Literature Review

Elderly people look at their younger reflections in this beautiful photo series by Tom Hussey Digital Synopsis; photos by Tom Hussey; retrieved from the internet 7/10/25 'Reflections of the Past' is an award-winning photo series by commercial advertising photographer Tom Hussey. The photographs show an elderly person looking pensively at the reflection of his/her younger self in the mirror. Hussey was inspired by a World War II veteran who said "I can't believe I'm going to be 80. I feel like I just came back from the war. I look in the mirror and see this old guy." It's beautiful, touching ... Editor's Note: Click here to view this touching series. The phrases "every photo tells a story" and "a picture is worth a thousand words" come to life. This award-winning campaign was used in a marketing campaign by Novartis for a treatment of Alzheimer's disease. [Our newsletter has no disclosures to report.] These photos are under strict copyright laws with strict enforcement. They can be shared easily via social media links at the top of its webpage. 

25 years of progress: ELNEC and AACN transforming palliative nursing education Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing - JHPN / HPNA; by Cassandra Godzik, PhD, APRN, CNE, Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN, FAAN, Robert Rosseter, MBA, MS, FAAN, Pamela Malloy, MN, RN, FPCN,Jennifer DiBenedetto, PhD, APRN, Polly Mazanec, PhD, AOCN, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN; 12/25 In the year 2000, leaders with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing joined with Dr. Betty Ferrell and her colleagues at City of Hope to address gaps in how nurses are educated to care for patients at the end-of-life and their families. ... To date, more than 1.7 million nurses have been educated with the ELNEC curriculum, and more than 1200 undergraduate and 440 graduate schools of nursing offer ELNEC training in palliative end-of-life care. The remarkable academic-practice partnership at the heart of ELNEC has dramatically changed nursing care for patients with serious illnesses and their families in the United States and globally. ... Editor's Note: As ELNEC celebrates its 25th anniversary, we honor a leadership legacy that has transformed nursing education and elevated end-of-life care worldwide. What began as a visionary collaboration between AACN and Dr. Betty Ferrell at City of Hope has become a global standard—preparing nurses for clinical excellence, compassionate presence, and interdisciplinary care. With deep appreciation, we celebrate Dr. Betty Ferrell, ELNEC, AACN, City of Hope, and the leaders who continue to champion this vital work forward.

My Dad was a professional Santa for 49 years — until tragedy struck. Then a group of strangers gave us a miracle. HuffPost | Personal; by Melissa Melnick; 12/7/25 "When they told us their idea, I felt something crack open in me." I grew up knowing that Christmas magic wasn’t something you waited for — it was something you made. And I learned that from my dad. Most people think they know about Santa, but my sister and I were lucky enough to grow up with him. My father, Ray, started playing Santa when he was just 21 years old. ... Knowing my dad, I suspected he’d never actually stop. Then, just a few months later, our world got turned upside down. ... Within 24 hours of the story airing on TV, more than 120,000 people had viewed the clip online. Photos poured in. Old letters. Messages from parents whose children had visited my dad over the years. Stories about how Santa Ray had given their kids confidence, comfort, or joy. ... Editor's Note: Continue reading this beautiful, inspiring story.

Geisinger medical students accompany Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Allied hospice patients with No One Dies Alone program WWIA/PBS/NPR; by Lydia McFarlane; 11/23/25 Tommy Ahlin was very close with his grandfather. He looked up to the man he called “Pap-Pap” for his military service, wisdom and family values. He spent the last few months of his life in a nursing home under hospice care, where he died at age 97. “Unfortunately, on the day he passed, he did pass by himself and was alone for a couple of hours before anyone got to him," Ahlin said. ... Ahlin, a second-year student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, or GCSOM, is now a representative for the No One Dies Alone program, which partners the medical school with Allied Services Hospice. Program volunteers vigil sit, which means to provide company to hospice patients whose loved ones can't be with them.

Finding their "why": Women in healthcare share their journeys at Alys Smith Symposium The Parthenon; by Abby Ayes; 11/13/25 ...  This year, the [seventh Alys Smith Symposisum on Women Professionals] celebration centered on Melanie Hall, Hospice of Huntington CEO and Marshall University alumna, whose keynote address offered a glimpse into resilience, loss and purpose. ... Hall’s story began with a spark of curiosity. “In early high school, you’re trying to figure out what you’re going to do,” she said. “So, I signed up to be a candy striper.” ... In 2013, Hall’s husband encouraged her to apply for the CEO position at Hospice of Huntington. A few months later, tragedy struck when a house fire destroyed everything her family owned. “Thankfully, all my family made it out,” Hall said. “But life changed in just a few hours.” ... As she wrapped up her keynote, Hall left the audience with a reminder about finding purpose in the unexpected turns of life. [Continue reading.]Editor's Note: Thank you Melanie for your leadership both through Hospice of Huntington and throughout your community. This article ends with, "Students, faculty, and community members were given the chance to ask questions, connect, and learn about nontraditional pathways in healthcare, a fitting close to an evening dedicated to women whose care, courage and conviction define what it means to serve."

Best of Beth Ashley: After a life well lived, facing the sadness together Marin Independent Journal; by Beth Ashley, this IJ is reprinting some of the late Beth Ashley’s columns. This is from 2014; 10/27/25 A dear friend is now being cared for by hospice. Like so many others, she has trusted hospice to see her through the last days of her life. Knowing that she may soon die is a blow to the heart. But it’s not as though I haven’t known that for all of us, life ends sometimes. That doesn’t make it any easier. By now, a huge assortment of dear ones have left my here and now. My parents are gone. My beloved second husband. My two sisters. My precious son Jeff. And so many friends I’ve lost count, including my best friend and fellow traveler for years and years, my Stanford classmate Skid. I still talk to them all. My mom has not really left my life; I’m just with her in a different way. ... Whenever these endings come near, it’s important to express our love, and face the final sadness together.

Letters without limits: Linda McDaniel The Johns Hopkins News-Letter; by Max Siauw and Linda McDaniel; 10/18/25 Letters Without Limits, founded by students at Johns Hopkins and Brown University, connects volunteers with palliative care and hospice patients to co-create “Legacy Letters.” These letters capture memories, values and lessons that patients wish to share, preserving stories that might otherwise be lost. By honoring these voices and preserving legacies, Letters Without Limits hopes to affirm the central role of humanism in medicine, reminding us that every patient is more than their illness and that their voices deserve to be heard. As you read these powerful Legacy Letters, we invite you to pause, reflect and recognize the beauty in every life.

Healthcare AI in the United States — navigating regulatory evolution, market dynamics, and emerging challenges in an era of rapid innovation The National Law Review; by Nadia de la Houssaye, Andrew R. Lee, Jason M. Loring, Graham H. Ryan of Jones  Walker LLP; 10/2/25 The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in healthcare continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, fundamentally reshaping how medical care is delivered, managed, and regulated across the United States. As 2025 progresses, the convergence of technological innovation, regulatory adaptation (or lack thereof), and market shifts has created remarkable opportunities and complex challenges for healthcare providers, technology developers, and federal and state legislators and regulatory bodies alike. ...

Living with dementia: To improve lives, we need to change how we think and talk about this experience in aging societies EurekAlert! - AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science); peer reviewed publication by The Hastings Center; 9/24/25 To experience or even contemplate dementia raises some of the most profound questions: What does it mean to be a person? How does someone find meaning in life while facing progressive neurological deterioration? ... To improve the lives of our fellow citizens who are living with dementia or providing dementia care, all of us need to pay attention to how we imagine and talk about these interwoven and increasingly common experiences, concludes Living with Dementia: Learning from Cultural Narratives in Aging Societies, a special report published by The Hastings Center for Bioethics. This report responds to calls from health care and social service practitioners for new ways to depict and talk about dementia, a collective term for Alzheimer disease and related dementias. Editor's Note: Click here for free access to multiple articles in this crucial report, such as

Raising the standard of Arizona’s dementia care Lovin' Life; by Lin Sue Flood; 9/7/25 Arizona is setting a bold new standard to better support families impacted by dementia. A groundbreaking state mandate requires all memory care facilities to provide up to 12 hours of specialized dementia training to their staff, plus four hours of continuing education each year. This extensive training combines online video modules with hands-on, in-person skills sessions. Hospice of the Valley’s experienced Dementia Team is leading the way as one of the agencies the Arizona Department of Health Services has approved to deliver this comprehensive training. The nonprofit organization is unique in offering it as a free community service.

Top 5 leadership shifts to watch after the summer break Hunt Scanlon Media; by Scott A. Scanlon and Dale M. Zupsansky; 8/4/25 ... Drawing on insights from its global network, the International Executive Search Federation (IESF) has identified five key leadership transitions that are gaining momentum. These changes promise to redefine how executives think, adapt, and drive impact as organizations head into the latter half of 2025 and beyond. ...

Why terminal cancer patients still receive aggressive treatment MedPageToday; by M. Bennet Broner; 7/31/25 Recently, researchers examined whether there had been any changes in the way terminal cancer patients died from 2014 to 2019, given the increased information available on hospice, palliative care, and advanced end-of-life planning (EOLP). They asked whether those who were terminal continued aggressive treatment until their demise. The authors anticipated a decrease in this, but found that the frequency of cancer patients who continued aggressive therapy had not declined. The study did not examine decision-making. Still, the researchers, based on other studies, theorized that the lack of change resulted from a confluence of physician and patient factors. ... [Physicians] might predict a more optimistic prognosis than justified, avoid discussing EOLP, support (over)intensive treatment, and/or overemphasize treatment effectiveness while minimizing its side effects. Oftentimes, given their statements, physicians will offer treatments they know to be of little value, believing that patients expect them to propose something rather than admit there was nothing realistic left to offer.Editor's Note: Pair this with our recent post, Doctors’ own end-of-life choices defy common medical practice.

10 questions to help you plan for the end of life Time; by Angela Haupt; 7/21/25 Talking about death doesn’t have to be morbid. If you approach the conversation the right way, “it makes us more awake to our lives,” says Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, founder of End Well, a nonprofit that aims to change the way people talk about and plan for the end of life.  “When we avoid this discussion, we rob ourselves of one of life's most clarifying forces—and that's the awareness that our time is finite.” There are other benefits to planning ahead. ... We asked experts to share 10 essential questions to ask yourself—and your loved ones—to plan for the end of life.