Literature Review

Hospice antibiotic use linked to higher mortality risk TakeToNews; by David Miller; 11/5/26 A comprehensive new retrospective analysis published in the esteemed medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases has shed light on a controversial and widespread practice in end-of-life care: the administration of antibiotics in hospice environments. Conducted by researchers examining patient trajectories at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the study suggests that routine antibiotic usage among terminally ill hospice residents may frequently cause more harm than good, correlating directly with an elevated risk of mortality for the vast majority of patients.

URI College of Nursing to establish interdisciplinary palliative care program to train students, healthcare professionals The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; by Patrick Luce; 11/5/26... University of Rhode Island College of Nursing Associate Professor Sean Reed, who joined the university in fall 2026 as the college’s Weyker Chair for Palliative and End-of-life Care, ... is creating an interdisciplinary undergraduate minor within the college, as well as graduate-level certificates and continuing education courses to prepare current healthcare professionals for palliative and hospice care. Reed is developing the courses for URI Faculty Senate approval, with the hope of beginning classes in summer or fall 2027.

Perceptions of telemedicine use for specialist care in skilled nursing facilitiesJAMA Network Open; by Gillian K. SteelFisher, Mary G. Findling, Eran N. Ben-Porath, Andrew D. Wilcock, Ateev Mehrotra, David C. Grabowski, Michael L. Barnett; 10/26More than one million people live as long-term residents in US skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Quality of care in these settings is often suboptimal, and among the key challenges is insufficient use of specialist care. In this national survey of 379 directors of nursing at SNFs, most of those whose residents used telemedicine confirmed the advantages of telemedicine, although they also reported additional time burdens on nursing staff. The top reasons for not using telemedicine among less-frequent users and nonusers were that specialists offered telemedicine only infrequently and there were limited improvements in quality of care over normal practices. The findings suggest that specialist telemedicine care is seen as a useful tool for SNFs, but incentives for specialists to offer telemedicine and reimbursement for nursing staff time are needed.

Vitas Healthcare: free CME/CE webinars for clinicians South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; 11/3/26 If you are required to complete ongoing continuing education to maintain licensure and stay current on evolving standards of care. VITAS Healthcare is offering a free accredited webinar series, led by experienced hospice experts, focused on hospice, palliative care, advanced illness management and veterans’ end-of-life care.

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.

How Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare influence palliative and hospice care implementation: a conversation with Xin Hu, PhD The ASCO Post; by Jo Cavallo; 10/29/26 In 2024, ASCO updated its guideline for the integration of palliative care in oncology, ... However, despite ASCO’s recommendations, utilization of palliative care in the oncology setting remains low, with about one-third of patients globally receiving this service, with the highest utilization rate of nearly 56% in Africa and the lowest, 30%, in the United States. The results from two studies by Xin Hu, PhD, MSPH, and her colleagues evaluating the use of early palliative care among traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with advanced cancers find that systemic and structural barriers in the health-care system are contributing to the underuse of palliative care among these patients.

Spirituality in end-of-life care: Tips and tools for all physiciansAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Derek Ross Soled, Sheila Cavanaugh, Anne Vandenhoeck, Michael Balboni; 9/26Many physicians find themselves with patients when life’s final horizon is approaching but feel ill-equipped when they cannot take the suffering away. If a patient has no discernible chance of recovery, praying for healing seems disingenuous, and yet expressing condolences seems premature. Family and friends sometimes similarly grapple with how best to convey sincere emotion without amplifying any awkwardness. End-of-life situations are often protracted and can weary clinicians and families alike with the challenge of what to say. This article discusses practical tools for physicians navigating these situations with a focus on spirituality and the role of chaplains.

Translating evidence into practice: implementing caregiver burden assessments in palliative care clinic American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Nasreen Bagwan Malik, Sherief Ghozy, Kitty Fan, Cheryl Green, Denise Mohess; 10/13/26 Background: Caregiver burden assessments lack clinical uniformity in palliative care. Existing evidence-based interventions often impose resource demands that are prohibitive for smaller programs. Objectives: (1) Demonstrate the practical utility of routine caregiver screening paired with an interdisciplinary team (IDT) response protocol. (2) Identify patient and caregiver factors influencing burden. Conclusion: This workflow provides a replicable roadmap to transition caregivers from “invisible patients” to actively supported extensions of the care unit, reinforcing dyadic assessments as standard practice in outpatient palliative medicine.

Competencies and barriers in the role of palliative nursing in cancer care Oncology Nurse Advisor; by Vicki Moore, PhD; 10/27/26 Nurses working in palliative oncology generally must integrate technical competence, emotional capacity, and cultural awareness across various stages of illness, according to a recent literature review published in the International Journal of Palliative Nursing, which also outlined challenges nurses may experience in this process. “While nurses demonstrate important strengths in symptom management and patient-family support, gaps remain in psychosocial, spiritual, cultural and ethical preparation,” the study’s authors wrote in their review. This integrative literature review was a synthesis of evidence regarding how competence, compassion, emotional labor, and educational preparation intersect in palliative oncology nursing.

CMS and states launch $275 million initiative to recruit and retain nurses in nursing homes CMS Newsroom; Press Release; 10/23/26 The new Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative is expected to support more than 4,000 nurses and nursing students nationwide, including those serving rural communities. Nursing students and licensed nurses interested in working in a nursing home may now qualify for up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment to serve in a qualifying nursing home in a rural or higher labor-shortage area through a new $275 million nationwide initiative announced today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

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.

Home health and hospice personnel file audit checklist for ACHC, CHAP and Joint Commission Surveys (2026) Corvara HR; 10/15/26 When ACHC, CHAP or The Joint Commission surveys a Medicare-certified home health agency or hospice for deemed status, the federal Conditions of Participation are the floor. This checklist turns the personnel parts of those rules into a file-by-file audit, adds the OSHA and Form I-9 records every file needs, marks what each accreditor publishes on top, and shows how to run the audit before a surveyor does.