Literature Review

Akron-area teen remembered for facing cancer with grace, laughter Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH; by Ralph N. Paulk and Marilyn Miller Paulk; 3/18/26 Darren Hampton smiled and laughed almost incessantly. ... His family reminisced how he fought an agonizing battle with grace and a seemingly habitual smile long after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 at age 7. ... Darren wasn’t afraid to die,” Hampton said. “He understood what was going on.” ... Then, shortly after arriving at the hospice center, he asked Abood, “Are you telling me I don’t have to go to school?” Yet, he expressed a willingness to take his state tests. “He was always concerned about his schoolwork,” ... "(Darren) was full of energy and always positive. He wanted to step in and change the world. He talked about recycling in rivers and lakes.” ... On the day he died, Darren summoned his family.  ... 

Facing death as a doctor: Knowledge vs natureMedscape; by Sarah Amandolare; 3/12/26 The decision to enroll her father in hospice care came easily for Janet Abrahm, MD. Abrahm, a palliative care doctor and former oncologist, helped her father — an internist who died of prostate cancer at home — understand the program’s benefits, such as family bereavement services, and that he could be readmitted to the hospital if needed. “Most doctors don’t know that,” said Abrahm, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston and the author of Comprehensive Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care for Patients with Cancer. “They think it’s a one-way street, I imagine — that you put somebody in hospice and then that’s it. ... The level of engagement physicians have with death in their practice may inform how they want to die — and how they counsel loved ones facing a serious illness. But a new study suggests even as they face end-of-life decisions through the lens of their expertise, physicians can also be swayed by the same financial, familial, and existential burdens afflicting their patients. 

Alzheimer’s definitions, biomarkers, and antibodies: Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, and Heather WhitsonGeriPAL podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, Heather Whitson; 3/12/26It’s an era of breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research, yet for many clinicians, it’s also a time of profound uncertainty. We are currently navigating competing definitions of the disease, multiple new biomarkers coming on market seemingly every week, and the clinical rollout of new amyloid antibodies. How do we translate this rapid-fire science into daily practice? On this week’s GeriPal podcast... we dive deep into:

Translating palliative care narratives into art: An arts-based knowledge translation pilot with young adult artists Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Kristina A. Smith, Philippe Blanchard, Susan Law, and Kelli Stajduhar; 2/25/26 Objectives: This knowledge translation project explored arts-based approaches for translating palliative care narrative data into creative forms, examining the feasibility of converting research narratives into accessible art forms that could facilitate engagement with death-related topics. Results: Over 25 artistic works illustrating death and dying experiences were created. The collaborative translation process revealed that undergraduate artists could effectively interpret and visualize complex palliative care narratives through diverse artistic approaches. Course evaluations and informal feedback indicated that artists found the experience meaningful and challenging, and expressed interest in further exploration of death-related topics. Editor's Note: Go to this article and scroll down past "Results" to see photos of these artworks and their descriptions.

"I don't get to feel this good very often:" Virtual reality intervention for veterans receiving end-of-life careJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Megan E Gately, Steven D Shirk, Anastasia Canell, Alexandra Laffer, Melanie Corle, Kristen Dillon; 2/26We explored the use of VR [virtual reality] with patients receiving inpatient HPC [hospice and palliative care]. Twenty-five veterans with complex medical and psychiatric comorbidities at a Veterans Affairs hospital participated. Data related to self-reported pain and well-being, as well as session feedback, were gathered. Despite some challenges with setup, 91% reported enjoyment, and 90% would participate again. Travel experiences were most popular, allowing reminiscence and touring of bucket-list destinations. Program feedback suggested improvements in anxiety, mood, and boredom.

"Black box" artificial intelligence for mortality prediction: a mixed- methods study of palliative care team, patient, and caregiver perspectives Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Beatrice Bridge, Ahmed Y Alasmar, Lauren Gunn-Sandell, Regina M Fink, Stacy M Fischer, Elizabeth Juarez-Colunga, Eric G Campbell, Matthew DeCamp; 2/26/26 Background: New artificial intelligence (AI)-based mortality prediction algorithms could support both patients' prognostic awareness and person-centered palliative care. ... Results: Among 53 interviewees, 18 expressed only concern about black box AI-based prognostication, 17 expressed only unconcern, and 18 interviewees expressed mixed sentiments. Reasons for concern related to: data transparency, mistrust of machines or their creators, patient-clinician communication, bias, and accuracy. Reasons for unconcern related to: inexplicability not unique to AI, greater accuracy, not using AI in isolation, trust in science, and being evidence-based. Notably, "accuracy" and "trust" appeared in both.

Palliative care for multiple sclerosis: Managing progressive disease with compassion Ashland localtownpages, Aubrey, TX; by Press Services; 3/5/26 Multiple sclerosis presents unique challenges that require specialized support throughout the disease journey. Patients experience unpredictable symptoms including fatigue, pain, mobility issues, and cognitive changes. These symptoms shift and intensify over time, affecting daily life for both patients and their families. Sovereign Hospice addresses these complex needs through palliative care and hospice at home service across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Thyme Care launches Integrated Social Support model, bringing proactive oncology social work to 8 million Americans upon diagnosis PR Newswire, Nashville, TN; by Thyme Care; 3/5/26 Thyme Care today announced the public launch of its Integrated Social Support (ISS) model, a redesigned approach to oncology navigation that positions licensed master's-level social workers as the first to intervene when members experience barriers to navigating their cancer. The announcement coincides with National Social Work Month in March, recognizing the essential role social workers play in improving health outcomes. An estimated 44% of individuals affected by cancer experience psychosocial burdens, which are associated with poorer health, clinical, and economic outcomes for patients and caregivers. Thyme Care's ISS model flips the approach by making licensed social workers one of the first points of contact for social, emotional, and practical needs, assessing members from day one and throughout their journey ...

Developing a tool to advance person-centred care in hospice: The little things are the big thingsPalliative Care and Social Practice; by Mary Ellen Macdonald, Sophia Salmaniw, Lisa McNeil-Campbell, Anne Frances D’Intino, Lynette Sawchuk, Cyndi Corbett, Logan Lawrence; 2/23/26 Person-centred care has become the cornerstone of quality palliative and end-of-life care. Yet, there is a dearth of both practical guidance and tools to operationalize how to ensure palliative end-of-life care is optimally person-centred. Noting this lacuna, a new hospice in Eastern Canada developed and piloted their own tool, called the SELFY (Share, Explore, Learn and Focus on You!), the intention being to standardize their institution’s commitment to high-quality person-centred hospice care.

Family says Farmington man who died en route to hospice 'knew he was dying in jail' ABC 40/29 News, Rogers, AR; by Adam Roberts and Carlee Gilpin; 3/7/26 The family of a 74-year-old Farmington man who died in jail said they tried for weeks to get him moved to a health care facility. James Edward Gore was arrested on Feb. 9, accused of stabbing two women. He died on Feb. 25 while being moved from jail to hospice care. The family held a news conference Friday, Mar. 6. They accused the prosecutor's office, the judge presiding over the case, and the sheriff's office of delaying hospice care and not communicating with the family. ... James Edward Gore was arrested after police say he used scissors and a knife to stab two women on Feb. 9. At the time, a family member told police Gore had just had a tumor removed from his frontal lobe. He also recently had a stroke, medication issues, and cancer.

Oncologist perspectives on timely hospice referral: A qualitative study American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; by Andrew Lynch, Andrea Altschuler, Joseph P Cosgrove, Hannah Whitehead, Corey Schwartz, Raymond Liu, Mina Chang; 3/7/26 Background: Late hospice referral rates are on the rise and are associated with negative outcomes at the end of life (EoL). Rates of late hospice referral vary drastically from oncologist to oncologist, and behavioral and psychological factors among individual oncologists have been identified as potential contributors to this variability. ...  Conclusions: Numerous factors independent of hospice eligibility were reported to influence hospice referral practices among oncologists. While some factors represent challenging cultural and social barriers to timely hospice referral, other system- and patient-specific barriers offer opportunities for potential interventions. 

Themed digest for palliative care professionals: Spiritual support for children ehospice | PACED; February 2026 Spiritual support remains one of the most complex and, at the same time, most essential elements of palliative care. In the February PACED digest, we present articles exploring the integration of spiritual care into nursing practice, families’ experiences in paediatric palliative care, and the role of professionals in discussing end-of-life issues with children and adolescents. This issue includes materials on professional competencies, system-level recommendations, and parents’ lived experiences. Together, they offer insight into how spiritual and value-based questions shape clinical practice and influence the quality of support provided to families. ...

How family caregivers are shaping their own future AARP; by Paul Wynn; 2/18/26 Applying hard-learned lessons from caring for others, nearly half of caregivers are planning their own legal, financial and medical futures. Helen Bundy Medsger spent three decades caring for multiple family members, including her parents and sister, an experience that shaped both her advocacy and her determination to plan ahead so her two children don’t inherit the challenges she faced as a caregiver. ...