Literature Review

Telehealth as a bridge for palliative and end-of-life care in nursing homes Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Rachael Alexander, Rebekah Perkins, Amy Powell-Versteeg, Pamela Barrientos, Laura Block, Rebecca M. Goodwin, Megan McClure, Rebecca Utz, Paige Patterson, Theresa A. Allison, Lynn Flint, and Caroline Stephens; 10/1/26 ... In interviews with multidisciplinary nursing home staff, participants described telehealth as enabling timely palliative and end-of-life care for nursing home residents, particularly where specialty services were otherwise unavailable and when units were closed during infectious outbreaks.Telehealth can reduce travel burden for nursing home residents, increase family engagement, improve symptom management, and facilitate goals-of-care discussions.

Respecting spinal cord injury patient autonomy in the context of terminal extubationJournal of Palliative Care; by Rainy B S Wortelboer, Lauren Hall, Fareea Khaliq; 9/26Terminal extubation ... is a legally and ethically accepted practice in the United States where mechanical ventilation is withdrawn when ongoing life-sustaining treatment no longer aligns with a patient's stated goals of care. Nearly 42% of intensive care unit deaths involve withdrawal of such measures. Discussions regarding goals of care may be complicated by quality-of-life concerns and potential ableist bias when physical dependence is misinterpreted as incompatible with meaningful life. We present a case-based ethical analysis of an 88-year-old male with traumatic high-level cervical SCI [spinal cord injury] who requested terminal extubation following prolonged hospitalization. After interdisciplinary evaluation confirmed decision-making capacity and with strong family support, he elected hospice care. He was extubated with palliative support and passed 48 h later. This case highlights the intersection of autonomy, capacity, and ethics in end-of-life decisions for patients with SCI and underscores the importance of ethical, patient-centered approaches when considering withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

Do not play: Recognizing spiritual distress in serious illnessJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Jeanna A Ford; 9/26Spiritual distress is a significant yet frequently underrecognized component of serious illness and palliative care. Although spirituality is recognized as a core domain of quality palliative care, patients often express spiritual suffering through grief, mistrust, anger, identity, trauma, or existential concerns rather than explicitly religious language. This article explores the role of spiritual assessment and open-ended inquiry in recognizing spiritual distress through the case of an 86-year-old Black male with metastatic prostate cancer who repeatedly refused to answer standardized questions regarding spiritual distress. Although he identified as agnostic, broader conversations revealed profound sources of meaning, suffering, dignity, and peace shaped by experiences of racism, institutional mistrust, family, music, and legacy. The case illustrates how spiritual distress may emerge indirectly and highlights the limitations of relying solely on structured screening tools.

NCPPCH CEO: Building stronger end-of-life pediatric supportHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 9/24/26Families often experience complex emotional, physical and logistical challenges when a child has a serious or terminal condition. Slow-moving state and federal policy are not keeping pace with the growing demand for improved support... Hospice News sits down with Jonathan Cottor, CEO and founder at the National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes (NCPPCH). The organization focuses on improving community-based pediatric palliative and respite care through increased education, policy advocacy efforts and offering support, guidance and best practice to providers. Guest Editor's Note by Judy Zeringue: This technical paper is intended to inform and educate policymakers, healthcare leaders, and community stakeholders about the role of Pediatric Palliative Care Centers to offer respite within the Medicaid care continuum. It examines existing Medicaid spending patterns, care delivery models, and policy alignment considerations relevant to sustainable, family-centered care for children with medical complexity, particularly those with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

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. 

People say they want to die at home. I think about it differently. Guest essay International New York Times; by Daniela J. Lamas; 9/29/26What is a good death? We tend to imagine a good death as one that takes place at home, far from the sounds and smells and lines and tubes of an intensive care unit, like the one where I work. I believed this for many years. But after a decade as an I.C.U. doctor, I've come to think we need a different definition of a good death. A death at home can be the right thing for a patient and his or her family. But it is not inherently better. An I.C.U. death can be peaceful and dignified. A death at home can be panicked and painful. Yet we have built a culture, and quality metrics, that treat I.C.U. care at the end of life as a failure. ... "dying." But sometimes intensive care is the right place to care for a dying patient.

Assessing palliative care screening tools for patients with cancer Oncology Nurse; by Vicki Moore, PhD; 9/25/26 A total of 19 screening tools for assessing palliative care needs among patients with cancer were identified in a recent scoping review, but with variation in their applications. The findings of the review were reported in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. ... The researchers identified 37 studies that reported a total of 19 screening tools for assessing palliative care needs of patients with cancer, which the researchers grouped into 3 categories. These included universal tools, tools with cancer-specific modules, and tools specifically developed for patients with cancer. 

NIH grant advances research on palliative care at home Indiana University School of Nursing; by Glenda Shaw; 9/23/26 ... A new research project led by Indiana University School of Nursing assistant professor Lyndsay DeGroot, PhD, RN, aims to bring palliative care directly to patients in their homes through a telephone-based program that could make supportive care more accessible for people living with serious chronic illness. To support this work, DeGroot has received a NIH-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) five-year K23 Career Development Award totaling $916,000. The award will fund her project, “Implementing Community-Based Palliative Care for Adults with Heart Failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.”

Evaluation of palliative care technical skills in an acute care setting: A simulation-based, qualitative assessmentAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Daniel Boron-Brenner, Alexzandra Gentsch, Jenna Campolieto, Sepehr Sedigh-Haghighat, John Liantonio; 8/26Emergency physicians frequently encounter patients with serious illness, yet training in palliative care competencies remains inconsistent during emergency medicine (EM) residency. The objective of this study was to qualitatively examine EM residents' perceptions of the intersection between palliative care and emergency medicine following participation in palliative care-focused simulation scenarios. Residents reported uncertainty regarding core palliative care competencies, including interpretation of advance directives, documentation of do-not-resuscitate/do-not-intubate orders, and clinical decision-making during peri-arrest and resuscitation scenarios. Emotional responses included hesitancy and discomfort during high-stakes decision-making, particularly in the setting of limited information. Palliative-focused simulation elicited perceived knowledge gaps and emotional responses relevant to emergency care delivery. Simulation-based education may offer a structured approach to integrating palliative care competencies into EM training.

Interactive maps of aging: Judy Salerno and Lindsay Goldman GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Care Podcast for Every Healthcare Professional; pocast by Judy Salerno and Lindsay Goldman; 9/24/26 Love the story Judy Solerno tells at the start of this podcast. The story is about how John Snow, the father of modern epidemiology, mapped out cases of Cholera in London in the year 1854.  He was able to identify a concentration of cases near a neighborhood water pump.  Simply removing the handle from the pump halted the outbreak.  This is one of the earliest recorded uses of maps for public health purposes. Our guests today, Judy Salerno (President Emeritus of the New York Academy of Medicine) and Lindsay Goldman (CEO of Grantmakers in Aging) have done some wonderful work creating detailed, in-depth, interactive maps of aging in New York City. Go to IMAGENNYC and try it yourself.

Hospice of Humboldt expands in-home palliative care with $250K match Archynewsy; by D. Natalie Singh; 9/23/26Hospice of Humboldt has launched a $500,000 campaign to expand its Home-Based Palliative Care program, bolstered by a $250,000 matching gift from the owners of Premier Financial Group, according to reports from the Lost Coast Outpost. The program, which delivers medical care, symptom management, and care coordination directly to patients’ homes, currently serves 70 patients and families but sits at full capacity with a six- to eight-week waitlist.

CMS expands the ACCESS Model: new tracks for heart failure, COPD, substance use disorders, tobacco cessation, and extended MSK support Foley Hoag; 9/21/26 Key Takeaways: