Literature Review

The role of hospice and palliative care in addressing climate changeAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Erik S. Carlson, Nisha Shah, Jill Denny,  Aldebra Schroll, Daniel Mahoney, Sarah Schear, Kate Jennings, Collins Uzuegbu, David Harris, Bhargavi Chekuri, Cecilia Sorensen, Janet Bull, Chris Jones; 8/26Climate change is a defining global health challenge of our time, acting as a threat multiplier that erodes decades of health gains and worsens social inequities. People living with serious illness, the population served by Hospice and Palliative Care (HaPC) professionals, are particularly vulnerable to these impacts. While leading health organizations have acknowledged the public health implications of climate change, HaPC has remained largely absent from this discourse. This narrative review and framework proposal situates the field’s competencies within the growing climate and health literature and identifies avenues through which HaPC can contribute to addressing climate change. We argue that HaPC professionals — drawing on strengths in serious illness communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and person-centered care — are uniquely positioned to advance equitable climate adaptation and mitigation at the individual, organizational, and societal levels.

Capstone University offering Clinical Pastoral Education for hospice and palliative care chaplaincy NEWSnet; Press Release; 9/18/26 Capstone University [in University Place, WA] now offers clinical pastoral education (CPE) with a specific focus on hospice and palliative care chaplaincy. This transformative program centers on spiritual caregiving in response to aging, serious illness, dying, and bereavement. It enables chaplains to deepen their ability to provide culturally responsive, patient-led spiritual care to individuals and families throughout the end-of-life experience. 

Labor Day auction raises more than $1 million Hospice & Community Care, Lancaster, PA; online letter to their sponsors, volunteers, and community; retrieved from the internet 9/22/26 Thanks to your incredible generosity, we are proud to share that more than $1 million was raised to support hospice and palliative care, bereavement services, and grief support programs for the thousands of patients and families served by Hospice & Community Care each year. This remarkable achievement reflects the compassion and commitment of our community. Because of you, we can continue our mission of helping patients and families live better with serious illness through end of life. From all of us at Hospice & Community Care, thank you for making a difference.

Ennoble Care expands national reach by entering five new communities NewsNet, Arlington, VA; by PR Newswire; 9/17/26 Ennoble Care, a leading home-based primary, palliative, and hospice care provider, today announced its expansion into five new communities in Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, and Texas to deliver more care for medically frail and homebound patients. ... At the heart of it, Ennoble Care’s model allows seniors to age at home. Instead of medically frail patients spending their final years cycling in and out of hospitals, they can remain in the comfort of their homes and receive high-touch primary, palliative, and hospice care ... That continuity of care is only possible because of Ennoble Care’s proprietary electronic health records system, ...

Hospice, cancer services gain $730K from Agnesian Charity Open FDL Reporter, Fond du Lac, WI; by Nida Tazeen; 9/16/26 The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation raised about $730,000 during its 38th annual Charity Open, exceeding the previous event's total by more than $200,000 and bringing the fundraiser's cumulative impact to more than $9.4 million since 1989. The event, presented by C.D. Smith Construction, Inc. and Michels Corporation, supports hospice and cancer care services in the Fond du Lac area, according to a community announcement. Funds raised this year will benefit SSM Health Hospice Home of Hope and SSM Health Cancer Care programs, helping provide care to patients regardless of their ability to pay, according to the announcement.

Evaluation of palliative care technical skills in an acute care setting: A simulation-based, qualitative assessmentAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Daniel Boron-Brenner, Alexzandra Gentsch, Jenna Campolieto, Sepehr Sedigh-Haghighat, John Liantonio; 8/26Emergency physicians frequently encounter patients with serious illness, yet training in palliative care competencies remains inconsistent during emergency medicine (EM) residency. The objective of this study was to qualitatively examine EM residents' perceptions of the intersection between palliative care and emergency medicine following participation in palliative care-focused simulation scenarios. Residents reported uncertainty regarding core palliative care competencies, including interpretation of advance directives, documentation of do-not-resuscitate/do-not-intubate orders, and clinical decision-making during peri-arrest and resuscitation scenarios. Emotional responses included hesitancy and discomfort during high-stakes decision-making, particularly in the setting of limited information. Palliative-focused simulation elicited perceived knowledge gaps and emotional responses relevant to emergency care delivery. Simulation-based education may offer a structured approach to integrating palliative care competencies into EM training.

Is there a role for artificial intelligence in end-of-life care for persons with dementia? Perspectives of and recommendations by caregivers and hospice staff Oxford Academic / Innovation in Aging; by Oonjee Oh, Debra Parker Oliver, Karla Washington, George Demiris; 9/26In this study, we explored families’ and staff’s acceptance of AI in hospice dementia care and generated actionable recommendations for AI designers in supporting end-of-life care for persons with dementia... Participants described AI tools as potentially helpful for obtaining information, monitoring patients, managing medications and appointments, providing companionship, and conducting logistical tasks... The uniqueness of hospice, encompassing its humanistic nature and emphasis on families as part of the care unit, also emerged as a key factor impacting attitudes towards AI use... Families and frontline staff should not be considered merely as end users, but as key stakeholders whose needs and expertise should shape the direction of AI applications.

[Germany] Unmet needs of heart failure patients across the different domains of palliative care – A qualitative interview studyHeart & Lung; by Chiara Pfeffer, Felix Schoenratha, Lennart Tügend, Anahita Khamseh, Susanne Jöbges, Johann Ahne, Asita Behzadie, Moritz Blum; 9/26Currently, palliative care provision for patients with heart failure (HF) is limited and usually not tailored to the specific needs they might have. In this study, we sought to gain a better understanding of the needs and expectations expressed by patients with HF regarding palliative care. Participants expressed needs and expectations across all eight domains of palliative care. Some needs were specific to HF, e.g. for more HF expertise among all healthcare providers. Other needs were more generally associated with serious illnesses, e.g. long term access to psychological counselling for patients and caregivers, help with coming to terms with limited life expectancy, or provision of information in accessible language. Patients with HF express a host of unmet needs, many of which could be addressed by palliative care.

Let’s not wait to be prompted. Let us go out today, tomorrow and the days that follow and let us demonstrate our humanity. ~ Princess Diana