beautiful, instead of just hospital sheets and hospital blankets in cold, stark white." ... The quilt is now set to become a family heirloom, already laid in a crib ready for the upcoming birth of Ms. Hinton's newest grandchild. ... Recently the project surpassed a total of 2,000 donated quilts.

Bridging the differences in care for grieving people: Worden’s differentiation between grief counseling and grief therapy Death Studies; by Mark D. de St. Aubin and William G. Hoy; 2/14/26 Worden’s (Citation1982, Citation2018) landmark textbook on caring for bereaved individuals differentiated grief counseling from grief therapy, defining the former as the efforts of both professional and lay caregivers to support bereaved people in normal grief. Grief therapy, he posited, is the more structured intervention offered by credentialed caregivers to support individuals coping with a more complicated experience of mourning. In this article, the authors explain Worden’s perspective, describe his types of complicated mourning for which grief therapy might be warranted, and offer clinical application to the approaches Worden takes.

My family member passed away — do I get a discount for bereavement travel? Fodor's Travel |"Dear Eugene"; by Eugene Fodor; 2/23/26 In this month’s "Dear Eugene," we explore the benefits bereavement travelers have and tap experts for the best way to navigate grief while moving through the world. ... Several airlines (not all) offer bereavement fares, waivers, or what’s sometimes called “compassion fares,” but that doesn’t always mean you’ll save money. The real benefit of bereavement fares is the greater flexibility they offer.

Psychosocial oncology: The Omega Project Taylor & Francis | Death Studies; by Matthew Loscalzo and Linda A. Klein; 2/14/26This article reports on an interview with J. William Worden that focuses initially on the Omega Project (1968–1986) that studied end-of-life care. Worden explains the four phases of the project with specific populations, goals, and key concepts that emerged. The discussion then shifts to the development of psychosocial oncology and palliative care. Finally, Worden offers some thoughts on the development of the hospice movement in the United States, the role of religion in coping with mortality, coping with personal loss, and his advice to new medical or graduate students just starting out.

Valentine’s Day can be difficult for those missing a spouse or significant other: Tips for those missing a loved one, and how to comfort those in grief Santa Barbara Independent; Santa Barbara, CA; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 2/10/26 ...[For] those who are coping with the loss of a partner or loved one, Valentine’s Day can trigger overwhelming feelings of loneliness, grief, and isolation, with seasonal décor serving as a constant reminder of the loss. Valentine’s Day can be particularly challenging for someone who is grieving the loss of a partner or spouse because the day is designed around devoting energy and time to that particular person. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara suggests these tips to help cope when missing that special someone on Valentine’s Day: