Literature Review

HMN 2026: How palliative care understanding shapes preferences for end-of-life care Health Medicine Network; 99/28/26 A Swedish population-level study has found that people with a comprehensive understanding of palliative care are more likely to prefer end-of-life care at home or in a hospice. Among individuals with less understanding about palliative care, hospital care is preferred. ... The data were based on a random sample of 3,750 people ages 16–90 from the Swedish population register. 

What we get wrong about death, according to end-of-life workers HuffPost; by Monica Torres; 9/12/26 ... I had conversations with palliative and hospice care physicians, nurses and social workers that comforted me, surprised me and challenged my own assumptions about death. Maybe they will for you, too. Here are some of the biggest misunderstandings they shared with me about death and what the reality actually is:

How Caledonia is using a community festival to redefine end-of-life planning McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 9/7/26 A first-of-its-kind festival aims to bring “deathcare” back into the fabric of community life by reducing fears and stress tied to the end of life. Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care in North Riverside, IL,  is partnering with Wally’s Hearth, a Chicago nonprofit working to establish the state’s first social model hospice home, to host Telling the Bees Fest: A Chicagoland Deathcare Education & Resource Festival. The festival is designed to foster “honest, compassionate conversations about death, caregiving, planning, grief, remembrance and what it means to care for one another through the full human experience,” according to organizers.

Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz launches healthcare sciences scholarship to support future medical leaders Newsnet Los Angeles, Harlingen, TX; by Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz Scholarship; 8/28/26 The Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz Scholarship for Healthcare Sciences officially opens its application process, offering vital financial support to dedicated undergraduate students across the United States. Designed to foster the next generation of medical and allied health professionals, this scholarship initiative encourages aspiring clinical leaders to pursue their academic and professional ambitions in healthcare. Founded by Dr. Ricardo Schwarcz, a highly accomplished physician board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care Medicine, Neurocritical Care, Sleep Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine, the program seeks to inspire students who display an enduring passion for patient-centered care.

Camp gives local students a hands-on look at careers in health care MaineHealth, North Conway, NH; Press Release; 8/25/26More than 20 local middle and high school students spent a week this summer discovering that there is much more to health care than what happens in a hospital room. MaineHealth Memorial Hospital’s annual Health Camp offered in partnership with MWV School to Career Summer Program gave students an opportunity to explore a wide range of health care careers through hands-on activities, demonstrations, games and behind-the-scenes experiences throughout the hospital. Throughout the week, campers rotated through hospital departments and interactive activities, getting a firsthand look at the many skills, roles and professions that contribute to patient care.

Soul injury in St. Augustine aims to help health workers with trauma The St. Augustine Record, St. Augustine, FL; by Lucia Viti; 8/24/26 Community Hospice & Palliative Care is bringing a specialized Soul Injury Workshop to St. Augustine, designed to help health-care workers address the emotional wounds that often accompany trauma, grief and caregiving. The workshop brings together child protection advocates, mental health providers, victim advocates, educators, domestic violence staff, social workers, first responders, nurses, nursing students and other medical professionals. [Additional access may be limited by a paywall.]Editor's Note: This community initiative exemplifies excellence for collaboration across the continuum of care. Every hospice patient, caregiver, and family arrives carrying their own history of trauma, grief, and caregiving — unhealed "soul injury," in Deborah Grassman's language of unmourned loss and unforgiven guilt. A hospice's most sacred season can reinforce those wounds through rushed, dismissive care, or begin to heal them through compassionate presence. Which door are you opening?

AARP is working to root out health care ageism AARP; by Megan O'Reilly; 7/27/26 ... In collaboration with the Gerontological Society of America, AARP launched a training program last year to help future health professionals recognize and stop age-based bias. Tested at 13 universities across the country with about 500 students, the program uses health care scenarios and practical tools that remind providers to listen first and treat people as individuals, not stereotypes. ... Additionally, AARP has pushed for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow Medicare to cover essential training for family caregivers. And we fought for a measure to assess hospitals’ commitment to improving care for older patients. We also collaborated with the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative to train ER personnel to recognize dementia symptoms. ...

The slow goodbye: navigating life when staring mortality in the face KOMO News; by Kelly Koopman; 7/22/26 Peter Mongillo doesn’t shy away from the cold, hard fact: He is dying. In June 2025, Mongillo was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. He was given a 25% chance of surviving one year. Yet one year after that devastating diagnosis, the former television news photojournalist and father of two sat down with us to discuss life, death, and how he’s navigated the journey of reckoning with his own mortality. ... “It's life," Mongillo told KOMO News Anchor and former coworker Kelly Koopmans. "Life is death, and as morbid as that may sound, we are all born, and we all die. It's something you can embrace and be a part of the journey," Mongillo added. "It's not the journey I necessarily wanted, but it's the journey that's chosen me, and I have to accept it." ... In this extended interview, Peter explained how he has lived with joy over the last year, how he navigated his illness as a father, and why he says the time he’s been granted has given him a chance to say a slow goodbye to everything and everyone he loves.

Religious scripts for dying The Christian Century; by Aaron Klink; 7/20/26 Travis Pickell explores the moral burden placed on those who face end-of-life medical decisions but lack communal support. Amid much conversation about end-of-life care—its methods, costs, and ethics—there is little sustained attention to the question of why this subject generates so much political and moral controversy. The blame is sometimes placed on advances in medical technologies (such as ventilators and artificial nutrition and hydration) or in treatments (such as kidney dialysis and aggressive chemotherapy). But the reality is more complicated, argues Travis Pickell in Burdened Agency - Christian Theology and End-of-Life Ethics. ... Pickell devotes much of the book to exploring various theological understandings of death and outlining the “scripts for dying” created by each theology. 

New easy-to-navigate web edition: A history of care - 250 years of American need, service and hope Composing Life Out of Loss, partnered with Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy S. Berger; 7/20/26 Growing out of your overwhelming response to our July 4th, 2026 commemoration, we’re now releasing a new web edition of A History of Care: 250 Years of American Need, Service and Hope to carry this work forward. We invite you to use this living history—in your own setting and across our field—as we write the next chapters of care together.

Community gathers to strike out cancer and honor loved ones during awareness event WUFT | PBS/NPR, Gainesville, FL; by Curan Ahern; 7/12/26 Just over one year ago, Corey Williams received the news everyone dreads: a loved one being diagnosed with cancer. A local artist, poet, videographer and father of four, Williams found out in May 2025 his fiancée, Iya Burkett, had cancer. Within a month, Williams saw the disease rapidly progress. ... Williams faced one of the worst realities a man can experience: Burkett died, and he was not prepared. ... Williams also lost his mother to cancer three years prior, leaving him to face the world without the two most important women in his life. After wrestling with the losses, he planned community events to commemorate his loved ones, raise awareness and start uncomfortable conversations about preparedness — conversations that often need to be had but are avoided. ... Along with friends and family, members of Haven Hospice’s bereavement program, Healing Hearts, showed up to support Williams and his family. Burkett worked for Haven Hospice for 13 years, and the organization helped Williams transition into life without his fiancée. 

What do UK hospice websites communicate about the meaning of palliative care? BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Lucy Williams, Charlotte Browne, Paul Perkins, and Vanessa Taylor; 6/30/26Objectives: Hospice websites are an important source of information for the public. This study examined whether information communicated about palliative care aligned with WHO and the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) definitions of palliative care. ... Conclusions: Key information was often missing, and opportunities to educate the public and address misconceptions are being lost. Hospice websites need reviewing and content updating to help improve public understanding of palliative care. Editor's Note: What does your website communicate? What information does it omit, and why? In a time of heightened scrutiny and rampant fraud, examine your website for strengths, gaps, and opportunities to educate and support the public with integrity, authenticity, and empowered choice.

Scam alerts issued as fraudsters target Washington Parish residents The Bogalusa Daily News, Bogalusa, LA; by Kim Gerald; 6/26/26 Washington Parish residents are being urged to remain vigilant as several scams continue to circulate throughout the area, targeting individuals through phone calls, text messages and emails. Local authorities and healthcare providers have recently issued warnings about multiple fraud schemes designed to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting victims. One of the latest alerts comes from Riverside Medical Center, which is warning Medicare recipients about scammers offering free medical equipment or healthcare services. ... Officials caution that hospice scams can be especially damaging because victims may unknowingly be enrolled in hospice care, potentially affecting their access to regular Medicare benefits.