Literature Review

Advance care planning in patients nearing the end of life: A pre-intervention study of racial disparities and provider factors Journal of General Internal Medicine | Springer; by Vedha Penmetcha BA, Mia Marcotte BA, Yashaswani Chauhan MD, Malathi Srinivasan MD, Adrian M. Bacong PhD, Amelia Sattler MD; 1/19/26 The pre-intervention study of Advance Care Planning (ACP) in patients nearing the end of life highlighted significant racial disparities and the impact of provider factors on ACP documentation. The study found that Asian patients were least likely to have ACP documentation in their charts, and minorities who had ACP conversations were less likely to have documentation. This suggests that ACP conversations are often not documented in the electronic health records of these patients, indicating a need for targeted interventions to improve ACP documentation rates. The study also revealed that providers may struggle to identify who and when to engage in ACP conversations, which can be a barrier to effective ACP.

A different kind of care: The compelling case for palliative care in advanced kidney disease docwirenews; by Keightley Amen; 1/20/26 Advanced kidney disease requires some of the most complex care in medicine due to medical management, comorbid conditions, symptom burden, patient and family psychosocial needs, difficult conversations, and advance care planning. Despite the significant coordination needed, care for this patient population is often more fragmented, with less access to supportive services, than for people with other chronic, life-limiting illnesses.

The rise of at-home palliative care and what it says about healthcare FINE Magazine; by Angela Smith; 1/15/26 For decades, end-of-life care meant one thing. A hospital room. A facility bed. A rotation of staff. A fluorescent light that never quite turns off. Families told themselves this was the safest option because it looked official enough to feel trustworthy. Hospitals felt like the only acceptable place to be when things were difficult. It was more ritual than logic. ...

What is palliative medicine and why is it so misunderstood? MedPage Today's KevinMD.com; by Patricia M. Fogelman, DNP; 1/16/26 After years of leading palliative medicine departments, as a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, I’ve had countless conversations that start the same way. A colleague in the hallway says, “Oh, palliative care—that’s so important. You all are so nice.” Or a hospital administrator tells me, “We wish we could give you more, but resources are tight right now.” Or my personal favorite: “Palliative care is great, but this patient isn’t ready for that yet.” Each time, I smile and nod, but inside I’m thinking: I used to say the same things before I came into palliative medicine, because once upon a time, I also had no idea what we actually do. 

Neuropalliative care in movement disordersContinuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology; by Benzi M Kluger; 12/25Over the past decade, significant progress has been made to advance palliative care approaches for patients with Parkinson disease and other movement disorders. This population has significant palliative care needs that are poorly met under traditional models of care, including nonmotor symptom management, advance care planning, psychosocial support, spiritual and existential support, care partner support, and timely referrals for specialist and end-of-life palliative care (hospice). Clinical trials demonstrate that specialist palliative care can improve many patient and family outcomes. Neurologists can use the five-pillars framework (nonmotor symptoms, advance care planning, psychosocial and spiritual support, care partner support, and timely involvement of specialist palliative care) to systematically address common sources of suffering that are poorly recognized in traditional models of care. This framework can be integrated into previsit screening forms and note templates to improve the detection of palliative issues.

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.

Gift of Life sets national record for most organs transplanted in U.S. history Gift of Life Donor Program, Philadelphia, PA; by Gift of Life Donor Program; 1/15/26 In 2025, Gift of Life Donor Program achieved a new national record coordinating the most life-saving organs transplanted of any organ procurement organization (OPO) in U.S. history and the most organ donor heroes in the organization's history. ... In 2025, Gift of Life:

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.

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.

Sangre de Cristo Community Care expands rural healthcare with HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley affiliation Small Business World Journal, Glenwood Springs, CO; Press Release; 1/12/26 Sangre de Cristo Community Care has announced that HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley, based in Glenwood Springs, will become an affiliate. This affiliation marks an important step in strengthening healthcare access in rural Colorado and reflects Sangre’s and HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley’s deep commitment to ensuring compassionate care to rural communities. By joining forces, the two nonprofit organizations will now collectively cover 28,000 square miles across the state, expanding Sangre's existing 22,000 square miles of service and providing HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley with Sangre's infrastructure and resources.

[United Kingdom] One in five hospice beds closed, report warns in end of life care crisis Express - Health and Social Affairs; by Lucy Johnston; 1/10/26 Almost one in five hospice beds in England is now closed or standing empty, despite growing demand for end-of-life care, a study by Oxford University researchers has found. The analysis exposes a deepening funding crisis in the hospice sector - which its authors have described as “a national scandal.” ... [Oxford University professors describe that] ... increasing numbers of frail and elderly patients are dying “in pain, alone, often hungry and dehydrated,” while others are being admitted to hospital in emergency situations, adding pressure to already stretched NHS services.

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.”

“Can We Talk?” A community-based training to improve serious illness communication Home Healthcare Now; by Ashley Kaminski Petkis, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC and Eric Hackenson, DPT; Jan/Feb 2026 Serious illness conversations (SICs) are often delayed or avoided in community-based healthcare due to clinician discomfort and lack of training. Given that many patients wish to die at home, yet often do not, there is a need for structured communication training in home care and hospice settings to ensure the care we provide aligns with patient and family preferences. ...  By embedding SIC training within a community-based organization, this work demonstrated how modest interventions can catalyze a change in practice, reinforcing the idea that SICs are a standard of quality care rather than an optional enhancement.