Literature Review

* CEO, Hildegard House, nonprofit, Louisville, KY

Rediscovering joy: Why creativity matters in grief support Hospice of the Chesapeake, Pasadena, MD; by Elyzabeth Marcussen; 4/1/26 Imagine meeting up with like-minded people for an afternoon of mocktails, cocktails and snacks. That would be considered a happy hour, right? Then imagine that the common thread for this group is that they are all people who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Would you still call that a happy hour? Chesapeake Life Center Manager Alena Dailey said yes. Well, sort of. “We’re calling it ‘Hope After Hours.’” A large part of healing after loss is learning how to fit into your community again. You’re not the same person you were when your loved one was in your life. Sometimes, people feel guilty about having fun again or unsure how to reconnect. At Chesapeake Life Center, that understanding is shaping creative grief support programs designed to give people a judgment-free space to let loose and have fun. The hope is that they can begin to rediscover joy and carry it into everyday life.

‘Startling’: Palliative care services often not provided for severe brain metastases Healio; by Josh Friedman; 3/3/26 Half of patients with the most severe brain metastases may not be receiving palliative care consultations. Those who do have a significantly higher likelihood of filling out advance directive documentation and getting hospice care, and they have similar OS as those who did not receive consultations. ... “We have to rephrase the word fighting,” [Rohit Singh, MD, medical oncologist and assistant profess at University of Vermont] said. “I tell my patients, you’re not giving up fighting [getting palliative care]. You’re fighting for what’s better for you. You’re fighting for your quality of life. That’s you making it better. You’re not giving up anything. You are making sure whatever time we have aligns with your goals.”Editor's Note: Powerful communication from Dr. Singh. Reframing “fighting” can serve as a catalyst for alignment—across patients, families, and care teams. Palliative care isn’t surrender; it’s a deliberate choice to prioritize what matters most.

ClearPath Healthcare launches in-home primary care service across Central Oregon Cascade Business News (CBN); by CBN; 4/2/26 ClearPath Healthcare, a nonprofit and hospice leader in Central Oregon for more than 40 years, has launched its new In-Home Primary Care service. This program was launched to help Central Oregonians who find it difficult to physically get in to see their primary care doctor. ClearPath Healthcare’s aim is to bring quality, unhurried care right to patients’ doors. This launch is an important step for ClearPath Healthcare, which changed its name from Hospice of Redmond in December 2025. The new name reflects the organization’s expanded services, including a wider range of care, from primary care to end-of-life support.

National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) — April 16 The Conversation Project - Institute for Healthcare Improvement; retrieved from the internet 4/3/26National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.

National Alliance for Care at Home Responds to the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 4/2/26 ... The proposed 2.4% payment update – largely prescribed by law – will still result in challenges for providers delivering care. Cost pressures continue to mount from factors like inflation, workforce shortages, and rising expenses for supplies and services. While the Alliance appreciates that CMS is recognizing hospice providers’ difficult operating environment, this update – after several years of inadequate payment adjustments – will still leave difficulties for providers delivering this vital benefit to the patients and families who depend on it. The Alliance also notes several proposals aimed at increasing oversight and transparency, ...

Beyond the checklist: MARly app introduces caregiver OS to detect early changes in condition and organize care at homesimPAL Solutions press release; 3/24/26MARly is a healthspan companion app designed to support patients, caregivers, and care teams in delivering safer, more coordinated care at home. Its Caregiver OS features are designed to make care at home more practical, organized, and sustainable for caregivers and families. New care coordination function transforms everyday caregiving by providing real-time insight—supporting caregivers while helping care teams stay ahead of avoidable health crises. simPAL Solutions has announced an early access release of Caregiver OS (Caregiver Operating System), a new care coordination function within its MARly App designed to help caregivers organize care at home while capturing early signs of health change that often go unseen between clinical visits. [For additional information, visit www.marly.health.]

Power outages can quickly become emergencies for families with home medical devices Hawai'i Public Radio; by Savannah Harriman-Pote; 3/25/26 ... Power outages from this month's storms have sent ripples through the health care system. ... Access to power is crucial for people who rely on certain medical devices like oxygen machines. Faye Mitchell, executive director of North Hawaiʻi Hospice, said these at-home machines allow her patients to receive care in the comfort of their homes. Without electricity to operate them, some of her more vulnerable patients need to go to a hospital. North Hawaiʻi Hospice provides palliative in-home care to about 25 patients spread out across northwest Hawaiʻi Island. One of their patients is a young boy who requires a medical device to breathe properly. "This is a child that's so fragile that when he can't breathe properly, they have to fly to Oʻahu," Mitchell said. "So it's really not a matter of inconvenience. It's really a serious issue." Mitchell said they care for patients as best as they can during power outages. North Hawaiʻi Hospice has a trained safety officer who reviews emergency plans with families, and patients who require oxygen are given extra oxygen tanks if weather conditions might cause the power to go out.Editor's Note: What emergency disaster risks are prevalent for your service areas? Floods, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, extreme heat, ice, something else? Today, get to know (and bookmark) USA Today's National Power Outage Map Tracker, updated every 15 minutes. For the future, be as ready as possible, using these and other resources.

Special Report - Untapped potential: The power of peer support programs in prisons John Howard Association of Illinois; project led by Kate Eves; March 2026 issue At the time this report was drafted, there were more than 70 Peer Support Programs (PSP) in U.S. carceral facilities identified in operation with a focus on improving health outcomes for incarcerated people with more new programs regularly coming to our attention, in addition to international programs. This project focused on 15 programs across 12 jurisdictions addressing a range of health and well-being areas including mental health, substance abuse and palliative care. [Use Ctrl+F and type "hospice" to find this report's 28 references to hospice.]

Palladium acquires DME Express from WayPoint Private Equity Professional; by John McNulty; 3/26/26 Palladium Equity Partners has agreed to acquire a majority equity interest in DME Express, a provider of durable medical equipment, from WayPoint Capital Partners. ... Palladium’s investment in DME is its second in the hospice industry and the second platform investment for its sixth fund, which has not yet announced a final close and is reportedly targeting $1.5 billion in capital. 

Free webinars: Pediatric concurrent hospice care miniseries, guidance for clinicians: A compassionate, coordinated, and compliant approach National Alliance for Care at Home; Press Release; 3/23/26 This Virtual Training will provide a practical, relevant, and comprehensive overview of Pediatric Concurrent Hospice Care as an approach that allows children and adolescents to receive ongoing disease-directed therapies alongside hospice services. Participants will learn the foundations of Concurrent Hospice Care under Section 2302 of the Affordable Care Act including eligibility criteria, planning and coordination requirements, and interdisciplinary collaborative strategies.