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.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month: Air ambulance specialist offers perspective on end-of-life transportation support Cision PRWeb, Albuquerque, NM; Press Release by AirCare1; 11/1/26 ... Air transport allows a medically stable hospice patient to travel long distances to be near family, either at home or in a facility closer to loved ones. ... Patient wishes sometimes include a change of place. A medical flight for a hospice patient can transport them from a hospital to their home in another state, avoiding the strain of a long drive or a commercial flight. Departure happens only once the patient is stable, so the trip becomes a planned step in care. Families weighing an air ambulance for end-of-life transport should make an informed decision before choosing a provider. The type of air transport matters. Jets handle long-range trips, while helicopters suit shorter distances, so they must weigh up the type of transport. An air ambulance should also carry the equipment needed to act as an intensive care unit in flight, helping patients receive appropriate care while in transport.

Acute delirium management in hospice and palliative careJournal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing; by Shih-Yin Lin and Donna E. McCabe; 10/14/26 ... Effective prevention and management of delirium require a multifaceted, interprofessional approach that addresses modifiable risk factors, as well as the underlying acute medical causes. Hospice and palliative care nurses play a central role in implementing evidence-based nonpharmacological interventions and engaging family care partners to reduce symptom burden and improve outcomes through goal-concordant, supportive strategies, including early mobility, hydration, sleep-wake regulation, and careful pharmacological stewardship. 

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.

Hospice and end-of-life workers discuss what they’ve learned from their work and patients in their last moments The Guardian; by Madelein Aggeler; 10/21/26 ... Courtney first started working with dying patients when she was an oncology nurse. ... After a brief stint working in the ICU, Courtney began working in hospice care full-time. She says her job has reshaped how she approaches her life both personally and professionally. We spoke to her and other hospice and end-of-life workers about what they’ve learned from their work and their patients.

Arkansas man renews his vows to wife as his last wish KFSM 19 CBS, Bentonville, AR; by AJ Mendez; 10/22/26 Bryan and Terri Rose renewed their vows Wednesday, marking the first time a “Wish Upon a Wedding” event took place in Arkansas. Wish Upon a Wedding is a program similar to ‘Make a Wish’ that grants couples where one person has a terminal illness their last wishes. Bryan has Stage 4 colon cancer and was admitted to hospice earlier this week. Even through his terminal illness, he wanted to make sure his promises to Terri were restated.

Support group helps navigate loss in a fast-food culture The Denver Gazette, Denver, CO; by Katie Soenke, 10/19/26 ... You experience a loss. You take a few days off work. You are expected to heal and move on. ... Across the region, people navigating loss are encountering a cultural expectation of quick recovery that forces them to hide their pain. The result is deep isolation and exhaustion for those left behind, along with growing concern among grief counselors who say our society’s avoidance of loss is making the healing process much harder. “Grief is so incredibly isolating,” said Sarah Lee, a bereavement counselor with Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care. “And this is rooted in our culture’s avoidance, denial and discomfort.” Editor's Note: This "fast-food culture" metaphor for how we treat grief is profound. Right on target. Read on. 

Aging life care managers can be a ‘Godsend’ for familiesKFF Health News; by Paula Span; 10/14/26If a combination of appointments, bureaucracy, vigilance, and worry about a vulnerable older person — often interspersed with medical emergencies — sounds familiar, it might help to know about a service its providers ruefully call the best-kept secret in eldercare... About a decade ago, these experts rebranded themselves as aging life care managers. It usually takes a couple of years to become one. Most enter the profession as nurses or social workers; some are physical or occupational therapists or gerontologists. They must attain a required combination of advanced education and supervised experience before they can take the certification exam. The Aging Life Care Association, the nonprofit that represents these professionals, was founded in the 1980s and has grown to more than 2,000 members... Aging life care managers work for the client and the family paying them, not for hospitals or insurance companies. Moreover, the association’s extensive code of ethics specifically prohibits “accepting or giving referral fees, fee splitting, kickbacks or other similar arrangements in exchange for client referrals.” ... Aging life care managers serve as coordinators, not hands-on caregivers, and the range of services they provide is quite broad.

Takeaways from an evaluation of Google’s diagnostic chatbot, AMIESTAT by Mario Aguilar; 10/13/26The Lancet last week published the results of a Google Research study, funded by Alphabet, with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center exploring the feasibility and safety of Google's company’s experimental diagnostic chatbot. In the study, roughly 100 urgent care patients chatted with Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer, or AMIE, which created a list of possible diagnoses and management plans. The encounters with the chatbot were observed by a supervisor who could step in, and patients later saw a clinician.Publisher's note: While I found both the STAT and Lancet articles a bit technical, it's fascinating to begin reading about studies using AI for patient diagnosis purposes. The STAT article may require a subscription; The Lancet journal article referred to is: Conversational diagnostic artificial intelligence in ambulatory primary care: a prospective feasibility study; 10/26.

Morphine underused for end-of-life dyspnea in the emergency department compared with inpatient careMedscape; 10/13/26Among 250 patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with dyspnea at the end of life, 15.2% received morphine in the ED, whereas 68% received it during subsequent inpatient care. Patients with lung cancer or a do-not-resuscitate order were more likely to receive morphine in the ED, but its use was not associated with reduced survival.[This summary refers to [Jerusalem] Morphine for end-of-life dyspnea: Underuse in the emergency department versus inpatient care; Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; 9/26.]

‘Before I Forget’: A touching and surprisingly funny memoir on caring for ageing abusive parentsScroll.in / The Conversation; by Helen Vassallo; 10/11/26In writing about trauma, French writer Anne Pauly is also acerbically funny and no one is spared from her arch humour. How do you mourn an abusive alcoholic parent? French writer Anne Pauly’s Before I Forget, translated by Dina Leifer, addresses this question in a deeply personal account of grief. We accompany Pauly’s protagonist and narrator, Anne, as she cares for her ailing father, looking after his house and his personal grooming. Having grown up witnessing her father’s recurrent violence towards her mother, Pauly addresses some very serious topics... Before I Forget is an uncomfortable read at times. Anne says that her parents hurt each other deeply, but the reality Pauly describes is that of a violent alcoholic and his abused wife. This generosity towards her father is perhaps Anne’s way of processing her grief, enabling her to continue caring for him as she strives to find the humanity inside a monster.

Staggering: AI’s ALS breakthrough comes with a $5 million price tagThe Tech Edvocate; by Matthew Lynch; 10/11/26A leading pharmaceutical company, using advanced AI algorithms, has just announced what many are calling a groundbreaking success in Phase 2 trials. This new drug doesn’t just slow the progression of ALS; it effectively halts it. That’s right – halts it. The implications are monumental, offering a glimmer of hope where previously there was only despair. However, this beacon of scientific triumph comes with a staggering proposed price tag: $5 million per patient... However, critics are quick to point out that even factoring in these elements, $5 million is an extraordinary sum that would place the drug out of reach for the vast majority of patients globally. It raises fundamental questions about the value of life, the ethics of profit in healthcare, and whether AI-driven innovation, while brilliant, is inadvertently creating a two-tiered healthcare system where only the ultra-wealthy can access truly life-saving treatments. Who decides what a human life is worth, especially when that life can be saved?

What physician mothers miss while caring for everyone elseKevinMD; by Loryn Kromrey; 10/7/26Medicine and motherhood were intertwined from the very beginning. My water broke while I was in the operating room with my first baby, and he was born just two hours later... As physician mothers, we spend so much of our lives taking care of other people’s families. As an anesthesiologist, I had the privilege of caring for children and adults during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. I found so much purpose in my work, and I took that responsibility seriously. But it also came with immense pressure and days that pushed me to my limits. Stepping away gave me the perspective to see how often my own children sometimes got what was left of me after I had spent the day taking care of everyone else. I don’t say that with guilt. It’s simply something I couldn’t see until life forced me to slow down.