Literature Review

Dartmouth Health study finds rural older adults have less access to intensive hospice care The Vermont Journal, Labanon, NH; 10/28/26 Older adults living in rural communities are less likely to receive hospice care, and when they do, are less likely to receive the most intensive hospice services for severe symptoms, according to a new study led by a Dartmouth Health researcher and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The study found that 52.4% of older adults who died in urban ZIP codes received hospice care, compared with 44.8% of those in the most rural ZIP codes. ... Dr. Claire Ankuda, lead author of the study, palliative medicine physician at Dartmouth Health, and associate professor of medicine and of health policy and clinical practice at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine [said,] “What we found is that the biggest differences emerge when patients need more intensive, round-the-clock support – and that’s the gap we need to understand better.”

The Rose Program: expanding palliative care in nursing homes Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/28/26 “Palliative medicine saved my life.” These words from his daughter Rose inspired Dr. David Thimons to launch a new palliative care company. Rose is a survivor of bone cancer. The result of her family’s ordeal is the Rose Program, a for-profit company that provides palliative care primarily in nursing homes, with plans to expand into community-based services. Thimons early in his career was a nursing home geriatrician. But his daughter’s cancer experience led him to become palliative care board certified, eventually becoming chief medical officer of the national palliative medicine company Aspire. Hospice News sat down with Thimons to discuss the origins of the Rose program, its sustainable care model and plans for the future.

If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. ~ Bob Hope

Work requirements put new pressure on Medicaid member retention MedCity News; by John Marchisin; 10/28/26 According to a recent report by the JAMA Network, one in five adults covered under Medicaid could lose their benefits due to new work requirements taking effect in January 2027. The community engagement (work) requirements apply to the able-bodied, non-pregnant Medicaid expansion population and affect 41 states plus Washington, D.C. These members will be required to participate in at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities, which can include work programs, community service or at least half-time enrollment in an educational program. Although 64% of Medicaid members are currently working either part time or full time, inconsistent work hours could prevent many members from completing the 80 hours a month required to remain eligible. 

3 hospices reveal leadership changes Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/28/26 Two hospices have unveiled new operational and community engagement leadership roles. Meanwhile, one organization has promoted a clinical executive. ...

Inside the evolving SNF-hospice relationship as OIG aims to get hospice numbers under control Skilled Nursing News; by Amy Stulick; 10/27/26 Federal officials are homing in on the financial relationship between nursing homes and hospice providers, notably when that relationship affects potential Medicare savings and payment inefficiencies for hospice care in such settings. An Office of the Inspector General (OIG) work plan, announced in July, aims to determine Medicare payments for hospice care provided in a nursing home, and estimate cost savings from reducing the payment to address inefficiencies in payment structure. OIG also seeks to examine the practices of hospice providers with a high percentage of beneficiaries living in nursing homes.

What the dying dream about, and why a Buffalo doctor wants the world to listen The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY; by Jon Harris; 10/;27/26 When Dr. Christopher Kerr and his research team at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo began studying the end-of-life experiences of their patients, the work was intended to convince skeptical doctors that they should recognize predeath visions and dreams as medically important to improve the care provided to the dying. But after years of research, interviews with more than 1,400 patients and a published book, many of Kerr’s fellow physicians remained uninterested. Kerr’s findings, however, seeped out and reached an even wider audience. Since his TEDx Talk in Buffalo in 2015, Kerr has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Winfrey for The Oprah Podcast and, just recently, by Steven Bartlett for the popular podcast, The Diary of a CEO.

If you light a lamp for someone, it will also brighten your path. ~ Buddha

[Canada] Dementia doctors, provinces differ on question of advance consent in MAID Pique NewsMagazine, Toronto, Canada; by Nicoale Ireland; 10/27/26 As the federal government tables new legislation that would allow advance requests for medical assistance in dying, the stark difference in opinion between two provinces highlights an ongoing debate about what constitutes true consent among who have dementia. Justice Minister Sean Fraser introduced legislation on Tuesday to decriminalize providing MAID to people with dementia and other conditions that take away the capacity to consent if they ask for it in advance while they're still mentally capable. Bill C-41 states that "a person would have to be experiencing intolerable suffering at the time MAID is provided, even if all the conditions in their advance request have been met." It's up to provincial governments to decide whether — and how — to allow people to make advance requests and have those wishes fulfilled in the future.

HHS drops expired 2025 Alzheimer's treatment goal in new dementia plan focused on prevention and early detection Medical Daily; by Cole Mercer; 10/27/26 The federal government has rewritten its national dementia strategy, shifting the focus toward prevention and earlier detection. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the updated national plan on Alzheimer's and related dementias on Oct. 22 at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The new plan replaces six long-standing goals with four. ...

Translating evidence into practice: implementing caregiver burden assessments in palliative care clinic American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Nasreen Bagwan Malik, Sherief Ghozy, Kitty Fan, Cheryl Green, Denise Mohess; 10/13/26 Background: Caregiver burden assessments lack clinical uniformity in palliative care. Existing evidence-based interventions often impose resource demands that are prohibitive for smaller programs. Objectives: (1) Demonstrate the practical utility of routine caregiver screening paired with an interdisciplinary team (IDT) response protocol. (2) Identify patient and caregiver factors influencing burden. Conclusion: This workflow provides a replicable roadmap to transition caregivers from “invisible patients” to actively supported extensions of the care unit, reinforcing dyadic assessments as standard practice in outpatient palliative medicine.

As Compassus marks two decades, the organization continues expanding access to home-based care American Healthcare Leader; by Stella Nolan; 10/27/26 Reaching a 20-year milestone is significant for any healthcare organization. Doing so while reshaping a business model, expanding across 33 states, and caring for more than 180,000 patients each year is something else entirely. Few leaders have witnessed that transformation as closely as Laura Templeton, Chief Operating Officer. [Read Laura's reflections on two decades of changes.] ... Looking ahead, Compassus focuses on expanding access to home-based care, strengthening coordination across the healthcare continuum, and finding new ways to improve the patient and family experience.

Hidden consciousness in coma patients: researchers unlock direct communication TakeToNews; by David Miller; 10/23/26 Patients who lie motionless in bed following severe brain injuries and show no reaction to external stimuli are clinically classified as unconscious. However, groundbreaking new research reveals that a significant portion of these individuals may perceive much more of their surrounding environment than previously assumed—and may even possess the capability to communicate. These revelations stem from comprehensive studies led by neurologist Dr. Jan Claassen and his colleagues at Columbia University in New York. The team successfully developed a non-invasive brain-computer interface designed to establish contact with patients presumed to be completely unresponsive.