Literature Review

Unity receives $30,000 grant from Otto Bremer Trust to expand palliative, hospice, and grief support for pediatric patients and their families The Chamber - Manitowoc County, Manitowoc, WI; Press Release; 8/6/25 Unity is proud to announce the award of a $30,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Trust to support and expand specialized pediatric palliative and hospice care services for children and their families in Northeast Wisconsin. This vital funding will also enhance grief support programs tailored to children and teens impacted by a death. “This generous investment from the Otto Bremer Trust enables us to provide compassionate, family-centered care during the most difficult of life circumstances,” says Alisa Gerke, Executive Director of Unity. “No child should face a serious illness alone, and no family should be left without support during grief. Thanks to this grant, Unity can serve more families with the expertise, tenderness, and commitment they deserve.”

New leadership at Visiting Nurse Association of Texas People Newspapers; by Kersten Rettig; 8/6/25 Visiting Nurse Association of Texas, the non-profit community health care provide known best for its hospice and palliative care services and Meals on Wheels, announced that Chris Culak has been named President and CEO of the organization. Chris, who joined VNA in 2015, was unanimously appointed by the VNA Board of Directors and will assume the role Sept. 1, 2025. Chris currently serves as Vice President and Chief of Strategy and Development. Chris succeeds Katherine Krause who announced her retirement in February and has served as CEO since 2013. 

CMS Final Rules for 2026: Becker's SummariesBecker's has posted summaries and links to the complete rules for the following categories. These provide great comparisons and cross-referencing between different systems across the continuum of care.

Medicare Advantage growth drives changes in post-acute care Managed Healthcare Executive; by Briana Contreras; 7/28/25 A new report released today by Trella Health revealed major shifts are underway in post-acute care as Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment grows, care transitions evolve and providers navigate the challenges of value-based care. The Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report looked at national and state-level trends in home health, hospice and skilled nursing using the latest Medicare claims and enrollment data. One of the most significant shifts is the continued rise of MA enrollment. The report shared that as of February 2025, more than half of Medicare beneficiaries (55.4%) are enrolled in MA plans, with 30 states reporting MA enrollment over 50%. This shift is changing how patients access care—more so in home health.

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.

After losing his wife, 92-year-old man turns grief into comfort for other Spectrum News 1 - Greece, NY; by Seth Voorhees; 8/4/25 The loss of a spouse can be devastating. A Rochester area man is turning his personal grief into comfort for others. The gesture has special meaning for families of people in hospice care. Howard Jones has always dabbled in art. At 92, the Kodak retiree has made painting his full-time job. ... [His wife through 68 years,] Estella spent her final weeks at Hildebrandt Hospice Care Center, where staff noticed Howard Jones would pass the time by painting rocks. Someone told him the story of the cardinal, and how some believe their appearance is a sign that a departed loved one is near.  ... [Now, he paints] “every day, eight hours a day,” said Jones. ... “It’s all a matter of getting the bird to look right,” he said. ... “My hope is always that when someone takes one of the stones out of the basket, they can feel the emotion that went into painting it,” said Jones. Since he began keeping track in February, Howard Jones says he’s painted over 500 cardinals. “And that's kept me going,” he said.Editor's Note: This demonstrates beautifully the "instrumental style of grieving" (identified by Ken Doka and Terry Martin in Grieving Beyond Gender) where men (and women) tend to grieve through actively doing something, in contrast to verbal and emotional expression. We described this more in our post, To Be or To Do? Women and Men's different styles of grieving.

Study reveals how medication side effects can lead to dangerous medication cycles in adults 65+ McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/31/25 When doctors treat drug side effects as new illnesses, older adults may be prescribed even more medications — a cycle known as a “prescribing cascade.” A new study says this prescribing cycle can increase the risk of harm. Guest Editor's Note, Drew Mihaylo, PharmD: Practicing clinical vigilance regarding medication utilization is essential at any stage of illness. Prescribing cascades are common, under-recognized and often harmful. Approaching the emotional topic of medication change must be done with compassion and sensitivity tied to patient specific goals of care. Creativity to this end has been a focus of mine for sometime now as a clinical pharmacist serving serious illness patients nationally.

Medicare and Medicaid: 60 years of health care reform Medicare Rights Center; by Jisoo Choi; 7/30/25 On this day 60 years ago, Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law, creating a national health insurance program for older adults, people with disabilities, and people with limited incomes. In the first three years, Medicare and Medicaid enrolled nearly 20 million beneficiaries; today, Medicare has an enrollment of over 68 million and Medicaid, over 71 million. The programs, established amidst sustained public pressure and organizing by labor unions and older adults, have been and remain very popular: recent polling shows 82% of American adults hold a generally favorable view of Medicare, and 97% consider Medicaid to be important to people in their local communities.

New Job Posting 8/5/25

[Netherlands] Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking as a self-chosen path for end of lifeWorld Medical Journal; Gert van Dijk, Veelke Derckx, Alexander de Graeff; 6/25Moving into the future, it is likely that doctors and other healthcare providers will be confronted more often with patients who would like to explore options for controlling their end of life care. They should correctly inform patients about the various clinical care options, including VSED [voluntarily stopping eating and drinking], and carefully guide them in the event of a decision to choose VSED. If healthcare providers have conscientious objections in providing care to people who choose VSED, then care must be transferred to a healthcare provider who is willing to provide the necessary care.

Sex and racial/ethnic differences in end-of-life care in decedents with lung cancer in TexasJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Myrna Katalina Serna, Efstathia Polychronopoulou, Aimee Rodriguez, Anjali Ramachandran, Margaret Goodrich, Sean O'Mahoney, Mukaila Raji, Yong-Fang Kuo; 7/25The lung cancer five-year survival rate is lower for Texans compared with the national average. We assessed sex and racial/ethnic differences in end-of-life care among decedents with lung cancer in Texas [and found that] ... males had more health care utilization and less hospice enrollment. Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics had more health care utilization and less hospice enrollment ... Billed ACP [advance care planning] was low across all groups.

Creating user personas to represent the needs of dementia caregivers who support medication management at home: Persona development and qualitative studyJMIR Aging; by Anna Jolliff, Priya Loganathar, Richard J Holden, Anna Linden, Himalaya Patel, Jessica R Lee, Aaron Ganci, Noll Campbell, Malaz Boustani, Nicole E Werner; 7/25Caregiver-assisted medication management plays a critical role in promoting medication adherence and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer disease or related dementias (ADRD). Caregivers in this study demonstrated a range of characteristics and values that informed their approach to medication management. They used a combination of technology-based strategies and strategies situated in their physical environments to manage medications. The personas created can be used to inform interventions, such as digital tools, that address caregivers' unmet needs.

Working through grief: Exploring the relationship between organizational support on employee engagement, satisfaction, and loyaltyTransdisciplinary Journal of Management; Katie N. Hansen; 7/25For most people, work and grief are unavoidable, meaning the majority of employees will work while grieving. Over the past several decades, employer grief responses have been more strategic than human-focused, leaving the bereaved under-supported. The most significant finding [of this study] is a decline in how engaged, loyal, and satisfied employees feel post-loss. Statistical analysis confirms that bereavement leave, reintegration accommodations, and provided support impact employee engagement, loyalty, and satisfaction, with positive and moderate to high associations existing between several variables. Finally, the results suggest the quality of an employer’s response and support for grieving employees remains insufficient, as the majority of respondents felt the need to take leave in excess of the bereavement leave provided, were not granted flexible work accommodations, and post-loss workloads did not meet their needs.