Literature Review

[Canada] What about the family? A content analysis of international legislative frameworks and guidelines on assisted dyingPolicy, Politics & Nursing Practice; by Charlotte Boven, Gilla K Shapiro, Liesbeth Van Humbeeck, Let Dillen, Nele Van Den Noortgate, Gary Rodin; 2/26When a person chooses assisted dying, the impact on their family can be profound. Legislation and professional guidelines not only regulate and standardize practice, but also support the delivery of high-quality care. Within this framework, bereavement care plays a vital role by helping families prepare for the death and potentially reducing the risk of prolonged grief. To improve quality care, there is a clear need to better integrate family support into assisted dying guidelines by establishing best practices for bereavement care. Future research should focus on family members' perspectives and needs.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do! ~ Steve Jobs

Investigating the role of occupational therapy in palliative care a literature review Home Healthcare Now; by Carlie Liseo, OTD, OTR/L and Daniel Martin, D.Sc., MS, OTR/L; March/April 2026 ... Three themes regarding the provision of occupational therapy (OT) services to palliative care (PC) patients were identified: engaging in meaningful activities to increase quality of life (QOL), symptom management and comfort, and supporting caregivers and client environments. OT can play a pivotal role in catering to PC clients’ needs by promoting occupational engagement, alleviating symptoms, and modifying environments. This review offers recommendations for OT service provision in palliative care, clarifying the profession’s role within multidisciplinary home healthcare teams.

Irish man completes 30,000km charity cycle to Australia RTE | 100; by Cara McHugh and Sinéad Hussey; 2/7/26 A Roscommon man has finished a cycling challenge which began almost two years ago and saw him travel over 30,000km across three continents to Australia. Fergal Guihen, from Arigna, arrived in Sydney earlier today marking the completion of a mammoth challenge of endurance which began in March 2024. The 27-year-old set out on the arduous 'Rossie to Aussie' challenge with the goal of raising awareness and funds for both the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and NorthWest STOP suicide prevention services. He has raised almost €170,000 to date. 

Why Baylor Scott & White opted for an access redesign Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 3/2/26 Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest nonprofit health system in Texas, has been undergoing a consumer-focused transformation aimed at expanding access. ... “One thing we heard consistently through all of that is just a need for more access,” Rob Watson, MD, chief clinical operations officer, told Becker’s. “Not just traditional access through what we would consider our large hospitals and clinics, but expanded options like digital and virtual as well as when they had an urgent need or an emergent need, more physical locations as well.”

Cambia Health Foundation releases comprehensive evaluation of Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program Business Wire, Portland, OR; Press Release; 3/3/26 Cambia Health Foundation today released the results of a comprehensive evaluation of its Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, demonstrating the significant impact of a 10-year, $25 million investment in developing the next generation of palliative care leaders.  ... The program’s goals were measured against more than 175 sources, as well as 18 individual interviews, 5 focus groups and a comprehensive written survey completed by 117 individuals, including program participants and industry experts. Notable findings include:

[Canada] New report released advancing equity in palliative and end-of-life care ehospice | BC Centre for Palliative Care, British Columbia; by the BCCPC Project Team: Rachel Carter, Eman Hassan, Simon Anderson, Grace Hu; 2/22/26 We’re pleased to share a new publication from the BC Centre for Palliative Care. This report distills key insights from a three-part Knowledge Exchange Series held in Spring 2025 that brought together people with lived experience, community organizations, clinicians, researchers, and system leaders across British Columbia. This Knowledge Exchange Series explored how health system services and community supports can work together to better meet the needs of underserved populations—highlighting both persistent gaps and promising paths forward. The report is supplemented with 12 population-specific chapters. [Read the full report]

Why time becomes ever more precious towards the end of our days ehospice; by Brian Dolan, OBE; 3/2/26 In health care, conversations about finance, workforce, and facilities often dominate the agenda. Yet, the most valuable and universal currency within our health systems is something less tangible but far more immediate: time. ... Time is the thread that connects patients and staff, shaping experiences, outcomes, and well-being. For patients, time is deeply personal. It is the time that comes dripping slow as hours are spent waiting in emergency departments, days of confinement to a hospital bed, and, ultimately, the quality of the life they return to when they are finally discharged. For staff, time determines how effectively they can deliver care, make decisions, and balance the demands of an increasingly pressured system. 

Outpatient curricular content for hospice and palliative medicine trainees: A national survey Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Harry J Han, Angelika Golebiowska, Emily N Hansen, Michelle Park, Victoria I Sweetnam, Christian T Sinclair, Jonathan C Yeh, Mary K Buss; 3/2/26, online ahead of print Context: More health systems are establishing outpatient palliative care (PC) programs, increasing demand for ambulatory PC clinicians. ... Little is known about the outpatient-specific knowledge and skills PC trainees should acquire for competent outpatient practice. Conclusion: This national survey identified foundational outpatient-focused educational topics for hospice and pallitive medical (HPM) learners and suggests that outpatient curricula prioritize deliberate education on the unique application of core PC skills in outpatient settings. This prioritized list provides education leaders a roadmap to enhance existing curricula and informs the development of outpatient educational resources that can be shared across institutions.

Duxbury, Norwell groups have rebranded. Why the name changes? The Patriot Ledger, Su Cheible; 3/3/26 I recently learned that the former Norwell Visiting Nurse Association (NVNA) and Hospice had in December taken a new name, Croí Health. Croí is an Irish word for heart, chosen to reflect the agency's patient-centered mission. I also noticed that the Duxbury Senior Center is now called The Center, has a tag line: "Live Well. Age Strong." It also notes that it is "still powered by the Duxbury Council on Aging." Its newsletter has a stylish new design and name, The Current, replacing the former name Duxbury Doings. ... Why senior centers are changing their names: In their names and their branding, the centers are switching to what they see as more active, more inclusive and more modern ideas. It is described as part of being age friendly, attracting younger seniors and moving away from negative associations and stigma still attached to growing older.

Staying in Grand: Experts highlight unique challenges facing older adults in mountain towns Sky-Hi News; by Kyle McCabe and Izzy Wagner; 2/27/26 ... As people age in rural resort communities like those in Grand and Summit counties, they often face situations that require them to leave for short or extended periods of time —  sometimes even permanently. A lack of comprehensive medical services, high costs of living, the effects of high altitude on the body, the inherent risks of an active mountain lifestyle and more add complications for people hoping to age in place in mountain towns. However, individuals determined to remain in their communities have figured out ways to overcome those challenges by learning about, preparing for and engaging with the topic of aging. ... Smiley [person interviewed] pointed to hospice and palliative care, or care for people living with serious illnesses, as gaps in service in the area. “It is not an uncommon gap in a small community or in a mountain community,” Smiley said, “but having hospice and palliative care would really allow people to have, kind of, a higher quality of life during those last, final years.”

Responsive emergency assessment and community team: an acute palliative medicine virtual ward with emergency department in-reach BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Emily Holdsworth and Clare Rayment; 3/2/26 Objectives: More than 50% of people who die in England and Wales use an ambulance at least once in their last 3 months of life, and around 50% attend the emergency department (ED). In Bradford, an estimated 1000 patients a year are not recognised as being within the last year of life and do not access palliative care services. ... Methods: We created the Responsive Emergency Assessment and Community Team (REACT), comprised of both ED palliative medicine in-reach and a community virtual ward. The virtual ward accepts patients as ‘step-down’ from the hospital and ‘step-up’ from primary care to avoid hospital admissions through intensive holistic support.