Literature Review

The sandwich generation confronts the caregiver crunch: Sonia’s story IndiaCurrents; by Snigdha Sen; 8/28/26 The Indian American community is aging. As the U.S. faces a severe caregiver shortage, the community faces an even greater challenge: finding culturally and linguistically appropriate care. The Aging with Dignity project looks at efforts within and beyond the Indian community to help the "sandwich generation" care for aging parents. This is Part 1 of a three-part series.

[France] 'You cannot have a good assisted dying law without good palliative care’ GuardianTV; Press Release; 8/30/26 François Picard is pleased to welcome Anne Reynaud, Board Member of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity. France’s long awaited assisted dying legislation marks a profound shift in the country’s approach to end of life care, but as Reynaud makes clear, the parliamentary vote is less the end of a debate than the beginning of a new ethical and legal era. Speaking from both personal experience and her professional role, Reynaud argues that the law represents meaningful progress while remaining more restrictive than the recommendations of France’s Citizens’ Convention. 

District One Freemasons commit $50,000 to Aroostook Hospice Foundation Suite 1 dedication The County, Presque Isle, ME; by Aroostook Hospice Foundation; 8/30/26 The Aroostook Hospice Foundation is pleased to announce a generous $50,000 commitment from the District One Freemasons in support of the Aroostook House of Comfort. ... David Basley, representing District One of the Freemasons, shared the significance of the commitment, “The decision made by the 1st District Freemasons to present a gift of $50,000 to the House of Comfort was an easy one for us. Since the facility first opened in 2018, we have had several members of our Masonic fraternity or family members experience the most compassionate end of life care offered by staff and volunteers. ..."

Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz launches healthcare sciences scholarship to support future medical leaders Newsnet Los Angeles, Harlingen, TX; by Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz Scholarship; 8/28/26 The Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz Scholarship for Healthcare Sciences officially opens its application process, offering vital financial support to dedicated undergraduate students across the United States. Designed to foster the next generation of medical and allied health professionals, this scholarship initiative encourages aspiring clinical leaders to pursue their academic and professional ambitions in healthcare. Founded by Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz, a highly accomplished physician board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care Medicine, Neurocritical Care, Sleep Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine, the program seeks to inspire students who display an enduring passion for patient-centered care.

9/11 Memorial Map: Prepare for next Friday, 9/11's 25th anniversary 9.11 Legacy Foundation; Editor's Note by Joy Berger; retrieved from the internet 9/1/26 Explore a growing map of memorials nationwide that honor the lives lost and the heroes who responded to the September 11 attacks. Each marker reflects a community’s dedication to remembrance, resilience, and unity.Editor's Note: Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001? How did you learn? Whom did you contact? What do you remember feeling? Fearing? What unfolded in your life, your family, your community because of the tragedies of 9/11? We--in hospice--know the longterm impact of both "normal" loss, and of tragic losses that live on in us until we die. I implore you to create ways to allow your employees and volunteers to honor this day in ways that can be meaningful to them, while respecting the tasks that need to be done on this standard workday. Perhaps, a message from your CEO, from a chaplain, a bereavement counselor, an employee who was directly affected by 9/11, or someone else. Perhaps--sent ahead of time, a link to a live-stream memorial service. Perhaps, a real-time text that marks a moment of silence on 9/11. Use your imagination and skills for healing, for compassionate care. Do you have a story to share? Please send the URL link to me.

Executive Personnel Changes - 8/21/26

Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties’ 19th Annual Golf Classic raises almost $75,000 for patient care FocusMedia, Newburgh, NY; Press Release; 8/19/26 Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties held its 19th Annual Golf Classic at Osiris Country Club in Walden, N.Y., on Aug. 10, drawing a sold-out field of 100 golfers for the organization’s best golf fundraising event in recent years. The tournament raised close to $75,000 to support Hospice services throughout Orange and Sullivan Counties. ... “Today’s outing is about more than just golf,” Eric Gastik, President and CEO of Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, told the golfers, sponsors and other attendees. “It’s about coming together as a community to support patients and families during one of the most difficult times in their lives. Every golfer, every sponsor, every raffle ticket purchased and every volunteer contributes to that mission."

The new health system CEO job description, per 23 leaders Becker's Hospital Review; by Alan Condon, Kelly Gooch, and Kristin Kuchno; 8/20/26 The health system CEO job description is getting longer, and increasingly filled with responsibilities that barely registered five years ago. Today’s CEOs are expected to steer AI strategy, prepare for cyberattacks, shape culture, advocate in statehouses and on Capitol Hill, protect employees from workplace violence, address affordability and serve as trusted voices in their communities. That shift is playing out at some of the nation’s largest and most prominent health systems. 

Nonreporting of race and ethnicity in medical research harms us all JAMA Internal Medicine | Editorial | Health Equity; by Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, Jerard Kneifati-Hayek, MD, MS, Annette Flanagin, RN, MA, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS; Raegan W. Durant, MD, MPH; 8/24/26 At JAMA Internal Medicine, we have become increasingly aware that some US researchers are unable to report on race or ethnicity as demographic variables to describe their sample or to conduct stratified analyses by these variables. In some cases, we have been informed that based on 3 recent US federal executive orders, the stewards of federal databases, such as those responsible for distributing data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), are unable to release any race or ethnicity data for research purposes. The restrictions may be particularly prohibitive when study investigators are US federal employees. We have been informed of similar concerns occurring at other biomedical journals. Editor's Note: Stark examples of these racial/ethnicity disparities repeatedly emerged when I was researching and writing our newsletter's 25-decades series leading up to July 4, 2026: A History of Care: 250 Years of American Need, Service and Hope. Dig deeper with the easy-to-navigate online version at Composing Life; use the "Search" engine at the bottom of the page to find specific examples. From our Today's Encouragement: "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman, because it often results in physical death. ~ Martin Luther King"

Dying man’s final wish comes true as his beloved dogs find a forever home together Greater Good; by Guest Contributor; 8/25/26 A man in New York spent his final weeks with one hope on his mind: that his beloved German shepherds would find a new forever home. His story, and the story of his dogs Bowie and Nikki, has moved thousands of people who care deeply about pet adoption and the special bond between humans and animals. At its core, this is a story about love, planning for pets when life changes, and the quiet heroism of animal rescues that step in when families are in crisis. ... One of the most moving moments in this story came when Mr. Spencer asked for something that many pet guardians nearing the end of life quietly hope for. He wanted to say goodbye. 

Hospice of Michigan receives more than $20k in donations following Josh & Jase visit ABC-13, Grand Rapids, MI; by Mary Dupuis; 8/14/26 The viral social media duo Josh & Jase have helped raise more than $20,000 for Hospice of Michigan's statewide pediatric hospice program this summer. The fundraising campaign was launched in support of the Jo Elyn Nyman Pediatric Hospice Endowment Fund. ... Josh Cauldwell-Clarke and Jase Riley became famous on social media for their travel videos reacting to American food, culture and exciting experiences. ... During their time in Grand Rapids, Josh and Jase spent time with pediatric hospice patients and their families at Hospice of Michigan. After their social media post about the visit, more than 350 donations flooded in to Hospice of Michigan from across the country.