Literature Review

Hazel Dell couple face manslaughter charges in death of relative, 87, in their care The Columbian, Clark County, WA; by Becca Robbins; 11/14/24A Hazel Dell couple are facing charges of manslaughter and criminal mistreatment for the 2022 death of an 87-year-old relative who was under their care. ... In April 2022, state Adult Protective Services referred a report to Clark County sheriff’s detectives about the March 18 death of Marilyn Rogers at a Longview hospice facility. The woman had lived with Joel and Kathryn Rogers, her son and daughter-in-law, at their apartment before her death, according to a probable cause affidavit. ... Emergency room staffers noted Marilyn Rogers had multiple ulcers and pressure wounds that appeared to be infected. She also showed signs of dehydration and malnourishment. Blood work showed she also suffered from sepsis due to infection. ... Doctors recommended Marilyn Rogers be placed in hospice, and once she was, staff said Kathryn and Joel Rogers never visited her. Hospice staff said they struggled to get in touch with the couple for the roughly 10 days Marilyn Rogers resided there, the affidavit states.

Meals on Wheels substantially reduces risk of senior hospitalizations: report McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 11/8/24 Home-delivered nutritious foods programs can help keep seniors out of the hospital and reduce their feelings of social isolation, according to a new report by Meals on Wheels and home care technology firm WellSky. The report examined how Meals on Wheels programs helped seniors recover after being discharged from a hospital stay. Each meal delivery also involved a social determinants of health assessment, which allowed Meals on Wheels staff to engage with participants and gauge their wellness and safety. After 30 days of the program, the researchers observed an 85% decrease in hospitalizations among participants. Approximately 98% of meal recipients said that Meals on Wheels helped their recovery, and 61% said it lowered their feelings of social isolation.Editor's note: While we know hospice patients experience a significant decline in appetite, the person's changing needs for nutrition continue. Pair this data with several recent articles we've posted regarding seniors' struggles compounded by living alone, isolation, and depression. We invite you to explore this educational/support video for caregivers/families of persons experiencing serious illness, palliative, or hospice care: Small Words - Big Meanings: EAT. Disclosure: Composing Life Out of Loss is a sponsor of our newsletter.

It takes more than love to care for a loved one Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business; guest column by Jason Erskine, AARP; 11/5/24 Chances are, if you aren’t a family caregiver, you know someone who is. Every day, more than 820,000 Washingtonians help their parents, spouses, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and other loved ones to live independently at home – where they want to be. November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to highlight the important work these folks do. But simply thanking them isn’t enough. ... AARP and United Way have teamed up to connect caregivers with trained, compassionate people in your community who can help you find AARP caregiving resources and more. It’s called 211, it’s a free service, and you can talk to specialists who can help you find local resources for caring for your loved one … and for yourself too. ... AARP Washington is here to help with information and resources to support and connect caregivers. Go to: aarp.org/caregiverswa.

Nonprofit organizes free home cleanings for cancer patients The Dallas Express, Dallas, TX; by Patti Villegas; 10/27/24 When facing a serious illness, even simple tasks can become overwhelming. However, one nonprofit organization is stepping in to help alleviate some of that burden for individuals with cancer. Cleaning for a Reason, founded in 2006, has facilitated free home cleaning services for more than 57,133 cancer patients in the U.S. and Canada, providing services valued at a total of more than $19 million. The non-profit organization partners with residential cleaning companies and community volunteers to “clean the homes of cancer patients to provide hope, relief, control, and cleanliness,” the group’s website states. The volunteers’ work not only enhances the patients’ physical environment but uplifts their spirits as well.

Why your drug store is closing CNN Business, New York, NY; by Nathaniel Meyerson; 10/16/24 CVS is closing 900 stores. Rite-Aid is closing 500. Walgreens announced Tuesday it plans to close 1,200 stores, meaning 1 in 7 will disappear. What is going on with America’s drug stores? Walgreens and other chains overexpanded during the 1990s and 2000s to drive out competitors and draw more customers. They are now shutting down because of shifting consumer habits, competition and changes in the pharmacy industry. Around 25% of Walgreens’ stores aren’t profitable, CEO Tim Wentworth said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in June, and the chain will look to close stores that are right by one another or struggling to hold down theft. ... CVS, the largest US chain, closed 244 stores between 2018 and 2020. In 2021, it announced plans to close an additional 900 stores. Earlier this month, CVS said it planned to cut about 2,900 jobs corporate jobs. And Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy last year, closing up to 500 stores.

Heartless activist who took selfie with woman’s dying father in hospice shows no emotion upon learning of her fate following sick harassment campaign What'sNew2Day; written by "Jack," with another author listed "Bethan Sexton for Dailymail.com"; 10/5/24 An activist who snuck into a hospice and took a selfie with a woman’s dying father because he opposed her support for LGBTQ rights showed no emotion as he was sentenced for his sickening campaign of harassment. Bubba Pollock, 35, was sentenced to two months in prison after pleading guilty to criminally harassing Britt Leroux, 38. Pollock, from London, Ontario, openly protested the drag queen stories and was seen on video promising to pay people up to $500 to sabotage events. He had a fierce debate with Leroux, which culminated in him driving 120 miles to the Windsor hospice where Leroux’s father, Andre Leroux, was receiving palliative care and taking the photograph in an attempt to mock his victim.

Improv for Caregivers receives a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts EINPressWire; by A. A. Cristi; 9/23/24 The New London Barn Playhouse received an arts in health grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts to continue and expand their Improv for Caregivers program through a larger umbrella program titled “Improv for a Cause.” “Improv for a Cause” will encompass two communication programs that use a similar process to reach different communities. The first, Improv for Caregivers, in partnership with Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice, is an ongoing communication workshop series for those who care for loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer's. ... Each improv workshop session combines insight from healthcare professionals with improvisational theatre techniques, with a goal of developing new communication skills, strategies to cope with stress, flexibility in relationships, and an understanding of loved ones' changing perspectives. With guidance from the VNA and caregivers in the community, the team of actors prepare short scenarios that portray situations caregivers commonly face, such as sundowning, taking away car keys, collaborating with care staff, and hallucinations. ...

‘His Three Daughters’: A sister act that’s among the year’s best movies The Washington Post - Arts & Entertainment; by Ty Burr; 9/5/24 Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne give career-peak performances in Azazel Jacobs's relatable family drama. ... “His Three Daughters” is in all its simplicity and complexity the story of how these women get along over the course of their dad’s final week. Spoiler alert: They don’t. If that sounds like a downer, the movie’s kept from terminal morbidity by writer-director Jacobs’s uncanny ear for dialogue and by the empathy of the three central performances. There’s humor here, gallows and otherwise. But there’s also an overflowing heartful of feeling, approached from three different angles by three different people who all happen to love the same parent. Other people come and go: a hospice worker (Rudy Galvan) whose smooth bromides eventually grate on the sisters’ nerves and ours; a night nurse (Jasmine Bracey) with patience and kindness and a full, unseen life outside the apartment; ... In its final moments, the movie takes a risk — a huge gamble, really — that for my money pays off on any number of levels, and in doing so finally confirms its writer-director’s talent. ... Available Sept. 20 on Netflix. [Netflix trailor and reminder available now.]

Worn-out caregiver? Not alone. 1 in 3 Michigan women aged 50+ care for othersBridge Michigan; by Robin Erb; 8/6/24More than 1 in 3 Michigan women 50 and older are caregiving for at least one person with a health condition or disability, according to state data extracted from a national survey. It’s a responsibility that — while it offers rewards and moments of joy and laughter — can exact a heavy physical, emotional and financial toll.

[NJ] Governor Murphy signs "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act” Official Site of the State of New Jersey; 7/22/24 Governor Phil Murphy today signed the Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act which will help New Jersey families avoid falling into medical debt and protect individuals from predatory medical debt collectors. The Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act is named in honor of a member of the Governor’s Office who helped craft the proposal before tragically passing away in a car accident on New Year’s Day at the age of 25. Joined by Louisa’s family and advocates, the Governor signed the bill, advancing his Administration’s efforts to make New Jersey’s health care system more accessible and more affordable for more people.

Gen Z prefers burial over cremation, reversing decades of preferences trending toward cremationPR Newswire; by National Funeral Directors Association; 7/9/24 There is no shortage of social commentary on how Gen Z is redefining norms and challenging older generations to think differently, from fashion to workplace culture. But what about their perspective on death and dying? A first-of-its-kind survey conducted by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) offers definitive data to show how Gen Z thinks differently about end-of-life matters for themselves and their loved ones – as well as similarities with older generations. Notable differences between the generations highlight Gen Z's unique perspective, even compared to Millennials who are the closest in age, highlighting a pivot in end-of-life preferences to come:

Being present is one way to help dying friendAsk the Doctors; by Elizabeth Ko, MD and Eve Glazier, MD; 7/5/24Dear Doctors: My friend was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 10 years ago. His chemo is no longer working, and his doctors say there’s nothing else to be done. He has accepted whatever is coming. He has lost weight, and sometimes the pain is bad. How can I help him?Dear Reader: No matter how long someone has been dealing with a serious illness, the cessation of active treatment can be devastating. This is true not only for the person approaching the end of their life, but also for family and friends. The response to this transition often includes a rotating mix of grief, sorrow, fear, anxiety, dread and anger. However, people also often feel acceptance, peace, hope and even relief. Again, these are experienced not only by the individual who is ill, but also by the people around them. When spending time with someone with a terminal illness, you are looking for balance. That is, you want to be supportive and helpful, but not overwhelm them with your attentions. Hospice care professionals say this can be achieved by asking the person what they need. ... Always check with the person before starting a new task or a project. This keeps them in control of the events around them, which bolsters mental and emotional well-being. [Italics and bold are from this newsletter's editor.]Editor's Note: Calling all hospice and palliative leaders, in the midst of carrying out our professional roles most of us experience the dying and deaths of family, friends, and acquaintances. This article gives meaningful, practical ways to both be present and do simple things that can empower and support the person who is dying. We invite you to pair this article with our newsletter's "Today's Encouragement: We are human beings ..."

Empowering ‘deeply undervalued’ caregivers would improve ‘lifeline for older adults’ McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 6/28/24 Direct care workers and family caregivers remain “deeply undervalued” and often overlooked despite calls for investment in the care economy, according to the authors of a new report. “These caregivers provide a lifeline for older adults, people with disabilities, and people living with chronic conditions,” PHI and the National Alliance for Caregiving said in an issue brief released Wednesday. “Empowering them in their roles will help to ensure high quality, responsive care to meet the needs and preferences of millions of Americans now and in the future.” The organizations called on providers, Congress, the Department of Labor, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, states, managed care plans and advocates to invest in the “essential partnership” between direct care workers and family caregivers. The new brief includes insights from a variety of stakeholders ...  The result is a list of recommendations that prioritize improvements to direct care jobs.Editor's Note: Our sponsor, Composing Life Out of Loss, equips hospice and palliative care organizations with caregiver education and support video libraries to strengthen relationships between the direct care professional and the family caregiver, with timely information for the entire family. Contents are written to CMS CoPs, CAHPS, and contemporary grief research; English and Spanish.