The COVID-19 pandemic is anticipated to continue spreading widely across the globe throughout 2020. To mitigate the devastating impact of COVID-19, social distancing and visitor restrictions in health care facilities have been widely implemented. Such policies and practices, along with the direct impact of the spread of COVID-19, complicate issues of grief that are relevant to medical providers. We describe the relationship of the COVID-19 pandemic to anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, and complicated grief for individuals, families, and their providers. Furthermore, we provide discussion regarding countering this grief through communication, advance care planning, and self-care practices. We provide resources for health care providers, in addition to calling on palliative care providers to consider their own role as a resource to other specialties during this public health emergency.

While more doctoral students are pregnant and/or parenting in their doctoral programs than previously, little research has focused on their experiences. This qualitative study ( N = 28) explored the experiences of female doctoral students who were pregnant during their doctoral program (in a health-care field) and their decision-making about careers postgraduation. This study examined participants’ perceptions of the implicit and explicit culture, professional expectations, and the role of these experiences on career goals and trajectories. Participants described an academic culture of high expectations, in which mothers could be successful if they maintained a silence about their identity as a mother and ensured that their family life did not negatively impact their work productivity. Some perceived lost opportunities in graduate school and/or on the job market due to pregnancies and parenting during graduate school. The impact of these experiences on postgraduate careers was diverse, but the majority spoke of wanting to find a position in a family-friendly organization where family was valued and work life balance was possible. For some, this was an academic position, while for others this was a full-time practice position or part-time work.

As Internet usage has increased, web-based technologies such as Skype and Face Time have become more common alternatives for qualitative interviewing, especially for research participants who are geographically distant from the researchers. Challenges to the use of these tools have been identified, but as technology is currently changing at a rapid pace, more recent research is needed to provide up-to-date information on the feasibility of web and video conferencing technologies for qualitative interviewing. This paper reflects on the experience of using Skype for qualitative research interviews (n=14) in a study of pregnancy and parenting in doctoral programs, including feedback from research participants who chose to complete the qualitative interview via Skype instead of telephone or face-to-face interviews. Twelve participants who completed Skype interviews provided feedback on their experiences using Skype for qualitative interviews. Feedback from participants highlight an overall positive perception of Skype interviews due to the availability of visual cues from researchers and flexibility, but participants also shared challenges in terms of technology issues and participants’ lack of expertise with the technology. Recommendations include the use of videoconferencing and digital technologies as an additional or alternative interview tool for qualitative interviews, especially for participants who have logistical challenges meeting researchers face-to-face.

Hospice offers holistic support for individuals living with terminal illness and their caregivers. Some individuals receiving hospice services experience a slower decline in health as than expected, resulting in a 'live discharge' from hospice. A live discharge affects both patient and caregiver(s).The current study (N=24) explored the experiences of caregivers of adults with dementia who experienced a live discharge from hospice. Findings emphasize the comprehensive services covered under the Medicare Hospice benefit and those lost after a live discharge. Implications for social workers supporting caregivers are discussed, including the need to view the patient-caregiver unit during a live discharge.

When an individual has dementia, family members are involved in many care transitions in their roles as caregivers. One such transition is the 'live' discharge from hospice services. This occurs when an individual no longer meets eligibility criteria. This can be difficult for caregivers who have been anticipating an end to understand in the context of their grief process. This qualitative study (N = 24) explored the experience of caregivers of adults with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, who experienced a 'live' discharge from hospice. Specifically, the experience of grief is examined. Results from this study highlight the complexity of caring for someone with a terminal disease and the grief experience in end-of-life care as caregivers struggle to understand the individual's terminal prognosis as temporary. This is further complicated for caregivers who must resume caregiving responsibilities or assume a new caregiving role after experiencing a loss of hospice services. Finally, hospice social workers are well positioned to offer emotional and other concrete support to caregivers who experience a 'live' discharge.