Literature Review

Children supported by hospice remembered in songs Europe Says, Oxford, UK; Press Release; 4/19/26  Ten children who were cared for in a hospice have been honoured with a collection of specially commissioned songs. The bereaved families of the children worked closely with musicians on The Keepsake Circle project at Helen and Douglas House in Oxford. ... The families taking part in The Keepsake Circle project shared stories about their children and what made them unique. The deeply personal songs for the families have been written and produced by singer Kiki Deville and songwriter Angus Powell, with instrumentalist and producer Gregor Gergő Petri also joining the team. 

Sovereign Hospice: addressing late-stage renal condition care gaps in Fort Worth MyCarrollCountyNews.com, Dallas, TX; by Sovereign Hospice; 4/16/26 End-stage kidney disease affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. When kidneys can no longer sustain life without dialysis or a transplant, families are left to make decisions that few feel prepared for. Sovereign Hospice ... is drawing attention to a gap many families face: not knowing that hospice care services exist as a legitimate, fully supported option at this stage of illness. ... For patients with end-stage kidney disease, the shift away from aggressive treatment means that symptom management becomes the priority. Common symptoms at this stage include fatigue, pain, restlessness, and fluid retention. The interdisciplinary team is trained to address all of these through individualized care plans.

Music in the last hours: finding humanity in the ICUAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, from Piura, Peru; Carlos F. Ugas-Charcape, MD, PhD and Cristopher A. Tarazona Chapilliquen; 3/27/26Objective: To describe the use of personalized music as a comfort measure during the final hours of life in the ICU and reflect on its impact on the patient, family, and care environment. ...Conclusions: Personalized music represents a simple, patient-centered adjunct that may enhance comfort and dignity in the final hours of life.Editor's Note: For more detailed research, case studies and therapeutic guidance for using music in the "last hours" with hospice and palliative patients and families, I invite you to explore "The Final Cadence," a chapter in my book Music of the Soul - Composing Life Out of Life. 

The power of showing up: how families can support loved ones who are aging or ill Good Men Project; by Harvey Max Chochinov; 4/14/26 For many families, visiting a loved one who is aging or seriously ill can feel surprisingly hard. ... What if the problem is not that families have too little to offer, but that we misunderstand what truly helps? ... By emphasizing presence over fixing, dignity over distraction, and meaning over outcomes, it helps families:

Expanding access to palliative care for patients with advanced liver diseaseAAAS - EurekAlerts!, Philadelphia, PA; describes JAMA Internal Medicine at doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2026.0571; 4/13/26 A new multicenter trial led by Manisha Verma, MD, and Victor Navarro, MD, at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphi Hospital demonstrates a new approach that could potentially transform access to palliative care for patients with ALD and address a major care gap. In the PAL LIVER trial, a large cluster-randomized study conducted across 19 U.S. centers, researchers evaluated whether hepatologists trained in primary palliative care could match the effectiveness of palliative care specialists in delivering quality-of-life benefits to patients with ALD, including those with decompensated cirrhosis and liver cancer. With 935 patients enrolled, this is one of the largest trials to date in liver disease palliative care.

Improving quality for gender-diverse hospice patients Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/8/26 Various factors impede the ability of transgender and gender-diverse individuals to receive goal-concordant care at the end of life. Individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community often face greater risks of privacy violations, cultural suppression, disrespect and trauma compared to others, according to Amanda Monteiro, palliative care social worker at Mount Sinai Hospital. ... LGBTQIA+ individuals are often referred to hospice or palliative care later in their disease trajectories compared to others, according to Dr. Alexis Drutchas, palliative care physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. ... Clinicians need better tools to help guide end-of-life conversations with gender-diverse patients and their loved ones, said Dr. Ramón Rodriguez, palliative care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.Editor's Note: For a definitive, groundbreaking resource, examine LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care : A Practical Guide to Transforming Professional Practice, by Kimberly D. Acquiva. 

Families face identity theft following a death Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/8/26 When a loved one dies, the specter of identity theft can loom large, particularly through unclosed digital accounts that family members may not be aware of. Approximately 2.5 million deceased Americans have their identities stolen annually, with roughly 800,000 of these cases specifically targeted because they have died, according to the State of California Department of Justice. Managing and closing digital accounts can help mitigate the risk of identity theft, according to Donnell Beverly, Jr., CEO of Eazewell.

Challenges in the end-of-Life care for patients with severe persistent mental illness: a case series Psychogeriatrics; by Kaushadh Jayakody, Isha Bajaj, Doug Blomeley; 4/7/26 Conclusions: ... This study emphasises the importance of improved clinician training, clearer referral pathways and integrated care models in addressing this disparity. Implementing these measures will aid in addressing longstanding inequalities and ensure individuals with SPMI receive appropriate and timely palliative and EOL care.

TNMHPO Announcing Veteran Initiative Partnership (VIP)Texas ~ New Mexico Hospice & Palliative Care Organization; email; 4/1/26 If your organization supports veterans in hospice or palliative care, we’d love to invite you to be part of something meaningful. Introducing the Veterans Initiative Partnership (VIP) — a new, no-cost program designed to bring together providers, partners, and professionals committed to improving care for veterans. ...

How to navigate a multigenerational team in health careHomeCare; by Kimberly Skehan & Jennifer Kennedy; 4/2/26 For the first time in history, five generations are working side by side in today’s organizations. Each cohort brings distinct experiences, values, communication styles and expectations. In health care, these differences influence not only workplace culture but also how care is delivered, received and supported. Understanding generational differences is no longer a soft skill. It is a strategic competency tied directly to quality, compliance, workforce sustainability and patient experience. The 5 Generations:

Moral distress and occupational burnout in US physicians JAMA Network; by Michael A. Tutty, PhD, MHA, Colin P. West, MD, PhD, Liselotte N. Dyrbye, MD, MHPE, Hanhan Wang, MPS, Lindsey E. Carlasare, MBA, Christine A. Sinsky, MD, Mickey Trockel, MD, PhD, Tait D. Shanafelt, MD; 3/24/26 Question: What is the level of moral distress and the association between burnout, intent to leave (ITL), and intent to reduce work hours (ITR) among physicians and US workers? Conclusion and Relevance:  In this survey study, moral distress was common among physicians and experienced at higher rates than the general US working population. Understanding the differences between moral distress and burnout may allow organizations to more effectively implement interventions to address both concerns among clinicians. 

Expert panel updating NCHPC’s Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines Hospice News; by Kevin Ryan; 4/1/26 The National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care (NCHPC) has chosen a panel of 33 palliative care experts to develop the 5th edition of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care. Originally created in 2004, through the National Consensus Project, the guidelines established the first national, evidence-based standards for the palliative care field. The guidelines have been updated four times since 2004 and have been endorsed by more than 90 health and professional health care worker organizations.  

Seniors who say they’re “not afraid of death” often still carry these quiet worries they don’t talk about Bolde; by Julie Brown; 4/1/26 My grandmother said it so matter-of-factly that it almost stopped the conversation. ... "I'm not afraid of it," she said. "I've had a very good life. When it's time, it's time." And she meant it. I believed her completely. But then, a few minutes later, she mentioned almost in passing that she hoped she wouldn't "get confused" at the end.