Literature Review

The power of showing up: how families can support loved ones who are aging or ill Good Men Project; by Harvey Max Chochinov; 4/14/26 For many families, visiting a loved one who is aging or seriously ill can feel surprisingly hard. ... What if the problem is not that families have too little to offer, but that we misunderstand what truly helps? ... By emphasizing presence over fixing, dignity over distraction, and meaning over outcomes, it helps families:

Music in the last hours: finding humanity in the ICUAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, from Piura, Peru; Carlos F. Ugas-Charcape, MD, PhD and Cristopher A. Tarazona Chapilliquen; 3/27/26Objective: To describe the use of personalized music as a comfort measure during the final hours of life in the ICU and reflect on its impact on the patient, family, and care environment. ...Conclusions: Personalized music represents a simple, patient-centered adjunct that may enhance comfort and dignity in the final hours of life.Editor's Note: For more detailed research, case studies and therapeutic guidance for using music in the "last hours" with hospice and palliative patients and families, I invite you to explore "The Final Cadence," a chapter in my book Music of the Soul - Composing Life Out of Life. 

Accreditation: moving forward during the moratorium HME News - Business News for Home Medical Equipment Providers; by Sandra Canally; 4/13/26 ... Hospice contracts: Hospice providers are required to contract only with accredited DMEPOS suppliers to equip terminally ill patients whether at the hospice facility, in a nursing home or at home. The supply opportunities closely mirror those in skilled nursing, with enteral nutrition, mobility aids and respiratory equipment all in demand. Hospice covers 100% of DME costs related to the terminal illness. [To DME companies:] Invoice the hospice organization directly, and they pay you. Medicare stays out of the transaction entirely.

[United Kingdom] Marathon run 'a gift', says mum with terminal cancer BBC; by Charlotte Coles and Seb Sargent; 4/12/26 A woman with a rare terminal cancer is set to fulfil a "wild goal" when she runs the London Marathon in aid of a national cancer support charity. Sarah Demirtges, from Adderbury, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in 2020 and is currently undergoing palliative treatment. The 47-year-old said she would be running to prove "to anyone affected by cancer that you can't be held back by things." The mum-of-two has raised more than £15,000 to date for Maggie's, to give "a little something back" to the charity she said has helped her.

Sunset Hospice Cottage sets fundraising record for endowment The Worthington Daily Globe, Worthington, MN; 4/14/26 From tie-dyed hair bands to hippie wigs, form-fitting attire to round-rimmed shades, attendees at the 24th annual Sunset Hospice Cottage Banquet went all out with the 1970s-themed "Peace, Love and Compassion" fundraising event Saturday evening at the Worthington Event Center. ... When it was over, this year's banquet raised a record-setting amount for the cottage's endowment. On Monday afternoon, Murphy said they were still adding up the numbers. Murphy said the more than 500 people in attendance were bonded during what was both a joyous and emotional evening. ... "It didn't matter about religion and politics and ages and status. Nothing mattered but being there for Sunset Hospice Cottage. I wish the world would find that peace." 

Sew Blessed honors Vietnam veteran with patriotic quilt The Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC; 4/13/26 April 9 was a special Sew Blessed day for the quilt makers as they thanked Russell Crotts, a local U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, for his military service and presented him with a patriotic quilt. ... Crotts spoke to the group about some critical events during his military service, how they affected him and how eventually those events led him to the training of Flo, his service dog. ... This past year, as a veteran pet support volunteer with Liberty Hospice, Russ and Flo have traveled multiple counties, visited 27 hospice patients, and provided an opportunity for a unique connection of comfort between Flo and Liberty Hospice patients.

Bridging access gaps in pediatric palliative care Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/10/26 ... Serious and terminally ill children can have a wide range of complex, unique needs along their illness trajectories, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, the board president for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Building collaborations with community organizations is key to better understanding the gaps in care that exist across diverse and underserved pediatric patient populations, Curseen indicated.

Stakeholders fear ‘chilling effect’ of heightened hospice scrutiny McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 4/9/26 Advocates and experts, by and large, are supportive of the federal government’s intense efforts to root out fraudulent hospice providers. But they are also concerned that the laserlike focus on fraud could have unintended consequences for high-quality providers. “We’re certainly hearing from members that they want to know whether policymakers and lawmakers truly see the value of hospice and that, yes, there are bad things going on in California and it’s getting a lot of publicity, but people are concerned that this could have a chilling effect,” Scott Levy, chief government affairs officer for the National Alliance for Care at Home, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “Hospices around the country at large are good people doing incredible work for meaningful periods of time for meaningful periods in their beneficiaries’ lives. And we want to make sure that that doesn’t go backwards.”

Frontpoint Health names new CEO Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 4/12/26 Home health and hospice provider Frontpoint Health has undergone a leadership change, with Brent Korte stepping down as the company’s CEO. Taking over from Korte is Jay Wendt, who most recently served as CEO at the durable medical equipment (DME) company Stance Health Solutions. “I am thrilled to announce Jay Wendt to the Home Health and Hospice Industry,” Korte wrote in a LinkedIn post. “Jay is a Texan, who brings expertise in leading multi-site post-acute care organizations. ..." Backed by Cimarron Healthcare Capital and Tacoma Holdings, Dallas-based Frontpoint Health offers home health and hospice services across 176 counties in Texas.

Puzzle competition raises money to build hospice house KBTX-3, Bryan, TX; by Tyler Hoskins; 4/12/26  The Acara Hospice Foundation announced the winners of its inaugural Puzzling with a Purpose speed puzzling competition, a community fundraiser supporting the Foundation’s mission to build a community hospice house in the Brazos Valley. The event challenged teams of four to complete a 500-piece puzzle as quickly as possible. All proceeds from Puzzling with a Purpose go towards Acara Hospice Foundation’s vision of establishing a dedicated hospice house in the Brazos Valley that they said would provide dignified, compassionate care for patients and families. 

Oregon governor signs Ryan’s Law, requiring care facilities to allow medical marijuana The Marijuana Herald; by Anthony Martinelli; 4/10/26 Oregon’s governor has signed House Bill 4142, known as Ryan’s Law, establishing new requirements for certain care facilities to allow qualified patients to use medical marijuana while also setting statewide standards for safety, storage and staff training. The measure was approved by the House in a 39 to 3 vote and by the Senate 20 to 8 before being sent to the governor. With the governor’s signature, the legislation now moves toward implementation, with most provisions taking effect in 2027. 

Expanding access to palliative care for patients with advanced liver diseaseAAAS - EurekAlerts!, Philadelphia, PA; describes JAMA Internal Medicine at doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2026.0571; 4/13/26 A new multicenter trial led by Manisha Verma, MD, and Victor Navarro, MD, at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphi Hospital demonstrates a new approach that could potentially transform access to palliative care for patients with ALD and address a major care gap. In the PAL LIVER trial, a large cluster-randomized study conducted across 19 U.S. centers, researchers evaluated whether hepatologists trained in primary palliative care could match the effectiveness of palliative care specialists in delivering quality-of-life benefits to patients with ALD, including those with decompensated cirrhosis and liver cancer. With 935 patients enrolled, this is one of the largest trials to date in liver disease palliative care.

Art Dash draws crowd, raises funds for Oregon’s Serenity Hospice and Home Shaw Local News, Oregon, IL; Press Release4/10/26 The fifth annual Art Dash benefiting Serenity Hospice and Home was held April 8 at River’s Edge Experience, drawing more than 200 attendees for an evening of art, community, and philanthropy. ... Serenity CEO Suzanne Ravlin reflected on the event’s impact: “The Art Dash brings together art, community, and fundraising, but it has become much more. It is a celebration of generosity, connection, and the incredible impact we can make when we come together with purpose. Each piece of art tells a story – of humanity, love, struggle, beauty, and the moments that matter most.