Literature Review

Patients' perceptions of autonomy in palliative care: Two patient interview exemplars Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Kristen Tulloch, Julia Acordi Steffen, John P Rosenberg; 1/19/26 Results: Four themes were identified: (a) my involvement in healthcare decisions, (b) change to my autonomy during illness progression, (c) self-assessing my abilities to exercise autonomy and (d) my coping mechanisms for loss of autonomy. Palliative care patients perceived and managed their autonomy amidst their illnesses, revealing a sense of loss of autonomy extending beyond healthcare into many daily activities. Participants wished to exercise autonomy in nuanced ways, varying in intensity across many aspects of their lives, underscoring the importance of recognising and respecting individuals' wishes for autonomy.Editor's Note: The authors’ focus on coping with loss of autonomy is essential. As illness progresses, autonomy can erode not only in medical decisions but across daily life, identity, and meaning—losses that are too often overlooked in clinical care. The frequently misapplied “Five Stages of Grief” can further blur this reality, reducing complex, personal experiences to linear expectations not supported by contemporary grief research. Understanding how patients adapt to loss of autonomy is foundational to truly person-centered palliative care.

Trends in pediatric palliative care - A newsletter Trends; by the Siden Research Team; 1/20/26 In 2024 TRENDS published it’s 100th issue and enrolled its 1000th newsletter subscriber, the newsletters growth shows no signs of stopping. The Siden Research Team continues to center ways to foster the pediatric palliative care community and ultimately improve care for our patients. ... ith no journal dedicated to pediatric palliative care, finding relevant articles required scouring pediatric journals for palliative literature and palliative journals for paediatric literature – clearly there was a gap in effective dissemination of relevant articles. ... The Siden Research Team took initiative to bridge this gap. In June 2016 the first search and resulting citation list was compiled.

How hospice social workers create everyday moments that matter Severna Park Voice, Severna Park, MD; by Chris Gooding, LCSW-C, social worker Hospice of the Chesapeake; 1/15/26  There are many moving stories about how a hospice social worker helped a patient get married or take that one last trip to the ocean. These are impactful, memory-making moments that go a long way to honor the patient’s final wishes while helping a family heal after they’re gone. But I’m not going to share those kinds of moments. I’m going to share moments like helping the patient make a phone call to an estranged family member - or giving them permission to not make that phone call. Counseling a daughter whose mother no longer knows who she is due to dementia. These are moments that matter, everyday moments, that are nurtured by a hospice social worker. 

If you think you don't need a chaplain, reconsider Parkview Health | Family Medicine, Diseases & Disorders, Fort Wayne, IN; by Karen Kosberg, chaplain, Parkview Hospice; 1/18/26"I'm not religious." "I don't need anyone preaching at me.""I don't want a chaplain yet!"These are some of the responses I have heard over the years as a hospice chaplain. These statements are reactions to the offer of a visit. So once and for all, let's answer the question: Why a chaplain? ...Editor's Note: Continue reading this excellent description of our too-often-neglected hospice chaplains. Reach out to learn more about your hospice chaplains. Find meaningful ways to thank and honor them.

Nurse Honor Guard provides final salute to health care heroes Valley News Live; by Meredith Anderson; 1/16/26 Honor guard ceremonies, which are traditionally reserved for funerals held for military veterans, police officers and firefighters, are becoming more common for another group of frontline workers: nurses. The Georgia Nurse Honor Guard provides tributes to nurses who have died or are in hospice care, offering families a formal recognition of their loved one’s service to the community.

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:

How physical therapy supports comfort and connection in hospice care CBS News Baltimore, Baltimore, MD; by LifeBrdge Health; 1/13/26 ... Physical therapy in hospice looks different from traditional rehabilitation. Instead of focusing on long-term recovery, it centers on day-to-day steadiness and comfort. Every visit is shaped around what the patient feels able to do that day. "I try to emphasize what patients can do versus what they can't," Jennifer says. "Big goals can always be broken into smaller and more manageable steps." Therapy commonly supports three important areas.

How honoring patient autonomy prevents medical trauma Medpage Today's KevinMD.com; by Sheryl J. Nicholson; 1/11/26 Holding my mother in my arms as she took her last breath changed the way I understand care. That moment ... was heartbreaking and transformative. Her unwavering faith and peaceful passing contrasted sharply with the confusion that followed when CPR began despite her do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. I felt helpless. The experience became the catalyst for my commitment to advocacy and ethical clarity. It taught me that even well-intentioned interventions can violate patient autonomy and erode trust when systems fail to honor advance directives. ... Ethical implications: autonomy and systemic gaps ... Actionable steps for clinicians: ...

Novel AI tool offers prognosis for patients with head and neck cancerDana-Farber Cancer Institute; 12/23/25A team led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mass General Brigham has developed and validated an artificial intelligence (AI)–based noninvasive tool that can predict the likelihood that a patient's oropharyngeal cancer—a type of head and neck cancer that develops in the throat—will spread, thereby signaling which patients should receive aggressive treatment. The research is published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Reconnecting at the end: The healing power of nature in hospice and palliative care ehospice; by Dr. Owen Wiseman; 1/5/26 ... Humans are wired to feel better in nature. We feel calmer when we see the colour green or hear water flowing from a stream nearby. ... Evidence shows that simply viewing nature can reduce pain, anxiety, and stress. In one of the most-cited studies, patients recovering from surgery who had window views of nature used 21% fewer pain medications and shortened hospital stays. ... I’ve had a front-row seat to the power of nature in palliative care, both professionally and personally. ...Small Ways to Bring Nature In - Not every hospice or palliative care space has access to large gardens or forests. That said, nature can still find a way in:

Malnutrition deaths are soaring in the US – especially among seniors Independent; by Brendan Rascius; 1/5/26 Malnutrition deaths are soaring in the United States — particularly among seniors — and the reasons are unclear, according to a new report. In roughly the last 10 years, deaths linked to malnutrition have skyrocketed by a factor of six, making it the fastest-growing killer in the country, The Washington Post reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Hospice of the Valley GUIDE program supports caregivers The Arizona Republic - AZBigMedia.com; by Lin Sue Flood; 12/10/25 James, a lifelong athlete with 82 marathons under his belt, is facing his toughest challenge now: a type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia. But he’s not alone. He has his wife of 34 years, Reesa, by his side, and the support of a Hospice of the Valley dementia educator, who helps the couple navigate challenges like communication as the disease progresses. ...

Pediatric respite homes provide a survival mechanism for struggling families [podcast]Medpage Today's KevinMD.com; by KevinMD; 1/1/26Certified coach and professor Kathleen Muldoon and co-founder of Ryan House and Children’s Respite Homes of America Jonathan Cottor discuss the article “The need for pediatric respite care.” Kathleen shares the personal story of raising her son Gideon who lives with over 42 medical diagnoses and explain why the family had to move across the country to find safety. They highlight the critical difference between taking a break and surviving the relentless cycle of 24/7 medical vigilance required for medically complex children.