Literature Review

Ketamine for depression in serious illness: Evidence, safety, and practical approachesJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Paul Noufi, Joshua B. Borris, Danielle Chammas, Cara L. McDermott, Nneka N. Ufere, Jason A. Webb, Daniel Shalev; 4/26Patients with serious illness and short prognoses often experience depression and suicidal ideation. Traditional antidepressants are limited by delayed onset, creating a need for rapidly acting therapies. Ketamine and esketamine [nasal spray] offer the strongest evidence among rapid-acting antidepressants and may be preferred when urgent symptom relief is needed. However, rigorous psychiatric trials in serious illness are lacking. Clinicians should consider prognosis, access to Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies-certified esketamine programs or equivalent regulatory frameworks outside the US, and the need for an appropriate maintenance regimen when integrating ketamine into palliative care depression management.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

[Ireland] Developing a reflective practice program to support oncology and palliative care staff with patient deathJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Geena Kelly; 4/26Oncology and palliative care staff frequently encounter death yet often lack structured opportunities for reflection following these experiences. Oncology and palliative care staff in an Irish acute hospital collaboratively developed a structured reflective practice program to support coping with patient death. Using insider-action research, this pilot study demonstrates a feasible, staff-led approach to embedding reflective practice into routine clinical practice.  The project has contributed an adaptable model for structured reflection in the acute hospital setting and underscores the importance of acknowledging the emotional toll of caring for patients at the end of life. This is an important step towards embedding reflective practice into the culture of health care, with potential for future AR cycles to build on this work even more, involving greater numbers of staff and further evaluating the intervention’s effectiveness.  

One last sprint, one final push--cross May's finish line with all your might.

Home health & hospice M&A in 2026: why buyers are looking closely at Artificial Intelligence, workflow efficiency, and operational scalability JDSupra; by Jason Bring, Matthew Brohm, Jennifer Downs Burgar - Arnall Golden Gregory LLP; 5/27/26 Key Takeaways:

BAYADA ranked on Forbes' Best Employers for New Grads list HomeCare News, Philadelphia, PA; Press Release; 5/27/26 BAYADA Home Health Care announced it has been named to Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2026, an annual ranking based on an independent survey of more than 100,000 United States employees with fewer than 10 years of work experience. BAYADA said it is the only home healthcare organization that made the list, ranked No. 116 out of the 500 companies recognized, spanning all industries. More than 2 million employer evaluations across a three-year period informed the final list. 

Get ready to access the Hospice Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)CMS Center for Program Integrity; 5/28/26 CPI is getting really close to releasing the Hospice Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER). The Hospice PEPPER will be available through the PEPPER Portal in early June 2026. To ensure hospice providers can successfully access their reports, we ask that you distribute the following instructions to your members.

Nurse and provider perceptions of palliative care Nursing Management; by Eydie Tipton, Tracy Viers, and Chelsea Wilson; 5/1/26 Conclusions: Findings suggest that knowledge gaps may not be the primary barrier to palliative care (PC) utilization. Instead, systemic and cultural factors likely contribute to under-referral. Leadership-driven strategies, including standardized referral processes, enhanced interprofessional education, and supportive clinical environments, may help translate knowledge into consistent practice.Editor's Note: Yes, real persons are behind each research article we post. Read this community's pride in the palliative care nurses of Quincy, IL behind this study. Eydie, Tracy and Chelsea saw a need, developed a research project, and saw it through to publication: National journal publishes palliative care research by area nurses.

[United Kingdom] Palliative care beds paused over lack of staffing BBC News, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom; by Laura Coffey; 5/28/26 Palliative care beds have been temporarily taken out of use for end-of-life patients due to an "unexpected shortfall in consultant cover", an NHS trust said. Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) said the six affected beds at Danetre Hospital in Daventry would instead be used for rehabilitation. ... In a statement, NHFT said: "A recruitment process is ongoing, and once the medical cover has been resolved, the beds will switch back to being palliative care beds. 

May every sunrise bring you hope and every sunset bring you peace.Calendar of sunrise and sunset times for any location in the world

Sevierville teen seeking Eagle Scout rank turns personal pain into purpose WBIR 10 News, Knoxville, TN; by Heather Waliga; 5/27/26 A Sevierville teenager working toward her Eagle Scout rank is being recognized for a project that's helping families navigate one of life's hardest experiences: grief. Arrianne Witt, 17, transformed a once-empty prayer room inside Sacred Ground Hospice House into a peaceful space for reflection. ... The project quickly grew into a major undertaking. Witt spent months fundraising, collecting thousands of dollars in donations and organizing nearly two dozen volunteers to help bring the vision to life. The result is now a calming retreat inside the hospice house, complete with thoughtful décor and a soothing atmosphere meant to give families a moment of peace during difficult times.