Literature Review

Lewy Body dementia treatment and management: practical care strategies Greater Good; 11/3/26 ... Behavioral and mood changes can be among the most stressful aspects of Lewy body dementia care. These changes may stem from hallucinations or delusions, but also from pain, infections, other illnesses, stress, or difficulty communicating frustration and fear. As a result, the person might resist care or lash out verbally or physically. Caregivers can work with doctors to rule out physical causes, review medications, look for environmental triggers, and only then consider medications for behavior if needed. ... Hallucinations, delusions, and other psychiatric symptoms add another layer of complexity. The person may not recognize that hallucinations are not real and can become frightened or agitated. Caregivers are encouraged to respond to the underlying emotion instead of arguing about facts.

Bereaved parents' experiences of virtual Storytelling Through Music: A qualitative analysisJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Carolyn S Phillips, Sue E Morris, Erin Rodriguez, Megan Hebdon, Jason Morris, Rev Brandon Morgan, Meera Singh, Amanda Maestro, Claudia Gruber; 9/26Bereaved parents whose child died from cancer are at risk for prolonged and complicated grief, yet accessible, engaging bereavement interventions remain limited. Storytelling Through Music (STM) is a virtual, group-delivered expressive arts intervention that integrates reflective writing, psychoeducation, and therapeutic songwriting. Five interrelated themes characterized the STM experience: (1) connecting with peers and music, (2) benefits of coping through sharing, (3) expansive emotional experience ... , (4) graded exposure through the sequenced writing-storytelling-songwriting process, and (5) enduring legacy, with the final song functioning as a lasting keepsake and ongoing coping resource. STM appears to support multidimensional grief processing by combining social connection, narrative meaning-making, and music-based emotional engagement in a virtual format.

Palliative care utilization in mesothelioma: Insights from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020)Journal of Palliative Care; by Sangam Sangam, Tripti Jain, Pulkit Jain, Shorabh Sharma; 9/26Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer with a median survival of about 1 year after diagnosis. Palliative care (PC) becomes important in improving symptom control and quality of life in cancer patients. However, there is no literature regarding specific determinants of PC utilization in hospitalized mesothelioma patients. We studied the trends and determinants in utilization of PC, and its impact on hospital costs using the National Inpatient Sample. Inpatient PC use in mesothelioma remains low but is associated with lower hospitalization costs. These findings support the need for systematic early PC integration in Mesothelioma management in a hospital setting.

Models of palliative care for malignant disease in rural settings: systematic review Journal of Pain and SYmptom Management; by Kirsten Arnold, Amy Pascoe, Patrick Steele, Venise Hon, Lisa Mounsey, Natasha Smallwood, Rebecca Disler; 10/28/26 Background: Access to palliative care for people with advanced cancer in rural settings remains inequitable due to workforce shortages, geographic isolation, and limited formalised care structures. This review synthesised evidence on rural palliative care models for people with malignant disease. Method: Systematic review of rural palliative care models for malignant disease published since January 2000; ...

Austin nonprofits and philanthropists making a difference Modern Luxury, Austin, TX; by The Editors; 10/26/26 In Austin, generosity runs deep. Meet the individuals and organizations who lift lives across the city and invite all of us to share in the rewarding work. ... Project Transitions, a nonprofit founded in 1988 that provides housing, recuperative care, and hospice for people living with HIV, operates a 61-unit supportive housing community called Burnet Place. Austinite Terry Eaton, the president and chief curator of Eaton Fine Art, recently collaborated with Austin artists to curate a pro bono art collection there, extending more than two decades of support ahead of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. projecttransitions.org 

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.

Distress screening and pediatric palliative care referral: A retrospective case-control study in supportive cancer care deliveryJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Jonathan Ebelhar, Katherine Yeager, Jordan Gilleland-Marchak, Dio Kavalieratos, Zhulin He, Rebecca Williamson Lewis, Katharine E Brock; 9/26Pediatric palliative care (PPC) reduces distressing symptoms and improves quality of life for children with cancer and their caregivers. This study assesses whether patient and caregiver distress is associated with PPC referral. Conclusion: Patients reporting high distress had higher odds of PPC referral. Caregiver DT [distress thermometer] scores were not associated with PPC referral. High patient distress scores could serve as a screening criterion for PPC referral.

Husband donates seven figures to build Newport News hospice home in honor of late wife 13 News - ABC, Newport News, VA; by Germyah Batey; 10/20/26 A seven-figure donation to the Riverside Foundation will help bring a new hospice home to Newport News, inspired by one husband’s experience caring for his wife, who died from Alzheimer’s disease earlier this year. James Thorton is making the gift in honor of his wife, Donna, his high school sweetheart and wife of 56 years. ... Thorton became Donna’s full-time caregiver, helping manage her daily needs, medications, and comfort. “There are parts of dementia which I could manage and control,” he said. “I could make sure she’s fed, make sure that she got her meds on time, make sure she was comfortable.” Riverside’s palliative care team eventually stepped in to help care for Donna at home. Thorton said the team was pleasant and understanding, an experience that inspired him to help other families facing similar challenges.

Best case/worst case: A multisite randomized trial of scenario planning for patients with late-stage kidney diseaseJournal of American Geriatrics Society; by Lily N. Stalter, Bret M. Hanlon, Kyle J. Bushaw, Jenna Nitkowski, Anne Buffington, Katharine L. Cheung, Amy B. Zelenski, Kristine Kwekkeboom, Amar D. Bansal, Deidra Candice Crews, Holly M. Koncicki, Daniel Lam, Alvin H. Moss, Maya K. Rao, Dawn Felicity Wolfgram, Jeniann Yi, Carrie Brill, Tamara Isakova, Margaret L. Schwarze; 9/26Best Case/Worst Case (BC/WC) is a communication tool to support nephrologists and older adults with advanced chronic kidney disease with decisions about dialysis. We compared the effectiveness of training nephrologists to use BC/WC versus usual care on receipt of palliative care, quality of life (QOL), quality of communication, dialysis initiation, and death. While we hypothesized that improving prognostic awareness and communication would increase palliative care utilization, the challenges of connecting patients with life-limiting kidney disease to palliative care are multifaceted, well documented, and likely not surmountable with a communication intervention alone. Conclusion: Training nephrologists to use the BC/WC communication tool does not significantly affect receipt of palliative care or other measurable clinical outcomes.

End-of-life care patterns by transplant eligibility among patients with end stage kidney diseaseJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Annie Liu, Jennifer F.N. Kizza-Brown, Ayman Al Jurdi, Ayesha M. Malik, Anushka Dalvi, Sharneet Sandhu, Lina Nurhussien, Nora K. Horick, Onyenma E. Obiejesie, Grace Bizup, Malia Armstrong, Kassem Safa, Sahir Kalim, Samantha Gelfand, Joshua Lakin, James A. Tulsky, Areej El-Jawahri, Nneka N. Ufere; 9/26Adults with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) often spend years awaiting kidney transplantation, during which transplant listing status frequently changes from active to inactive – a phase marked by evolving expectations. In the last year of life, patients had a median of two emergency department visits ... , two hospitalizations ... , and 25 cumulative hospital days ... Overall, 61% died in the hospital and 59% remained full code at death, and 18% were referred to hospice (median stay four days ... ) Conclusion: Adults with ESKD on dialysis experience intensive end-of-life care regardless of transplant eligibility. Switches to inactive status may represent a clinical inflection point to address prognostic understanding and transplant expectations.