Literature Review

How a novel coaching intervention is building resilience and hope in adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer: A conversation with Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA The ASCO Post; by Jo Cavaloo; 9/15/25 Each year, nearly 90,000 adolescents and young adults (AYAs; aged 15–39) are diagnosed with cancer, and approximately 9,300 die of the disease. ... AYAs are at increased risk for developing adverse long-term side effects from cancer and/or its treatment, including chronic conditions, secondary cancers, infertility, poor psychosocial health, and financial toxicity. ... The findings from a recent randomized phase III clinical trial investigating a novel resilience coaching intervention for AYA patients with advanced cancer are showing promising results in improving feelings of resilience and hope, as well as longer-term improvement in quality of life for these patients. ... In a wide-ranging interview with The ASCO Post, Dr. Rosenberg discussed the psychosocial impact of cancer on AYA cancer survivors, the results of the PRISM-AC study, and how AYA survivors are able to cope with having a terminal prognosis.

Nonprofit hospice consolidation ‘intensifying’Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 9/16/25As of the second quarter in 2025, nonprofit deals represented 33% of hospice and home health transactions, The Braff Group reported. Half of these hospice assets were picked up by nonprofit buyers, meaning that half of the market is choosing to sell to for-profit companies, Kulik explained.

Low-cost respite service offered North Central News, Phoenix, AZ; by NCN Staff; 9/17/25 A new program is bringing together Arizona State University students and Hospice of the Valley to provide support to families caring for a person with dementia at home or in a facility. RISE — Respite In Student Engagement is a unique partnership between ASU and Hospice of the Valley’s Supportive Care for Dementia program. RISE connects students with families to provide affordable respite for caregivers and meaningful engagement for the person living with dementia in their home or in a facility. The rate is $20 per hour and families pay the student directly. RISE students are not employees or contractors for ASU or Hospice of the Valley. All students are background checked, and ASU students who join RISE receive evidence-based dementia training from the Dementia Care and Education Campus in Phoenix.

Medicare cuts & tech gaps drive home health nurse exodus Access Newswire - Regulatory; by Black Book Survey; 9/16/25 Black Book Research today released 2025 survey findings from U.S. home health executives, finance leaders, and clinical directors showing that technology inefficiencies are a primary driver of nurse attrition. Respondents also warn that proposed Medicare home health payment reductions totaling 6.4% over 2026-2027 will intensify workforce pressure unless agencies can invest in modern IT.Key 2025 Survey Findings (U.S. Home Health & Hospice):

UnitedHealth expands in North Carolina with $3B deal Triad Business Journal - Health Care; by Zac Ezzone; 9/15/25 UnitedHealth is making a major move in the home care space in North Carolina. UnitedHealth gains 20 Amedisys N.C. facilities, including five in the Triad. One of the largest healthcare companies in the US has grown its footprint in North Carolina through a multibillion dollar deal. United Health Group Inc. has completed a $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, which operates home health and hospice sites throughout the country. The deal closed.

Hosparus Health breaks ground on region’s first standalone hospice care center Hosparus Health; Press Release; 9/16/25 Hosparus Health proudly announces the groundbreaking of its new Hospice Care Center, the region’s first and only standalone inpatient hospice facility, following the successful achievement of its $9.2 million fundraising goal by raising nearly $9.6 million to launch construction. The Hospice Care Center is a critical expansion of compassionate end-of-life care for families across the region. Designed to serve patients with complex needs in a peaceful, homelike setting, the nearly 30,000-square-foot facility will offer 21 private patient suites, family gathering spaces, a chapel, and serene gardens for quiet reflection. “When families can no longer care for a loved one at home, this facility will offer a supportive space that blends expert care with dignity and comfort,” said David W. Cook, President and CEO of Hosparus Health. 

[United Kingdom] Skydiving 95-year-old among local heroes honoured BBC News; 9/14/25 A skydiving 95-year-old, a cycling fundraiser and even a rescue dog were among the winners at an award ceremony celebrating people who had made life better for others in their communities.

O’Neill Healthcare Hospice creating Moments of Joy The Villager Newspaper, Bay Village, OH; 9/15/25 At O’Neill Healthcare Hospice, our mission goes beyond providing exceptional clinical care ... One way we do this is through our Moments of Joy program, an initiative devoted to creating meaningful experiences and lasting memories for those we care for. Recently, we had the privilege of honoring our patient, Frank, with a very special moment of joy outing, ... "back to the ballpark in person." ... Programs like Moments of Joy enable us to honor our patients’ stories and interests, celebrate their passions, and provide families with cherished moments to remember.Editor's Note: See our recent related posts, "Fulfilling end-of-life dreams: A scoping review of bucket lists in palliative and hospice care" and "Baptist Health Floyd's 'Three Wishes' project provides comfort during end-of-life process."

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Open House connected to past, present and future Maryland Bay Net, Pasadena, MD; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 9/13/25 A celebration of past, present and future brought together volunteers, donors, elected officials and community members for Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Community Open House on Sept. 9. The event was held on the nonprofit’s John & Cathy Belcher Campus in Pasadena. It included tours of the four buildings and the many gardens on the 7-acre campus and an opportunity to both reminisce and share new ideas.

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about intentionally interprofessional collaboration Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Michelle M Milic, DorAnne Donesky, Naomi Tzril Saks, Rebecca Cammy, Constance Dahlin, Susan DeSanto-Madeya, Tracy Fasolino, Seiko Izumi, Amanda Kirkpatrick, Joshua R Lakin, Vickie Leff, Kashelle Lockman, Jennifer Walter, William E Rosa, Cara L Wallace; 9/9/25 This article supports individuals to practice at the top of their education, clinical training, and scope of practice while maximizing the functionality of the palliative care team as a whole. We intentionally use the term interprofessional rather than interdisciplinary to clarify that we are focused on collaboration of team members who represent multiple professions or occupations that require specialized training and meet ethical standards (e.g., nursing, chaplaincy, social work, medicine, and pharmacy) rather than interactions among specific fields of study (e.g., cardiology, nephrology, and oncology).

Has human life expectancy already peaked?Vice; by Luis Prada; 9/10/25 For most of the 20th century, human life expectancy skyrocketed. Advancements in hygiene science, a wide variety of medical innovations and discoveries ... have all helped our collective life expectancies tremendously. According to a new study, however, we may have topped out. In the study, published in PNAS and spotted by Science Alert, an international team of researchers crunched the numbers on people born between 1939 and 2000 in 23 high-income countries, using six different forecasting models.Editor's Note: I recall a hospice CE conference around 2005, where a healthcare data statistician presented projections on mortality trends. Based on the previous century’s gains, the data suggested that babies born then could live well past 100—with 120 years as a realistic possibility. This new study raises the provocative question of whether those optimistic forecasts may already have reached their limits.

New Salem-based hospice opens with focus on nursing staff wellness Salem Reporter, Salem, OR; by Hailey Cook; 9/11/25 After 12 years working as a hospice nurse, Christie Rivelli reached her breaking point. The pressure had built since the pandemic, when her workload went from 15 patients at a time to 28. ... By opening a new, locally-owned hospice company, they’re bucking a trend. ... Solterra currently has a staff of 19, with a range of one to three decades of experience in hospice care. As a nurse herself, Rivelli said she’s prioritized her staff’s workload and benefits. Everyone starts by getting training about post-traumatic stress disorder, and she said new hires have had trouble adjusting to a slower pace of work. ... Rivelli said. “Downtime in your workday should be built in … but boy, that’s not how it’s been in hospice.” She said some companies will assign 40 patients to one nurse, which forces the nurses to do pop-in check-ups rather than getting to know their patients. It can also mean the patient will see a rotation of unfamiliar faces rather than one nurse.