Literature Review

A critical examination of ‘family’ caregiving at the end of life in contexts of homelessness: Key concepts and future considerationsPalliative Care and Social Practice; Ashley Mollison, Kelli I. Stajduhar, Marilou Gagnon, Ryan McNeil; 5/25In a world that is becoming more inequitable, understanding and reducing health disparities is a key priority for palliative care. This essay has demonstrated that bio-legal assumptions and privileging may be yet one more inequity in palliative care to address and overcome. This essay has focused in on populations facing homelessness and housing vulnerability, but changing families and growing inequality suggests the potential broad applicability of this work for our collective future. Palliative care is one of the areas of the Western healthcare system that explicitly attends to the person with serious illness and their family and caregivers understanding deeply how the suffering and joys of one group impacts the other. If there is a place in the current health system that can truly make space for caregiving – in all the ways it happens – it is, and should be, palliative care.

What caregivers should know about end-of-life rallies  AARP; by Jamie Ducharme; 5/19/25People with advanced illnesses sometimes experience unpredictable bursts of energy or clarity. Here’s how caregivers should handle these episodes. Roughly a decade after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Liz Donnarumma got her back — but only for an instant. It happened one evening in 2021, more than a year after Donnarumma first realized her mother, Theresa, didn’t recognize her. Theresa took Donnarumma’s face in her hands, called her by her nickname and thanked her. “When she put her hands on my face and I looked into her eyes, she was totally there. It was my mother,” Donnarumma says. “It was like a second, just one second, and it was gone.” Donnarumma’s mother had an episode of “paradoxical lucidity” — that is, an unexpected burst of mental clarity, despite her advanced condition. While these moments are as unexplained as they are unexpected, experts say they are more common than many people realize. ...

Finding her strength in silence: CSU Pueblo student graduates twice, carring her mother's dream Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO; by Soni Brinsko; 5/14/25 The porch was still new when the professors arrived that late November evening. Hand-laid tiles, each one carefully placed by a father during what should have been vacation time. He’d built it for his wife so she could sit outside, feel the Colorado breeze one more time. That night, the porch became something else entirely. It became a stage for a graduation ceremony that wasn’t supposed to happen until May. Alondra Solis Ayala is about to walk across the commencement stage at Colorado State University Pueblo this week. It will be her second graduation. The first one happened in her family’s living room, with her dying mother watching from a chair, too weak to stand but strong enough to declare “esa es mi hija”—that’s my daughter—as faculty members in full regalia handed over a diploma cover and stole in what became an impromptu, deeply personal ceremony.

CMS seeks public input on improving technology to empower Medicare beneficiaries CMS Newsroom; Press Release; 5/13/25 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking bold steps to modernize the nation’s digital health ecosystem with a focus on empowering Medicare beneficiaries through greater access to innovative health technologies. The agency, in partnership with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC), is seeking public input on how best to advance a seamless, secure, and patient-centered digital health infrastructure. The goal is to unlock the power of modern technology to help seniors and their families take control of their health and well-being, manage chronic conditions, and access care more efficiently. ...

10 ways to embrace Mother’s Day with a seriously ill mother Roze Room Hospice, Culver City, CA; Website; retrieved from the internet 5/8/2025Spending Mother’s Day with a seriously ill mother can be emotional, but it’s also an opportunity to create meaningful and loving memories. Here are 10 ways to embrace Mother’s Day with a seriously ill mother:

Interim HealthCare expands Alzheimer’s offerings through new partnership Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 4/30/25 Interim HealthCare has expanded its Alzheimer’s care program through a new partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. The partnership, announced on Wednesday, will enable Interim to bolster its existing Alzheimer’s offerings through additional educational programs and opportunities to participate in Alzheimer’s Association events.

Understanding Conservatory Care Services: A comprehensive overview Articlescad.com; by Jonassen Randall; 4/27/25 As the population ages and healthcare requires evolve, conservatory care services have become a crucial part of the continuum of care for numerous individuals. Unlike standard medical treatment environments, conservatory care services focus on supporting people with persistent conditions or impairments, providing a holistic technique that promotes self-respect and quality of life. This short article will explore what conservatory care services entail, who can benefit from these services, and the various kinds they can take.

“It’s an homage”: Noah Wyle quietly sneaked in a tribute in one of the best episodes of ‘The Pitt’ FandomWire; by Arian Cruz; 4/18/25 In the fourth episode of The Pitt titled 10:00 A.M., Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch monitored Mr. Spencer during his final hours while dealing with his own thoughts about the death of his beloved mentor, Dr. Adamson. He remembers the advice he received from him and shared it with the children of the dying patient as they waited for their father to pass. The phrases ‘I love you,’ ‘Thank you,’ ‘I forgive you,’ and ‘Please forgive me’ are words that need to be heard when someone is at the end of their life. Wyle revealed that he took these lessons from palliative care physician and author Ira Byock when he was writing the screenplay. Wyle said these short phrases are profound and hold deep meanings beyond their simplicity. He made sure to weave them in on the show while taking inspiration from his own mother for the emotional scenes. He shared via USA Today: "A very similar event had played out with my mother and her brother when saying goodbye to my grandfather. After she shared this with me, I just said ‘Thank you,’ went right back to my typewriter and wrote the scene. It’s an homage to my mother, my uncle and my grandfather.Editor's and Publisher's note: And we thank you, Dr. Ira Byock, for your profound, immeasurable influence for so many of us--professionally with those we serve, and personally with our own families and friends.

HHS cuts pose threat to older Americans' health and safety Newsweek; by Kristin Lees Haggerty and Scott Bane - The National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment at Education Development Center (EDC); The John A. Hartford Foundation; 4/17/2 On March 27, 2025, the federal government announced major cuts to the department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ... Sounding the Alarm for Elder Justice: The population of older adults is rapidly growing, and one in 10 experience abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation—a risk that is even higher for those living with dementia. ... Cutting services to older adults will increase these risks and costs. Moreover, ... 11.5 million family and friend caregivers provide over 80 percent of help needed for people living with dementia in the U.S. Without access to services like Meal on Wheels, adult day care, and respite care, we can expect caregiver burden and strain to increase significantly and with it, rates of elder abuse, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and nursing home placements. We know this because of the abuse spike seen clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which doubled to over 20 percent of older adults, as services were limited, and older adults were socially isolated. HHS cuts are also likely to result in loss of specialized expertise in identifying and addressing elder mistreatment, so that when elder abuse does occur, we won't have the services to stop it and make sure it won't happen again.

What happens when someone passes at home? It depends Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, MT; Chris Remely "discussions with a funeral director"; 4/5/25 One of the most common questions we get asked as funeral directors is, “What happens if I pass away at home?” The answer is ... it depends. Home death is fairly common in the context of someone being on hospice care. For many individuals who have been given a difficult medical diagnosis that is terminal, they often prefer to be at home surrounded by loved ones for as long as possible. ... In this scenario, hospice will pronounce the death and work with the funeral home to transfer the individual into their care. ... However, when someone passes away at home and they are not on hospice, this is considered an “unattended death” — meaning a medical professional is not involved. In this case, the coroner’s office is required to investigate the death to determine the cause and manner of death — as well as pronounce the death. ... When someone from the coroner’s office arrives, they will do several things. They will visit with the next of kin and ask them questions about their loved one’s medical history and investigate the scene where the death occurred. Editor's note: Too often, hospices gloss over this all-important information for caregivers and families. Death is traumatic enough. Families are left in a lurch. Conflicts can erupt at the family's most vulnerable moments. Yes, timing and delivery for such sensitive information is important. Our sponsor Composing Life Out of Loss provides empathic, sensitive videos for hospice teams to use with caregivers and families, with interdisciplinary team guides for tending individuals' different readiness for education and preparation.

Experiences of family caregivers of children aged 1–23 months who have received pediatric palliative care: A systematic review with qualitative metasynthesis Sigma Global Nursing Excellence - Journal of Nursing Scholarship; by Juan Manuel Vázquez Sánchez, Manuela Rodríguez Sánchez, Emilio Mota Romero, Ana Alejandra Esteban Burgos, Rafael Montoya Juárez, César Hueso Montoro, Daniel Puente Fernández; 4/1/25 This study underscores the importance of addressing the unique needs of family caregivers of children aged 1–23 months receiving pediatric palliative care (PPC), highlighting their struggles with social isolation, neglected self-care, and disrupted family life. Healthcare providers should prioritize age-specific approaches to PPC, focusing on improving communication, care coordination, and understanding of palliative care principles to better support these caregivers. [Continue reading ...] 

How this thrift shop helps Virginia families in their time of need: 'They’re good people here' CBS-6 News - Richmond, Petersburg, VA; by Wayne Covil; 3/31/25 The regulars who frequent Crater Community Hospice Thrift Shops were busy browsing for bargains on Monday. They know that some of the money they spend here goes back into their community. Crater Community Hospice runs the stores as a way for the nonprofit to raise much-needed funding. "The money we bring in to our stores goes directly to caring for our patients," Zach Holt, with Crater Community Hospice, said. "I don’t want to ever say no to a patient. I don’t want to ever say no to a patient’s need." Krystal Mansfield told CBS 6 there was a reason she chose to shop at Crater Community Hospice Thrift Shops. "[It] was a big part of my grandmother's end of time, and they took very good care of her in her last days," Mansfield said. ... Angie Dowdy shared a similar story. ... [Continue reading ...]

What is death positivity? Healthline; by Sarah Choi, medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, ACSW, RDDP; 3/28/25 Death positivity involves acknowledging death as simply the final phase of life. It emphasizes open discussions around death and education on the options, rights, and choices surrounding it. ... The Death Positivity Movement was coined in 2011 by funeral director Caitlin Doughty, but the sentiment existed long before — the movement’s origins date back to the 1970s, drawing on the hospice movement. ... Elements of the Death Positivity Movement: