Literature Review

Patients' perceptions of autonomy in palliative care: Two patient interview exemplars Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Kristen Tulloch, Julia Acordi Steffen, John P Rosenberg; 1/19/26 Results: Four themes were identified: (a) my involvement in healthcare decisions, (b) change to my autonomy during illness progression, (c) self-assessing my abilities to exercise autonomy and (d) my coping mechanisms for loss of autonomy. Palliative care patients perceived and managed their autonomy amidst their illnesses, revealing a sense of loss of autonomy extending beyond healthcare into many daily activities. Participants wished to exercise autonomy in nuanced ways, varying in intensity across many aspects of their lives, underscoring the importance of recognising and respecting individuals' wishes for autonomy.Editor's Note: The authors’ focus on coping with loss of autonomy is essential. As illness progresses, autonomy can erode not only in medical decisions but across daily life, identity, and meaning—losses that are too often overlooked in clinical care. The frequently misapplied “Five Stages of Grief” can further blur this reality, reducing complex, personal experiences to linear expectations not supported by contemporary grief research. Understanding how patients adapt to loss of autonomy is foundational to truly person-centered palliative care.

What I see at the end of life as homelessness rises in Ohio: Holly Klein Cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH; by Holly Klein; 1/18/26 As a former in-home hospice nurse and now executive director of Grace House Akron, I have witnessed firsthand what happens when Ohioans fall through every crack in our healthcare and housing systems. ... Every day, I see the human reality behind the numbers ... Dignity at the end of life should not depend on having an address. Before Grace House opened, people experiencing homelessness often died alone, in undignified conditions -- or worse, on the streets. Providing a warm bed, a safe room, a hand to hold and someone to bear witness to a person’s final days should be a moral commitment shared across Ohio. Dignity is not a luxury; it is a right.

HopeHealth, the 2nd hospice in the nation, celebrates 50th anniversary MassNonprofit News; Press Release; 1/20/26 HopeHealth, an early pioneer in hospice care and a leading nonprofit provider of hospice and palliative care in New England, marks its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in 1976 as Hospice Care of Rhode Island, HopeHealth was created by a group of physicians, chaplains, educators, and community advocates who believed patients and families deserved compassionate, dignified support at the end of life. ... HopeHealth became the second hospice provider in the nation. In the five decades since, HopeHealth has grown from a single community-based program into a regional nonprofit organization serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In addition to hospice care, it provides palliative care for patients and families living with serious illness; specialized care for dementia; support and education for family caregivers; and numerous grief support programs.Editor's Note: Congratulations and thank you--Hospice Care of Rhode Island | HopeHealth--for your groundbreaking leadership and ongoing growth in your services throughout the continuum for serious illness, palliative, hospice, and grief care!

Agrace announces revolutionary dementia village: America's first Hogeweyk-inspired community redefining memory care PR Newswire, Madison, WI; by Agrace; 1/20/26 Agrace ... today announced plans to build the Ellen & Peter Johnson Dementia Village at Agrace, the first Hogeweyk-inspired dementia care community of its kind in the United States. ... Breaking ground this spring, the $40 million project represents a complete reimagining of dementia care in America, drawing inspiration from the Netherlands' internationally acclaimed Hogeweyk Dementia Village—a model that has set a new global standard for supporting people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. ... Traditional memory care has long focused on safety and clinical oversight—priorities that matter deeply to families and caregivers alike. Yet many of these settings—shaped by institutional design and medical frameworks—can unintentionally narrow autonomy, spontaneity, and connection to ordinary life. 

Story of Hope comfort care home holds grand opening in Chili NBC News-10, Rochester, NY (Chili, NY); by Jennifer Gan; 1/17/26 The Story of Hope Comfort Care Home officially opened its doors Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 813 Marshall Road [Chili, NY]. ... Sam Savary, president of the Board of Directors, said the opening represents years of work and community support, especially since a flash flood in 2023 that almost destroyed the place. “Monday [1/19] we’re so proud to actually be taking care of our very first patient… It’s been ten years to try to get this open,” said Savary. “Just to be able to recover from the flooding, and the outpouring of community support to make sure we didn’t have to give up, that we could make this happen, it’s truly a blessing.” The home is fully funded by donations and staffed by trained volunteers and hospice nurses.

New IL law requires annual report on prison hospice care WAND News, Springfield, IL; by Mike Miletich; 1/15/26 A new law requires Illinois to report data on hospice care available for prisoners. Supporters say the law will bring dignity, transparency and compassion to people dying within the state's correctional facilities. More than 1,000 prisoners are 65 or older, and a growing number of those people need end-of-life care and support services. The Illinois Department of Corrections does not have a formal hospice program, as end-of-life care is provided on a prison-by-prison basis. 

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.

Baptist Health and Hosparus Health expand hospice and palliative care partnership to Southern Indiana Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 1/14/26 Hosparus Health and its palliative care affiliate, Pallitus Health Partners, in collaboration with Baptist Health, announce the expansion of their innovative partnership to Southern Indiana. As of January 2, 2026, Pallitus Health Partners is offering palliative care consultations for patients at Baptist Health Floyd in New Albany. The program focuses on supporting patients and families facing serious illness by providing expert symptom management, helping them plan for the future, and connecting them with broader care options, including hospice when appropriate. 

Finding solutions: Augusta nurse opens new end-of-life care facility WRDW/WAGT News Stations, Augusta, GA; by Zayna Haliburton; 1/12/26 A hospice nurse is opening Augusta’s first inpatient hospice home, giving families a new option for end-of-life care. Stacia Sirull, a hospice nurse, is opening the Augusta Inpatient Hospice Home. The facility will feature hummingbird decorations throughout. “My sister passed away a couple of years ago. She died in a hospice house in Kentucky and loved humming birds. When I decided to do this I was like we are just going to put humming birds everywhere,” Sirull said. ... The Augusta Inpatient Hospice Home will have six rooms added to the existing building. Sirull said there will always be one bed available for someone who doesn’t have the finances or insurance to cover the stay.

Suncrest Hospice announces Dallas office now serving north Texas families PRUnderground - Norfolk & Wrentham, TX; Press Release; 1/13/26 Suncrest Hospice ... announced today that its Dallas office is now serving families across Arlington, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and surrounding areas. The new location brings high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care to North Texas communities. ... The Dallas office marks Suncrest’s third location in Texas, joining established teams in Austin and San Antonio. This expansion extends the company’s reach to 53 locations across 25 states, strengthening its commitment to providing accessible hospice services nationwide.

Governor Hochul unveils proposals to increase support and resources for New York’s older adults 2026 State of the State - Health, Albany, NY; Press Release; 1/13/26 Governor Kathy Hochul today proposed a series of initiatives to support older New Yorkers as part of her 2026 State of the State. The Governor’s investments will help older New Yorkers, caretakers, and communities by connecting them to key resources so seniors can age in place, at home, in the communities they know and love.

What to expect in US healthcare in 2026 and beyond McKinsey & Company; by Neha Patel and Shubham Singhal with Ankit Jain; 1/12/26The healthcare industry faces successive waves of challenging trends, with glimmers of opportunity in select segments. US healthcare system continues to face considerable financial strain, although there are pockets of opportunity. ... Payers and providers have borne the brunt of the decline to date and will continue to feel financial pressure in the immediate future. ... Meanwhile, providers could experience an increase in uncompensated care and loss of reimbursement. ... Post-acute care is positioned for stronger performance over the next several years, with continued growth in home health and hospice but stagnation in skilled nursing facilities. ...

Inside America’s first pediatric palliative care facility, a life-changing model that remains strikingly rare Make It Better Foundation; by Susan Yem; 1/9/26 ... George Mark Children’s House, a Make It Better Foundation 2026 Philanthropy Award winner, is the first pediatric palliative care facility to open in the U.S., and 1250 patients have received respite and end-of-life care there since its founding in 2004. “Facing a child’s death is the worst thing imaginable. There’s no way to take that pain away,” says GMCH Child Life Coordinator Kyle Amsler.  “We try to walk alongside families as best we can and make each day the best possible, however that looks for each family.”