Literature Review

‘Don’t play God’ in end-of-life conversations Medscape; by Medscape's editorial team; 3/5/26 For many clinicians, the most difficult words to utter are not a complex diagnosis but a simple admission: “We have reached the end of what medical care can do to make your loved one better.” An ICU/emergency room (ER) nurse with 30 years of experience says avoiding this reality can “prolong the dying process” rather than an extension of meaningful life — and called “false hope in the next procedure, next drug, next consultation” the “cruelest thing a well-meaning caregiver can do.”

Delivering palliative care in mental health nursing settings: A systematic review Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; by Oladapo Akinlotan, Allen O'Connor, Ruben Seetharamdoo, Mo Ghoorun; 3/6/26 Palliative care can provide comfort, alleviate suffering, and improve quality of life; however, access to palliative care for people with mental illnesses at the end of their lives is extremely poor. As the need for palliative care is expected to rise significantly in the future, palliative care must be considered a global health priority. ...  Recommendations: Although care for people with complex mental illness is complex while dying, conversations around palliative care need to be as part of a therapeutic relationship and engagement. Also, palliative care staff have an important role in communicating end-of-life planning to patients' families and carers.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango finalizes partnership with NYS Veterans Home in Oxford The Evening Sun, Oxford, NY; by Rebecca Laibowitz; 3/9/26 Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango and the New York State Veterans Home at Oxford recently finalized a long-awaited partnership which now allows residents of the home and their families to receive hospice care from the nurses and volunteers of the organization. Prior to this partnership the home would have to send away people in seeking hospice care as strict regulations require a contract between a nursing home and hospice care provider in order for that type of care to be administered.

New Job Board Posting: Chief Executive Officer, Hildegard House, Louisville, KY Hildegard House | Ashley Rountree and Associates; Executive Job Posting; 3/9/26 Hildegard House (HH) is Kentucky's first and only Comfort Care Home. Through the support of our community and with the help of many volunteers, we provide a home and compassionate care for individuals at the end of life who have no home or loved ones to care for them, allowing each of them to die with dignity. ... The next CEO of Hildegard House (HH) will step into a pivotal leadership role at a moment of stability, growth, and meaningful transition. ... The retirement of the founding CEO creates a unique opening for a visionary leader to build upon a decade of mission driven success and to chart the organization's future direction.

The US health spending problem is still about pricesHealth Affairs; by Irene Papanicolas, Jonathan Cylus, Luca Lorenzoni; 2/18/26For more than two decades, debates about why US health care spending is so high have been shaped by the insight articulated by Gerard Anderson, Uwe Reinhardt and Peter Hussey: that the United States does not use more health care than other high-income countries but pays much higher prices for it. The original “It’s the Prices, Stupid” argument was fundamentally about price levels, not price growth. That central insight remains as true today as when it was first articulated: across services, drugs, and inputs, the United States consistently pays substantially higher prices than its peers for comparable services, drugs, and inputs.

ECU Health announces transition of Home Health and Hospice Services to Liberty Home Care and Hospice Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Greenville, NC; Press Release; 3/5/26 On March 5, ECU Health announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its Home Health and Hospice business unit to Liberty Home Care and Hospice, an experienced mission‑aligned provider delivering high‑quality care across the Carolinas. The sale will occur pending approval from the North Carolina Attorney General office and will help ensure home health and hospice services remain available for patients and families in the region. The transition includes all ECU Health Home Health and Hospice operations, including: Home Health offices in Greenville, Windsor, Washington and Kenansville, Hospice offices in Greenville, Ahoskie and Kenansville, and The Service League of Greenville Hospice House. 

East Texas woman celebrates 100th birthday, leaving legacy of faith and family The Lufkin Daily News; by Ruben Ibarra, Jr.; 6/6/26 A woman who spent her life caring for others turned 100 Monday, surrounded by family members who say her legacy is one of strength, faith and unwavering love. Alzonia Hood Freeman, born March 2, 1926, in Camden, reached the milestone under the care of Hospice in the Pines. A weekend gathering brought relatives from across Texas and neighboring states, while hospice staff held a birthday observance Monday to honor a life that has stretched across a full century. The celebration included a cake donated by Areles Bakery and flowers provided by Lufkin Flower Market.

Huey Perry: Between celebration and goodbye The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV; by Huey Perry; 3/6/26 There are moments in life that do not fit neatly into human emotion. They do not allow us the comfort of a single response. They stretch the heart in opposite directions at once. I recently experienced such a moment over something as ordinary as lunch. Three friends met to share a meal. Two of them had suffered lung cancer. On this particular day, the news arrived like a divided verdict from some invisible court. One firend had been declared cancer-free. The other had been referred to hospice care. Across the table sat life and death, side by side. ... How does one act in such a moment? I found myself suspended between two emotional poles. ... [Full access may be limited behind a paywall]

Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures. ~ Lovelle Drachman

Love hurts: Leadership, quality, and the future of hospice & palliative care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN Talks); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Alex Smith and Dr. Eric Widera; 3/4/26 TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership host Chris Comeaux and co-host Cordt Kassner join forces with Dr. Eric Widera and Dr. Alex Smith of the GeriPal Podcast, leaders in Palliative Care and Hospice innovation discuss emerging quality measures, data-driven hospice analytics, research challenges, and the leadership needed to guide healthcare organizations through change. For professionals working in healthcare leadership and serious illness care, the conversation offers valuable insight into the policies, research, and innovations shaping the future of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Navigating end-of-life decisions with Islamic ethics WisconsinMuslimJournal.org; by Sandra Whitehead; 2/20/26 Medical College of Wisconsin Professor Aasim I. Padela, M.D., founder and president of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine, discussed Islamic bioethics during a January workshop on end-of-life decisions at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. ... About 50 people attended the four-hour workshop, Islamic Bioethics & End-of-Life Healthcare Decisions, held Jan. 31 at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. It featured experts with backgrounds in medicine, palliative care, hospice and Islam. Speakers made presentations and led discussions about practical steps, resources and strategies to help Muslims “transition from a state of uncertainty about end-of-life healthcare to thoughtful preparation for it,” a workbook given to participants stated.