Literature Review

Hospice of Santa Barbara offers insights into family grievingSanta Barbara Independent, by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 3/26/24Grieving the loss of a family member is a deeply intricate emotional journey. Shared bonds and histories make family grief especially unique. Family grief extends beyond the individual and intertwines with the collective fabric of shared experiences, roles and responsibilities. ... It is common for death to change the family dynamic. This can be a result of several factors, including age, relationship, role, difference in coping mechanisms, heightened stress and emotions, and unresolved family issues which can lead to the resurfacing of past grievances.Editor's Note: CMS Hospice COPs §418.3 defines: "Bereavement counseling means emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual support and services provided before and after the death of the patient to assist with issues related to grief, loss, and adjustment." The interdisciplinary team needs to understand individual and family grief, within the scope of their roles and responsibilities with family members.

Student-run Arizona non-profit uses origami to connect with hospital [and hospice] patients The State Press, by Pippa Fung; 3/19/24The Wishing Crane Project, founded by Arizona student Charles Zhang, serves hospice and hospital patients through art. In the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, a young girl tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes in the hopes that it would help her push through a terminal illness. Years later, students across Arizona and at ASU are folding their own cranes [and writing hopeful messages] to support others through their difficult journeys. 

[Eleventh-Hour Program] Volunteers provide companionship to patients reaching the end of lifeCharleston Area Medical Center, Vandalia Health; 3/13/24Established in April 2023, the Eleventh-Hour Program was designed to ensure no patient passes alone in the hospital. The first Eleventh Hour vigil was held on Easter Sunday in 2023. Since then, the companions have participated in 14 vigils in six nursing units at CAMC Memorial and General hospitals. 

Last Writers craft legacies, embrace stories in hospice care The Daily Texan, by Sabrina Ye; 3/6/24 At local hospice homes, a passionate group of volunteers task themselves with writing memoirs that celebrate the richness of patients’ experiences. This heartfelt service they provide not only preserves legacies but highlights the timeless beauty of storytelling. UT Last Writers volunteer to converse with hospice patients and capture their life stories. 

Hospice gardens bloom thanks to planting efforts from schoolchildrenDorset Echo, by Katie Heyes; 2/25/24Patients at an end-of-life care hospice got to see the early blooming of flowers planted by Dorset students last autumn. In September last year, students from Beaminster School, St Osmund's C of E Middle School, and Thomas Hardye School gathered to plant bulbs on Weldmar Hospicecare's Inpatient Unit gardens at the site in Dorchester.

A 'national treasure': St. Peter's Health volunteer has spread smiles and care for over 50 yearsIndependent Record, by Sonny Tapia; 2/20/24A volunteer with an infectious smile, care in her heart and a willingness to put others first has partially called it quits after 53 years at St. Peter’s Health. Helen Bunkowske is retiring from part of her duties at the hospital that included walking patients to their rooms for appointments and helping stressed-out patients before a surgery, but is continuing her work with the hospice program and the No One Dies Alone program through the hospital.

This hospice volunteer program is transforming end-of-life care for inmates in MaineYouTube - News Center Maine, video news; 2/16/24The prisoner hospice volunteer program started in 2001 as a partnership among the Maine Hospice Council, Maine State Prison, and Maine Department of Corrections.

NHPCO Publishes Culturally Sensitive Communications to Enhance Care Delivery: A resource guide for healthcare professionalsNHPCO Press Release; 1/30/24The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) published Culturally Sensitive Communications to Enhance Care Delivery: A Resource Guide for Healthcare Professionals. ... It contains information from a multitude of NHPCO resources, such as the Hospice Through The DEI Lens report, Inclusion and Access Toolkit, Black and African American Outreach Guide, Chinese American Resource Guide, Latino Outreach Guide, and LGBTQ+ Resource Guide, as well as information from additional external research sources.

Cutting hair, growing care: Stylists volunteer for hospice patients Montrose Press, by Katharhynn Heidelberg; 1/22/24... [Kathy] King is among several stylists who volunteer to cut hospice patients’ hair — just a way, they said, of giving back by making others feel good. ... “Contributing is probably the highest gift you can give,” said King. “As far as HopeWest goes, I lose the word sometimes as to what they do, and what they do for the community. I’m just so proud to (volunteer) for them.”

Longfield Hospice collects more than 3,000 Christmas treesBBC News, West of England, by Rhiannon Yhnell; 1/15/24For a voluntary donation, people around Gloucestershire have had their trees taken away by volunteers from Longfield Community Hospice in Minchinhampton. Every year trees are taken to recycling sites where they are turned into a multi-purpose mulch. So far more than 3,000 trees have been collected in four days. ... [The amount of money is] a bit of secret at the moment but we've raised more [than last year's] just under £50,000 ... for hospice care. [Approximately $63,000 in US dollars]

Taking the 'polar' plunge - Fundraiser for Volunteer Hospice of Clallam CountySequim Gazette, by Keith Thorpe; 1/10/24Participants in the New Year’s Day polar bear dip in Port Angeles braved the chilly water of Port Angeles Harbor at Hollywood Beach on Jan. 1. More than 100 dippers took part in the annual ritual, which served as a fundraiser for Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.

Bringing peace and joy: Evensong performs familiar music for hospice patientsThe Ellsworth American, by Jess Cummings; 1/8/24Evensong, a group of choral singers operating under the Hospice Volunteers of Hancock County, has spent the last 15 years singing for individuals nearing the final moments of their lives. The group specializes in hospice and palliative care, traveling upon request all over Hancock County to sing at the bedsides and homes of patients in need. ... “Music is a huge thing,” [musical director] Cookie Horner says. “It goes to a different part of your brain than everything else…we’ve seen that firsthand.” Evensong’s repertoire includes music like spiritual and secular hymns, familiar folk songs and even popular special requests.

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