Literature Review

[United Kingdom] 'One patient spent their last night with the lights'BBC News; by Cheryl Dennis and Sophie Parker; 10/1/26A light show created by an artist in the grounds of a hospice has opened to the public until the end of December. Dorothy House, in Winsley, near Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, commissioned international light installation artist Bruce Munro to create the show in its grounds. James Byron, from the hospice, said during the testing one patient came out of their room to spend their last night with the lights. "I think that tells you something about its power," he said. [View photos]

When repeat hospitalizations call for a different conversation South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by Joseph Shega, MD; 10/1/26 For a person living with advanced illness, repeated hospitalizations often signal more than a change in medical condition: needs may have evolved, priorities shifted or more support is needed. Yet conversations about hospital readmissions frequently focus on metrics, penalties and utilization. Equally important is whether the care plan still reflects the patient and family’s priorities. For caregivers, those moments bring difficult questions: What happens next? How will symptoms be managed? What support will be available at home? Those questions deserve a place in every conversation about reducing readmissions and length of stay. ...

Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties brings veterans together for a salute to servicefocusmedia, Montgomery, NY; Client News; 9/30/26 Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties brought veterans, families and community members together on September 23 for a Veterans Brunch: A Salute to Service at The American Grill at Stony Ford Golf Course in Thomas Bull Memorial Park. The gathering honored local veterans and provided an opportunity to share experiences, form connections and learn about available support.With the surrounding mountains in view on a bright fall morning, attendees exchanged stories across generations and branches of service. Before the panel discussion, the program featured a medley of military service songs, with veterans standing for their branches.

Rep. Panetta: Congress must listen to hospice providers Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/1/26 Though the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has regulatory authority over hospices, Congress has a role to play. To fulfill that role, they should listen to the concerns of hospice providers, according to Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). Panetta first took office in 2017 and currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee, which is among the most important congressional bodies for hospices to watch. ... "...  The federal government has a responsibility to get that process right by rooting out fraudsters without targeting the hardworking providers offering this critical service.” 

The annual journey plan —turning strategy into an organizational rhythm Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 10/1/26A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. Consider a liturgical calendar. It does more than mark dates. It gives a community a shared rhythm with seasons for preparation, reflection, renewal, celebration, and recommitment. Each season has meaning because of what came before it and what follows. The calendar keeps people oriented to what matters most, even when daily life competes for attention.

‘Taking care of Granny’: hear this caregiver’s story of dementia, dignity and finding help WNDU 16 News Now, South Bend, IN; by LeAnne Gendreau and Wade Smith; 9/30/26 On this episode of The Aging Untold Podcast, Dugan Meredith, who documents caring for his mother-in-law online through the “Taking Care of Granny” social media feeds, joins us to talk about what it’s really like to become a caregiver and how his family found their way through it. Caring for an aging loved one can reshape a family, and it’s a responsibility more men are shouldering than ever before. Today, an estimated 21 million men are in caregiving roles, according to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. They are navigating the daily challenges of aging and illness alongside their own jobs and children.

11 Medicare scams retirees often don't see coming Finance Buzz; by Sara Albertelli; 9/30/26 Medical costs can escalate quickly after you retire, making access to affordable Medicare health care an essential part of your retirement plan. Unfortunately, scammers often target Medicare patients. ... Here are some common Medicare schemes that could throw a wrench in your retirement plans.

NCPPCH CEO: Building stronger end-of-life pediatric supportHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 9/24/26Families often experience complex emotional, physical and logistical challenges when a child has a serious or terminal condition. Slow-moving state and federal policy are not keeping pace with the growing demand for improved support... Hospice News sits down with Jonathan Cottor, CEO and founder at the National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes (NCPPCH). The organization focuses on improving community-based pediatric palliative and respite care through increased education, policy advocacy efforts and offering support, guidance and best practice to providers. Guest Editor's Note by Judy Zeringue: This technical paper is intended to inform and educate policymakers, healthcare leaders, and community stakeholders about the role of Pediatric Palliative Care Centers to offer respite within the Medicaid care continuum. It examines existing Medicaid spending patterns, care delivery models, and policy alignment considerations relevant to sustainable, family-centered care for children with medical complexity, particularly those with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

The future of palliative care: who will lead, who will pay, and what comes next? | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Brynn Bowman; 9/30/26 Palliative care isn’t struggling to prove that it works.  The bigger question now is whether our healthcare system can figure out how to deliver it to everyone who needs it—and sustainably pay for it. In Part One, Chris Comeaux sits down with Brynn Bowman, CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), for a candid look at where palliative care is headed next.  Brynn paints a compelling picture of what success could look like five years from now: a patient living in rural America should have access to high-quality palliative care just as reliably as someone living near a major health system.

How CMS’ proposed rule would build palliative care into the home health system Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 9/30/26 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposal to add palliative care as a billable service under the Medicare Home Health Benefit could expand home health agencies to develop relationships with different types of providers. However, adding palliative care as a billable service could also make it difficult for home health providers to provide palliative services as robust as those delivered through the hospice benefit. Home health providers have celebrated the inclusion of palliative care in CMS’ proposed CY2027 home health payment rule. ... The rule will not change eligibility requirements for the home health care benefit. To qualify, a patient must: ...

Geographic disparities in hospice quality and family caregiver experience: the roles of ownership, social vulnerability, and workforce capacity arXiv; by Jinho Cha and Misun Roh; 9/29/26  Hospice quality should be interpreted in relation to both provider organization and the local conditions under which care is delivered. This study develops a provider-county performance assessment framework by linking national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospice data and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey outcomes with county measures of rurality, social vulnerability, health burden, and workforce and health-resource context. The adjusted analysis includes 2,928 providers in 1,078 counties and combines geographic mapping, blockwise regression, six secondary CAHPS outcomes, and eight sensitivity analyses.

HMN 2026: How palliative care understanding shapes preferences for end-of-life care Health Medicine Network; 99/28/26 A Swedish population-level study has found that people with a comprehensive understanding of palliative care are more likely to prefer end-of-life care at home or in a hospice. Among individuals with less understanding about palliative care, hospital care is preferred. ... The data were based on a random sample of 3,750 people ages 16–90 from the Swedish population register. 

MA: Shared credentialing platform slated for November start LeadingAge; by Nicole Fallon; 9/28/26 Provider credentialing and recredentialing can be one of the more time-consuming aspects of contracting with Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care plans. Many LeadingAge members must submit the same information through separate credentialing processes for each plan they work with, often waiting months before contracts become active and negotiated rates take effect. A new national credentialing service, CertifyOS, may help streamline that process. Beginning November 1, 2026, providers participating in certain managed care plans will be able to submit credentialing information through a single online portal that can then be used by all participating health plans.