Literature Review

Prevalence rate of depression in palliative and hospice care: A narrative reviewJournal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care; by Reid M. JacobsDepression is a common but not universal experience among individuals receiving hospice and palliative care. Though much research exists on depression in this population, there is little consensus on the actual prevalence rate, with estimates varying drastically. This is due, in part, to non-standardized definitions of what constitutes depression, variance based on assessment methods and tools, and the presence of somatic symptoms that may be due to physical illness and not depression, thus distorting the prevalence rate in this population. Depression can cause significant negative consequences for individuals and those who care for them, robbing them of precious time, increasing suffering, and decreasing overall quality of life. This narrative review seeks to understand depression’s prevalence among people living with severe and life limiting illness based on the existing literature.

Development of a mortality prediction model for incarcerated adults to identify palliative care needsJournal of General Internal Medicine; by W. James Deardorff, Alexandra K. Lee, Kaiwei Lu, Bocheng Jing, W. John Boscardin, Michele DiTomas, John Dunlap, Brie A. Williams, Sei J. Lee, Alexander K. Smith; 12/25The United States prison population has seen a rapid rise in the number of older adults, with roughly 14% of male prisoners and 9% of female prisoners aged 55 years or older in 2020.  Incarcerated adults experience accelerated aging, leading to reduced life expectancy and higher rates of chronic medical conditions, functional impairments, and mental health conditions compared with non-incarcerated persons. For individuals with advanced age, multimorbidity, and/or serious illness, advance care planning discussions, palliative care, and hospice services are crucial for improving quality of life and ensuring medical care that is consistent with an individual’s values and goals. As the number of incarcerated adults with limited life expectancy increases, there is a clear need for a systematic way to identify individuals who may most benefit from these services. Our 2-year mortality prediction model for adults within the California prison system performed well on measures of discrimination, calibration, and classification. The model can be used to flag individuals at higher risk for mortality for consideration of advance care planning interventions, palliative care and hospice referrals, and compassionate release.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

Solomon Center’s groundbreaking palliative care law and policy initiative drives nationwide reforms Yale Law School; Press Release; 1/15/26 The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School has established the country’s first comprehensive interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to palliative medical care, law, and policy — a pathbreaking effort that is already shaping reforms for patients of all ages. ... The work is supported by a first-of-its kind open-access research platform for palliative care policy across the states, developed by the Center, and in collaboration with partners at Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of Nursing, and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned Center to Advance Palliative Care.

US health expenditures rapidly accelerating Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/14/26 ... Rising health care utilization is the most significant driver of the spending increases, according to CMS. One key factor is that utilization is bouncing back from declines that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Micah Hartman, a statistician in the National Health Statistics Group with the Office of the Actuary at CMS. Population growth was also a factor. ... By payer type, private health insurance saw the largest rate of spending growth at 8.8%, followed by Medicare at 7.8% and Medicaid at 6.6%. Out-of-pocket spending rose by 5.9%. ... Hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5 billion for patients in their last year of life, according to a joint report from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Heart to Heart Hospice expands service in Oklahoma Cision PR Newswire, Plano, TX; Press Release; 1/13/26 Heart to Heart Hospice, one of the country's largest private providers of hospice care, has expanded its presence in Oklahoma with the recent acquisition of an agency in Oklahoma City. Heart to Heart Hospice of Oklahoma City is now open and serving patients and families across Central Oklahoma. ... his is Heart to Heart's second location in Oklahoma following its expansion into Southeastern Oklahoma with the opening of its Durant site in 2024.

Retirement for Beth Dorsk: Her day is her own Jewish News; by Terri Denison; 1/15/26 A Virginia Beach native, Beth Koonan Dorsk retired as a hospice nurse in 2025.  She agreed to share with Jewish News some of her reasons for retiring and how it’s working out.

The long quiet of Karen Andrews 15 - Utah's Art Magazine, by Shawn Rossiter; 1/14/25 When Alli Harbertson first walked into the Andrews home, it was the paintings that stopped her. “They’re everywhere,” Harbertson recalls. The living room—where Karen Andrews’ hospital bed had been placed—was filled with artwork, paintings covering the walls and leaning against furniture while ceramics, blankets and small sculptures covered coffee tables, bureaus and dressers. ... [After Karen's death,] Ron Andrews did not know what to do with the more than 130 painting, but he knew what his wife had asked of him. “She was so clear,” Harbertson says. “She said, ‘I made my mark. This is the mark I made—my paintings. Don’t let them go to the DI.’” ...

Gift of Life sets national record for most organs transplanted in U.S. history Gift of Life Donor Program, Philadelphia, PA; by Gift of Life Donor Program; 1/15/26 In 2025, Gift of Life Donor Program achieved a new national record coordinating the most life-saving organs transplanted of any organ procurement organization (OPO) in U.S. history and the most organ donor heroes in the organization's history. ... In 2025, Gift of Life:

Granite VNA Season of Remembrance campaign raises over $53K The Laconia Daily Sun, Concord, NH; Press Release; 1/12/26 Granite VNA, New Hampshire’s largest not-for-profit home health and hospice agency, raised more than $53,000 during its annual Season of Remembrance campaign in support of hospice services. ... Nearly 400 businesses and individuals supported the campaign, which began in October. ... Fifty-five people who donated $250 or more received a unique hand-blown glass ornament created by Granite VNA home care physical therapy assistant Jeff Lamy.  ... Season of Remembrance also invites community members to honor loved ones who have passed by adding their names to an online honor roll. This year, 1,170 people from 95 towns across New Hampshire were remembered.

Life is not a matter of holding good cares, but of playing a poor hand well. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

The gift of adventure: Lenovo donates virtual reality equipment to Carolina Caring patients Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 1/14/26 Just over one year ago, Carolina Caring, the nonprofit serious illness care provider serving Western North Carolina and the Mecklenburg region, announced an exciting investment in virtual reality devices that delivered once-in-a-lifetime VR experiences to hospice and palliative patients. Today, thanks to the generosity of Lenovo and Carolina Caring Foundation, the organization has more than doubled its capacity to bring this immersive experience to patients across its service area. In total, Lenovo donated 8 ThinkReality VRX headsets—at a value of $9600—to Carolina Caring Foundation to be distributed for patient use.