Literature Review

Jimmy Carter’s long stay in hospice dispels myths about end-of-life care Miami Herald; by Brian Dunleavy; 6/24/24 Former President Jimmy Carter's being in hospice for 16 months makes him an "outlier," but it also highlights the multifaceted nature of end-of-life care and dispels myths about that care, experts told UPI. ... [Dr. Joan Teno, a former hospice provider and an expert in geriatric care said,] "President Carter is an outlier in that only a small percentage of hospice patients survive more than 15 months," she told UPI in an email. "The fact that he has lived so long on hospice is testament to his excellent medical care at home and, if I had to guess, his will to live." It also illustrates the core focus of hospice, which is typically geared toward people with an anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less, for whom curing their underlying illness isn't an option, Teno added. Defying the odds: More than 90% of patients who enter hospice care die within the first six months, and nearly 40% die within the first week, according to the National Institutes of Health.Editor's Note: Too many hospice organizations and news outlets have used former President Jimmy Carter's longer-than-normal hospice stay to discount and ignore core "hospice" care. Rarely--if ever--have any of these news article been transparent to mention the CMS Hospice Face-to-Face Encounter Requirement. This article is more transparent by describing his hospice stay of 16 months as being as "outlier." Still, its headline can be misleading with its phrase "... dispels myths about end-of-life care."

Purdue student dies from brain cancer after captivating nation during team's Final Four run Indy Star; by Dana Hunsinger Benbow; 5/28/24 Jonathan Avalos, a 22-year-old Purdue basketball fan who captivated the nation and world with his openness as he faced death amid a terminal brain cancer diagnosis during the team's run in the NCAA tournament, died Sunday at his Indianapolis home. ... After IndyStar's story ran last month, people from all over the world reached out to support Avalos. ... When Avalos came home from Methodist on hospice, the love didn't stop. Country singing legend George Strait mailed Avalos an autographed album cover after reading in IndyStar that his favorite song was "Here for a Good Time." ... As he faced death, the lyrics to that song had a much deeper meaning. "Every day I wake up knowing it could be my last … I ain't here for a long time ... I'm here for a good time."

Maddy Baloy had only 1 year to live after cancer diagnosis — and chose joy: 'Didn’t let anything defy her’ People; by Lizzie Hyman; 5/8/24 Even surrounded by loved ones in hospice care at her Florida home, Maddy Baloy craved adventure. “She kept saying, ‘I want to go outside and go swimming,’ ” her fiancé Louis Risher tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. It was how Baloy had approached each day from the time she was diagnosed with terminal cancer in February 2023, to the end of her life on May 2, 2024. In just over one year, the 26 year old gained the admiration and support of millions who followed her journey on TikTok as she worked her way through a 19-item bucket list of skills to learn, people to meet and places to go. “Maddy did not let anything defy her,” Risher, 27, says. “She was always just about love.”

The day Ram Dass Died The New Yorker, by Christopher Fiorell; 4/6/24 He taught me to be more curious, present, and self-loving. His final lesson was more surprising. ... I woke up every thirty minutes the night before Ram Dass died. Stretching my perception through the big divider that separated his study—where I lay on a narrow couch—from his bedroom, I’d count the seconds between the short, ragged breaths churning through his sleep-apnea machine. Four years later, I still have no idea why I was chosen to watch over him that night. 

Jimmy Carter has spent over a year in hospice care. How has he defied the odds? Northeastern Global News, by Tanner Stening; 3/12/24 End-of-life advocates and experts cite Carter’s stay in hospice as having a positive impact on the discourse of end-of-life care, which Northeastern University experts say many people put off until it’s too late. ... According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 90% of patients who enter hospice care die within the first six months. Roughly 36% of patients die within a week of entering hospice.Editor's Note: This article includes an important, transparent piece of information that many articles about President Carter's 1-year hospice anniversary have not mentioned: "If the patient lives past six months, the medical professionals would need to recertify the patient for continued care." Click here for the CMS "Face-to-Face Requirement Affecting Hospice Recertification."

Joyce Slocum, Texas Public Radio president and CEO, in hospice careTexas Public Radio, by TPR Staff; 3/1/24Joyce Slocum, TPR's president and CEO, was hospitalized this week due to complications from colon cancer. In a statement on Thursday, TPR and Slocum's family added that she has transitioned to hospice care. "TPR must share the difficult news that President & CEO, Joyce Slocum, was hospitalized this weekend due to complications from a recurrence of her colon cancer, and has now transitioned to hospice care," the statement read. "Her family and the TPR staff are grateful for the outpouring of support and love for Joyce."

Jimmy Carter's hospice care shines light on the vital role of end-of-life services in GeorgiaBNN, by Dil Bar Irshad; 2/19/24As news emerged that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had entered hospice care at his home in Georgia, the spotlight turned not only to the respected statesman's final chapter but also to the broader narrative of hospice care in America. This development underscores the critical importance of raising awareness about holistic end-of-life services, a mission that hospices around the nation, such as the esteemed Shakespeare Hospice, have been championing for decades.

A year after Jimmy Carter entered hospice care, advocates hope his endurance drives awareness ABC News, by Bill Barrow, Associated Press; 2/18/24Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years. Rosalynn Carter, who died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis, lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside. Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. They express hope that the attention spurs more Americans to seek out services intended to help patients and families in the latter stages of life.Editor's Note:

Hundreds gather in St. Louis to remember former US Sen. Jean Carnahan The Public's Radio - AP; 2/11/24Children and grandchildren of former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan of Missouri recalled her wit, curiosity, kindness and hard work during a public memorial service on Saturday. Carnahan, 90, died Jan. 30 in hospice care in suburban St. Louis after a short illness. Carnahan became Missouri's first female U.S. senator when she was appointed in 2001 to replace her husband, Mel Carnahan, [who] died in a plane crash that also killed his son, Randy, and campaign adviser Chris Sifford, just weeks before the 2000 election.

Civil rights activist Elmore Nickelberry dies at 92WREG Channel 3 TV, Memphis, by Megan Fayard and Ashley Paul; 12/30/23MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Elmore Nickelberry, a civil rights icon who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the fight for higher pay and better working conditions for sanitation workers, has died at the age of 92, according to his family. ... [He] went into the hospital around Thanksgiving ... Soon after, he was placed in hospice.

South Carolina NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough has diedPost and Courier, by Chris Day; 12/13/23 South Carolina racing legend Cale Yarborough died the morning of Dec. 31 at McLeod Hospice House in Florence. The Timmonsville native is closely linked to historic Darlington Raceway where he made his big-league debut. ... Yarborough was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012 as part of the stock-car shrine’s third class of inductees. NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim France called Yarborough one of the toughest competitors ever to compete in NASCAR.

The experience of Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter helps widen the perception of hospiceBy Heath BartnessTwin Cities Pioneer PressDecember 28, 2023In 2023 the public benefited from the willingness of President Jimmy Carter and his family to openly share their health updates. Hospice care has gotten a renewed focus, and the Carters’ end-of-life journey is illuminating a complicated story of hospice use in the United States. Different sides of the same coin, the hospice experiences of President and Mrs. Carter are kindling a much-needed conversation around this underused service. ... Barriers to hospice care are not so much financial or geographical. In many ways, the greatest barrier to hospice is emotional. 

‘Hospice is more about living better’ transitional care director says of misunderstood programTribune-Review (Pittsburgh, PA)December 11, 2023... There is an assumption a patient entering hospice care is not expected to live beyond six months, a guideline that is tied to Medicare coverage. But the experience of individual patients can vary widely, as evidenced by [senior living residents] the Pattersons [Robert, 97, and Joyce, 90,] and by former president Jimmy Carter and his late wife, Rosalynn. Like many who elect to receive hospice care, Rosalynn Carter entered the program toward the very end of her life—just days before her death Nov. 19, at 96. But it’s also possible for patients to beat the odds and have hospice care extended. Jimmy Carter was 98 when he entered hospice in February and continues to endure.