Literature Review

HopeHealth receives $200K grant to expand community engagement efforts Providence Business News, Providence, RI; by PBN Staff; 6/7/26 HopeHealth, the second-oldest hospice organization in the country, says it has received a $200,000 grant from Papitto Opportunity Connection to support the launch of a new community engagement program aimed at connecting underserved people with grief support, palliative care services and end-of-life care through hospice. The aims of the new program include building awareness of the benefits of palliative care, hospice, grief support and family caregiver support.

Pastor-endorsed hospice education increases willingness to accept hospice among African American congregants in rural North Carolina American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Tiffany D. Morris, DNP, MS, Ed, MSN, CNE; 5/28/26 ... This preliminary quality improvement project evaluated a culturally tailored, pastor-endorsed hospice education intervention in two African American Baptist churches (n = 49). Guided by humanistic nursing theory, pastors used the African American Outreach Guide for End-of-Life Care to dispel myths and explain hospice services. Willingness to accept hospice (AARP End of Life Survey) increased from 60.4% to 93.6% (51.7% relative increase), and uncertainty decreased from 39.6% to 6.4% (84.2% reduction).

By the Bay Health recognized as 2026 Golden Bell Honoree for Innovative Healthcare Workforce Development Program ByTheBayHealth.org News, Larkspur, CA; by Sarah Robertson; 5/27/26 By the Bay Health has been named a 2026 Golden Bell Honoree by the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) and the Marin County School Boards Association (MCSBA) in recognition of its Pathways to Care Careers initiative ... The award recognizes By the Bay Health’s longstanding partnership with Marin County schools and its commitment to expanding access to healthcare career education for high school and college students. A key component of the initiative is the Introduction to the World of Healthcare course at San Marin High School. Funded by private donations to By the Bay Health, the course is taught by a By the Bay Health clinician and clinical guest lecturers through a partnership with the Marin County Office of Education.Editor's Note: Congratulations on this innovative partnership and investment in future healthcare professionals. May this intergenerational model inspire other healthcare organizations to help cultivate the next generation of compassionate care.

Signs it’s time for in-home healthcare: 11 warning signs U.S. News & World Report News; by Barbara Sadick; 5/27/26 

Palliative care education boosts assisted living staff confidence, care quality for residents with dementiaMcKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 5/27/26...  Most assisted living staff members currently say they lack the training to engage in advance care planning, according to the researchers. The National Institutes of Health, which funded [this] study, said that the palliative care education intervention studied has the potential to be delivered more broadly among assisted living communities and could be vital in addressing workforce challenges in providing high-quality palliative and end-of-life care there. 

Hospice and students 'break taboos' in podcast BBC News, Staffordshire, United Kingdom; by Aida Fofana; 5/26/26 A university and hospice charity have collaborated to launch a podcast, aiming to break the taboo around death and dying by discussing grief and hospice care. Birmingham City University (BCU) students and St Giles Hospice in Staffordshire created the Dying to Tell You Something podcast, featuring guests including volunteers, fundraisers and the hospice's director of clinical services, Leon Ratcliffe.

Hospice fraud is real — but so is ethical hospice care Mountain Democrat, Placerville, CA; by Tim Meadows, CEO of Snowline Health; Molly Corbett, CEO of Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice; Deanna Brooks, CEO of Hospice of San Joaquin; Sarah McSpadden, CEO of The Elizabeth Hospice; and Craig Dressang, CEP of YoloCares; 5/20/26 Recent headlines detailing hospice fraud investigations across California are deeply troubling. ... These investigations are necessary, long overdue and effective. ... However, amid this justified scrutiny, it is critical not to lose sight of an equally important truth: Hospice fraud is not hospice care. ... Just as important, there are clear ways to identify ethical hospice providers. Families can protect themselves by taking a few simple, informed steps:

Each May, Kennedy students raise money against cancer KELO Pierre, SD; by Bob Mercer; 5/18/26 Students at Kennedy Elementary School in Pierre are learning a valuable lesson. Giving can be the greatest gift of all. There was a friendly competition again during the first two weeks of May between the school’s 19 classrooms to see which one could raise the most money for a life-saving cause. It’s called Kennedy versus Cancer. Their goal was to raise $7,500 — and they’ve reached it once again. ... The money goes to Countryside Hospice. ... Kennedy Elementary students have been raising money to help the fight against cancer since their school opened in 2015. ... So far, more than $60,000 has been brought in.

Local students stitch comfort, compassion, and dignity for hospice patients Bennington Banner, Bennington, VT; Press Release; 5/4/26 A small group of students in a dedicated class at Mount Anthony Union High School have spent recent weeks carefully crafting handmade catheter bag covers and adult bibs for patients served by VNA and Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR). Each stitch tells a story — not just of skill learned, but of empathy in action. For hospice patients, small details can make an immeasurable difference. Everyday medical necessities, like catheter bags, can feel clinical and impersonal. These thoughtfully designed covers soften that experience, offering privacy, warmth, and a sense of normalcy. 

Your kids don’t care: 9 reasons to have someone other than your children as your medical power of attorney SavingAdvice.com; by Drew Blankenship; 4/25/26 ... When it comes to naming a medical decision-maker, most parents automatically choose their children without thinking twice. But being your child doesn’t necessarily make someone the best person to make life-and-death decisions on your behalf. A medical power of attorney gives that person enormous responsibility, often during highly emotional moments when clear thinking is critical. Here are nine reasons why choosing someone other than your children may actually be the smarter (and safer) decision.

Building empathy for dementia patients The Vindicator; by Susan Wojnar; 4/24/26 As dementia rates continue to climb across Ohio — particularly in the Mahoning Valley — a new hands-on training is helping caregivers and community members better understand what it’s like to live with the condition. ... Mahoning County ranks fourth in the state for the highest percentage of seniors living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Approximately 6,000 residents age 65 and older — about 12.1% of that population — are affected. ... In response to the growing need for caregiver support and education, Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice has introduced a new training program called Dementia Live. ...

Engaging bereaved parent educators in pediatric end-of-life workshops: A trauma-informed onboardingJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Kayla Solstad, Dannell Shu, Kelly McManimon, Stacy Remke, Susan O'Conner-Von, Anne Woll, Joseph M Miller, Miriam C Shapiro, Johannah M Scheurer; 3/26Recognizing that pediatric end-of-life (EOL) scenarios occur infrequently and are distressing for trainees and other healthcare team members, our group created pediatric end-of-life care skills (PECS) simulation-based workshops to improve trainee competence for these skills. We  ... provide interprofessional workshops, including trainees from the pediatric residency program, graduate school of nursing, and graduate school of social work. Since creation of the workshops, the group and curricula have benefited immensely from including the expertise of bereaved parent educators (BPEs), who have experienced the death of their own infant or child and have been integral team members ... from workshop creation through facilitation. Research shows that families who have experienced the death of a child appreciate an interdisciplinary approach to their care and communication at the EOL. When parents of pediatric patients were asked about priorities in EOL care, they highlighted the importance of communication, emotional expression and support by staff, and ready access to multi-disciplinary staff.

What to do when a dying friend refuses contact Times.News; by Sofia Alvarez; 4/13/26 The experience of facing a terminal illness is often framed as a time for reconciliation and the strengthening of bonds. However, for some patients, the reality is a profound retreat from the world. When a dying friend refuses contact from friends, it creates a complex emotional vacuum for those left behind, who must balance their desire to provide support with the need to respect a patient’s autonomy. This tension often manifests as a “silent goodbye,” where the dying individual chooses isolation over the emotional labor of maintaining relationships.