Literature Review

Art exhibition held to honor hospice patientKTVN 2 News, Nevada; by Jake Reno; 4/28/24 Robert Henry, who has always dreamed of showcasing his artwork, was very overwhelmed and happy to see all of the people who came to see his work. Compassion Care Hospice and the Nevada Fine Arts held an art exhibition to honor Robert Henry, a hospice patient ... After members of the hospice care team found out more about Henry's story and how much art meant to him, they were inspired to figure out a way to honor him and his life's passion.

America’s graying. We need to change the way we think about age. The Harvard Gazette; by Alvin Powell; 4/25/24 Experts say instead of disability, focus needs to shift to ability, health, with greater participation, economically and socially. People in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s run marathons, write books, and go to work daily. But the predominant national conversation on aging focuses on disability rather than ability, something experts say is a problem as participation of America’s older adults grows more important, economically and socially, as the nation ages.

CC Biz Buzz: Death, taxes and planning Columbia Daily Tribune; by Mary Dorn; 4/24/24 This column is one that I never really wanted to write, but, in hindsight, it is likely one of the most important that I will write. Monday, April 15, 2024, the dreadful “tax day” was upon me, and I was at a local funeral parlor making the final arrangements for my spouse and partner of 23 years. I kept thinking of the famous quote by Benjamin Franklin, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” ...

Beyond compensation: Culture as a benefit HR Daily Advisor; by G Hatfield; 4/24/24 Compensation is not the only factor that nurses consider when choosing a health system. Benefits packages, workplace culture, safety, and flexibility all play a role in the decision-making process. CNOs should take a look at their health system’s offerings to make sure they are attractive to new nurses and that they are staying competitive in the industry. During the HealthLeaders’ Nurse Labor and Compensation NOW Summit, Robin Steaban, Chief Nursing Officer at Vanderbilt University Hospital, spoke about  innovative perks to attract and keep nurses, and how workplace culture and safety play a role as benefits alongside compensation.

Patients tell me they've had a paranormal experience. I Believe Them — I had one too. MSN HuffPost, by Scott Janssen; 4/23/24 Tank’s life has been full of conflict and strife. Now he’s stuck in a wheelchair on his back porch with me, a hospice social worker, peppering him with questions. He’s pondering my query about why he’s feeling peace about his impending death. His eyes soften as he motions with his head toward the workshop near the back fence. “You remember me telling you about my older boy?” he asks. “The one that died by suicide?” I ask. “Yeah, I remember.” “If you count my old man, I was the second-worst father that ever lived. Most of my life I figured I’d go straight to hell when I died.” ...

30 systems sign on to new effort to advance age-friendly care Becker's Clinical Leadership, by Erica Carbajal; 4/17/24Thirty health systems are participating in a new collaborative through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement that aims to accelerate the adoption of age-friendly care for older adults. The Age-Friendly System-Wide Spread Collaborative is billed as a learning and action community through which systems will focus on embedding four evidence-based elements of high-quality care for older adults: what matters, medication, mentation and mobility, known as the 4Ms. Participants — which include Los Angeles-based Cedars Sinai, New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System and Atlanta-based Grady Health — will share data and collaborate to advance their own improvements in scaling age-friendly care across their sites of care. Participants also have the opportunity to be among the first to achieve a new IHI recognition for systemwide adoption of the 4Ms. 

Death Cafes: Where people talk mortality over tea and cake The Week UK, by Chas Newkey-Burdent; 4/18/24 Once a month, in countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, people are gathering to eat cake and talk about the typically taboo topic of death. At Death Cafes, said Emma Freud in The Times, people with a range of interests in the subject come together to discuss "the end of life experience in any of its forms,"  ... After joining a Death Cafe in Willesden, northwest London, Gaby Wine wrote in The Jewish Chronicle that it was "heart-warming" that "while not everyone agrees with one another, everyone shows great respect."

JAMA Revisited, from May 1924: The Promise of a Longer Lifetime JAMA; 4/18/2024.Originally published May 10, 1924 | JAMA. 1924;82(19):1518-1519.Editor's Note: Yes. This article's original date is May 10, 1924; one hundred years ago, shortly after coming through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919.Modern hygiene has been described as the reaction against the old fatalistic creed that deaths inevitably occur at a constant rate. The study of vital statistics shows that there is no “iron law of mortality.” ... The New York report states that the increase in the expectation of life has been almost entirely confined to the ages before 35 years. In the future, the health officer must, of necessity, consider steps to be taken to minimize the mortality among those of middle and advanced life. There is much to encourage man today to seek to secure a normal lifetime.

Longevity: Why are we all so focused on living longer instead of living better? The Montecito Journal, by Deann Zampelli; 4/16/24 I admit it. I am an obit reader. I look at the photo first to see if I know them and then almost reflexively at their age. 89? Not bad. 76? Too early. 56. ... Recently I had a client who came to see me because she wanted to live the next chapter of her life on her own terms, not as her mother did in the last decade of life before dying at the age of 93; bed pans, caregivers, wheelchairs, numerous medications, memory loss and the utter decimation of her life savings. ... In many cultures the elders are revered and live with their families until they die. They aren’t just included, they are needed, consulted, and cherished. Not surprisingly, these are often the same cultures that enjoy the healthiest and longest lives. Sadly, Americans are not among them. ...

From Hardship to Healing: The power of gratitude Everyday Health, by Simran Malhotra, MD; 4/15/24 This is my journey of previvorship in a nutshell: In a span of six years, between ages 26 and 32, I welcomed two children within 19 months, worked a full-time job during early motherhood as a palliative care physician, served on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and underwent multiple breast cancer risk-reducing surgeries in 2020. When people hear my story, I often get asked the same question repeatedly: “How did you handle all that?” ...

Tracking layoffs, closures in healthcare nationwideModern Healthcare; 4/12/24Modern Healthcare is tracking closures and layoffs from health systems, digital health companies, insurers and other related businesses nationwide to better understand how labor costs and concerns are impacting the industry in rural communities and cities alike. 

Art made by hospice patients displayed at Poole Lighthouse Yahoo! News, by Erin Rhodes, United Kingdom; 4/15/24 More than 200 pieces of art made by patients at a Dorset hospice charity have been displayed at the Lighthouse in Poole [United Kingdom]. The artworks have been made by patients with life-limiting illnesses at Lewis-Manning Hospice Care’s hubs across Poole and east Dorset. Creative Art is one of the services the charity provides to support patients’ wellbeing and mental health. 

6-year-old boy battling serious illness sworn in as Lynwood police officer NBC TV 5 Chicago, by Evrod Cassimy; 4/9/24 Child battling serious illness gets wish granted by village. With his hand raised in the air and a round of applause from those in attendance, the Village of Lynwood’s newest cop was sworn in at just 6 years old. Keyjuan Andrewin has dreams of helping people as a police officer and has battled serious health issues for most of his young life.