Literature Review

Ahwatukee vet helps seniors stay in their homes Ahwatukee Foothills News, Tempe, AZ; by AFN Staff; 6/23/26  For Alexander Mock, helping seniors remain safely in their homes isn’t just a business model. It’s a mission shaped by military service, years spent working alongside hospice nurses and families, and a belief that caring for people often means caring for the homes they live in. ... [As a hospice volunteer for veterans, he noticed a pattern.] As people’s health declined, the condition of their homes often declined as well. Many families struggled with maintenance issues, accessibility concerns and repairs that made it increasingly difficult for older adults to continue living independently. Mock began to see an opportunity to combine his experience helping people with practical home services.

Family caregivers' perspectives on challenges and support needs in hospital-based palliative care for persons living with dementia Baylor Medicine | Texas Medical Center Documents ; by Jung Kwak, Anita Chary, Sarah Stayer, Kwaku Duah Oppong, Sumin Yoon, Snehal Patel, and Elizabeth A Kvale; originally pub 11/17/25, reposted online 6/23/26Palliative care needs of hospitalized persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers remain poorly understood. ... Thematic analysis of interviews revealed three themes: the value of palliative care in navigating end-of-life uncertainty in dementia, uncoordinated and reactive care during hospitalization, and lack of guidance for post-hospital transitions. While caregivers valued palliative care for emotional and decision-making support, findings underscore the need for earlier integration and improved coordination across hospital teams to better support families.

I was my mother's caregiver until her death. Four years later, I'm still struggling with the $17,000 medical debt. yahoo!finance; by Julie Peck; 6/20/26 My mom got sick, then gradually, and then all at once. In 2014, she survived a subarachnoid aneurysm that ruptured while she was driving on the West Virginia Turnpike. After stabilizing, she spent six months recovering with me in South Carolina before heading back to her townhouse in my hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. Unfortunately, her return was short-lived. Mom had a small stroke a year later, followed by a second, more serious stroke in 2016. The doctors told her it was no longer safe to live alone.

National Father's Day Grief Helpline available through VITAS® Healthcare PR Newswire, Miramar, FL; by VITAS Healthcare; 6/9/26 Father's Day can intensify grief for millions of Americans, turning a day of celebration into one of quiet loss. Last year, more than 20,000 VITAS Healthcare hospice patients were fathers, representing tens of thousands of families who may feel that absence more deeply this month. To support those navigating loss, VITAS will host a free, confidential Father's Day Grief Helpline on Sunday, June 21, offering nationwide support from trained hospice bereavement specialists.

Your senior parents are easier to impersonate than you are FOX News; by Kurt Knutsson; 5/30/26 Americans 60 and older filed 201,266 complaints with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025 and reported $7.7 billion in losses, the highest total of any age group. The average loss for older victims was nearly $38,500, almost double the figure for younger filers. The Federal Trade Commission's December 2025 report to Congress estimated that the overall cost of fraud to older adults in 2024 ranged from $10.1 billion to $81.5 billion, depending on how underreporting is measured. Two decades of breach dumps now sit between your parents and the systems still verifying them by date of birth, mailing address and the last four of a Social Security number.

Families struggle to secure home hospice U.S. News; by Cameron Blake; 6/3/26 A woman’s effort to honor her husband Craig’s last wish to die at home became a second fight alongside his bladder cancer, highlighting growing strains in access to hospice care outside the hospital. The caregiver, who asked to speak about her experience, said the couple faced delays and mixed guidance when trying to arrange home-based support in the final weeks of his illness. Their story mirrors a national problem as more families seek comfort-centered care while agencies report tight staffing and stricter eligibility reviews.

Tree of Life supporting hospice patients set up at YMCA Beatrice Daily Sun, Beatrice, NE; by Christina Lyons; 5/28/26The Cottonwood Hospice Charitable Foundation Tree of Life was set up on Wednesday morning at the YMCA in Beatrice. The tree is to honor the memory of those individuals who have been touched by local hospice services. Each leaf on the tree signifies a donation made to the foundation in memory of a loved one. The foundation uses the funds from the leaves to provide support to hospice patients. ... In addition to the tree, there are fliers and information for Cottonwood Hospice and the foundation in the lobby of the YMCA.

‘Behind the blue’: social work's Abbie Latimer on how to support those who are suffering UKNow | University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, KY; by Kody Kiser; 6/1/26 When someone we care about is going through something painful, many of us struggle with the same question: what do I say? On this episode of “Behind the Blue,” Abbie Latimer, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, discusses hospice and palliative care, serious illness communication and how people can better support one another during difficult moments. Latimer also holds an affiliate appointment in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Palliative and Supportive Care. 

The estate planning mistake that could leave your family with nothing Due; by Petere Daisyme; 5/28/26 A friend’s father passed away last spring with $1.2 million in assets and no will. No trust, no beneficiary designations updated since the 1990s, no power of attorney documents. His ex-wife — not his current partner of 15 years — was still listed as the beneficiary on his life insurance and retirement accounts. Change your designations as soon as a life situation changes. ...

A husband’s story of end-of-life care at home MedPage Today's KevinMD.com; by Ron Louie, MD; 11/27/25... When my wife died at home, it wasn’t really a surprise. ... Over the previous few weeks, we had notified her primary care physician’s office of the need for a home hospice referral, but because of some snafu, the correct wording wasn’t used, and the paperwork stalled. ... Years before, we had already obtained a POLST (Portable Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment, our state’s “green form”), signed by a doctor, that made clear my physician wife’s choices in advanced directives: no CPR, tube feedings, or IV treatments. ... Since we didn’t have an active home hospice referral, I knew that firefighters could pronounce her death; my own license had lapsed in retirement. ... The firefighters left, but the police stayed quite awhile until they were cleared by the Medical Examiner’s office. ...Editor's Note: This caregiver story powerfully tells challenges experienced by a retired oncologist/spouse. Calling all leaders who are part of referral and admissions processes, pay attention to the problems caused by delays: firemen, police, and (not named) lack of bereavement care.

Butterfly Garden of Remembrance 2026 YubaNet.com, Nevada County, CA; by Foothills Compassionate Care; 5/15/26 Driving along the freeway between Grass Valley and Nevada City, passengers might notice three large butterfly statues in the nearby distance. The statues mark the annual Butterfly Garden of Remembrance, hosted by Foothills Compassionate Care [formerly known as Hospice of the Foothills]. ... In a community where neighbors care deeply for one another, few traditions capture that spirit more beautifully.  For more than 25 years, the Butterfly Garden has offered a sacred space for grief, healing and remembrance.

Big Bend Hospice launches Nutrition Shake Drive to support Jefferson County Patients WTXL-27 ABC, Tallahassee, FL; by Crystal Whitman; 5/8/26 Big Bend Hospice in Jefferson County is calling on the community to help provide vital nutrition for local hospice patients through a month-long Nutrition Shake Drive. For many in hospice care, eating full meals can be difficult or impossible. Meal replacements like Ensure, Boost, and Glucerna offer comfort and essential nutrients, but they are often not covered by health insurance, leaving families — especially in rural areas — to shoulder the cost themselves.