Literature Review

Summary digest for palliative care professionals: December 2025 ehospice; 12/28/25 December is a time to pause and reflect on the journey we have shared in 2025. You might have saved some of our digests or articles for later, simply because there wasn’t enough time or energy during the year. That’s why we’ve put together a year-end digest for you. It compiles all the recommended materials from 2025, neatly organised by topic for your convenience. Happy holidays, dear friends! ... May the coming year bring you more strength, warmth, and professional inspiration. 

What makes a ‘good’ death? Former Durango hospice director reflects The Durango Herald, Durango, CO; by Jessica Bowman; 12/28/25 What is a “good” death? That’s up to each of us to decide for ourselves, said Anne Rossignol, former director of Mercy Hospice House. Rossignol said it’s a question more people should be asking themselves – and sooner. ... She earned her medical degree in 1999 and completed an internal medicine residency through the U.S. Army, where she served as a flight surgeon and completed two tours in Iraq. It was during her time at an Army hospital – where she guided patients and families through life-or-death decisions – that she felt drawn to palliative care. “These big soldiers in their uniforms would sit down with these families to talk about the end of life, and they’d be crying, and the families would be crying. It was so beautiful,” Rossignol said. ...

Holistic hospice provider expands to Pinellas County Catalyst; by Mark Parker; 12/24/25 A national end-of-life care company with unique offerings, including pet visits, personal pampering and Memory Bears made from a patient’s clothing, has expanded to Pinellas County. VITAS Healthcare is a nearly 50-year-old mobile hospice provider that takes a holistic approach to providing support during a sensitive time in someone’s life. A new administrative office at 12425 28th St. N. in St. Petersburg serves as a home base for interdisciplinary care teams. Kathleen Coronado, vice president of operations, said VITAS plans to eventually open a local inpatient center “for patients who need a higher level of care.” However, the company’s primary goal is to provide comfort wherever patients call home.

Heart failure deaths shift to home, hospice, but racial disparities persistAJMC, Cranbury, NJ; by Sabrina McCrear; 12/23/25 Key Takeaways: 

Hospice enrollment in young adult LGBTQ + decedents with cancer: A multi-site single healthcare system studyBMC Palliative Care; by Sanjna Rajput, Riham Suleiman, Brittany Kimball, Aminah Jatoi, Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake; 11/25Methods [of the study]: A single healthcare system, 4000 + self-reported LGBTQ + database of patients with cancer identified young adult decedents (18-39 years old at death) to report the percentage who died with hospice, the conversations that preceded hospice enrollment, time-on-hospice, and circumstances that surrounded the deaths of those not enrolled. From the database, ... 67% ... were enrolled in hospice ... Conversations that preceded enrollment discussed (1) limited cancer therapeutic options with worsening end-of-life symptoms and how hospice could help ("discussed… decline and how patient would not want to die hooked up to machines"); (2) medical staff's acknowledgement of same sex spouse/life partners ("[She] is here with her wife"); (3) the inclusion of the birth family in end-of-life discussions, especially if the decedent had been single ("Her father met us… this was difficult news for him to hear.").  Conclusions: Most young adult LGBTQ + decedents with cancer receive hospice services with thoughtful and inclusive conversations that precede enrollment.

Refuge: How people experiencing homelessness spend their final days NBC News, KUSA-9, Denver, CO; by Chris Vanderveen and Chris Hansen; 12/21/25 If few cities and states know how to effectively deal with their unhoused populations, far fewer know what to do when the unhoused enter the final days, weeks, and months of their lives. The 9NEWS documentary “Refuge” represents a deeply personal examination of one of the more invisible crises of American life today: hospice care for the unhoused. “People like to think somehow, some way it’s being taken care of, but it’s not,” said James “JP” Hall, founder of Denver’s Rocky Mountain Refuge, one of a handful of places around the country that offers custodial end-of-life care for people experiencing homelessness.

Innovations in senior living  with Katie Smith Sloan Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Katie Smith; 12/17/25 What if aging services led the way in redesigning care—combining smart technology with deeper human connection?  That’s the challenge Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO of LeadingAge, brings to the table as we unpack the data, the headwinds, and the promise across nonprofit senior living, home-based care, and hospice. ... Together, Chris and Katie explore how collaboration, innovation, and values-driven leadership can reshape aging services to better serve older adults—and those who care for them. 

Hospice Savannah launches Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program Savannah Tribune, Savannah, GA; Press Release; 12/17/25 Hospice Savannah is proud to partner with Senior Citizens, Inc. and Savannah Technical College to launch the Edel Caregiver Institute’s Weekend Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program. ...  Open to all community members, the program provides full CNA accreditation through Savannah Tech and will include specialized dementia and elder-care skills training. For those who qualify, scholarships are available offering tuition assistance, CAT Bus vouchers, childcare support, discounted meals, and immediate employment opportunities with Hospice Savannah or Senior Citizens, Inc. upon successful completion and certification.Editor's Note: This innovative CNA Training Program was awarded a $50,000 grand from Savannah Philanthropic Partners, under the leadership of President/CEO Kathleen Benton.

I was 36 when my husband died — here's what most of us get wrong about grief Yahoo!Health; by Laura Williams, MS, ACSM EP-C; 12/16/25 Grief is universal, yet deeply personal. Instead of trying to "fix" or "help" someone who's grieving, it's important to make space for them to perpetually navigate the permanent reality of death. ... It turns out, time doesn't heal all wounds. Life simply grows around the immediacy of the pain — the sun rises and sets, and new experiences accumulate, whether or not you want them to, gradually taking the edge off. However, grief isn't just "deep sadness." It's not depression. It's not something you "get over" or "move on from." Grief is the loss of someone you loved — a voice you'll never hear again, a laugh you'll never share. It's the inside jokes no one else understands, the clothing that won't be worn again, ... It's a bed that won't be slept in, a dining room chair that remains empty, a silence that won't be filled.Editor's Note: This first-person reflection gives language to what grief truly is—and is not. It dismantles the myth that time “fixes” loss and instead names grief as a lifelong companion shaped by absence, memory, and love. If this piece feels uncomfortable or heavy at first glance, that discomfort may be instructive. For hospice and palliative leaders, it invites a sober question: how well does your organization acknowledge grief as enduring—and provide timely, meaningful support beyond death?

[Europe] Muslims often don’t trust palliative care. A new charity aims to change that  Hyphen; by Weronika Stryzyzynska; 12/15/25 Al-Amal, founded by a doctor and a chaplain, is informed by the Muslim view of a good death — something they say is lacking in mainstream care. A new charity to support Muslims navigating palliative care is preparing to launch after Ramadan. As well as providing an emotional support telephone line, Al-Amal will also offer practical advice on accessing culturally and religiously appropriate care.  The Muslim view of what a good death looks like is informed by values beyond the medical. … This can affect the way Muslim patients include their families in the decision-making process or their approach to pain management.

Perceptions of family caregiving change across demographic lines Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 12/12/25 Family caregiver burden may be falling heavier on the shoulders of certain demographic groups compared to others, a new survey has found. Perceptions of family caregiver roles and responsibilities vary vastly across different age groups, geographic regions and genders, a new survey from BURD Home Health has found. Survey responses were analyzed by demographics such as gender, income, age and geographic location. Among the main goals was to identify patterns and disparities in how caregiving duties are perceived and distributed, according to Justin Colline, director of marketing at BURD Home Health.Editor's Note: Key findings from the source survey include ..

Hospice of Wichita Falls expands outreach with renovated facility CBS News-6, Wichita Falls, TX; by Rachel Gomez Ramirez; 12/12/25 Today [12/12/25], Hospice of Wichita Falls held an open house showcasing their newly renovated facility, built by and for the community. Isha Howerton, Director of Development for Hospice of Wichita Falls, explained that the Building on a Legacy of Care fundraiser campaign initially began in 2017 and is nearing completion. Through this campaign, the community raised $15 million to build a new inpatient care center and renovate the existing one. Today’s event marked the new facility’s final renovation phase. ... [Additionally, by] meeting their campaign goal of $340,000, the non-profit hospice can continue to support charity care for those who need end-of-life care.