Literature Review

Trump administration to end 988 suicide prevention specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth in JulyCNN; by Jacqueline Howard; 6/18/25The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth will no longer be in operation starting July 17, according to a statement from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). ... According to the latest data from SAMHSA, more than 14.5 million people have called, texted or sent chats to the 988 Lifeline and have been transferred to a crisis contact center since July 2022. Nearly 1.3 million of those were routed to the LGBTQ+ specialized service.Editor's Note: This 988 LGBTQ+ specialized option was piloted in September 2020, expanded on March 6, 2025, and rolled out fully nationwide in July 2023. This data translates to approximately 1,250 LGBTQ calls per day; 52 calls per hour; 1 call per minute. Who--in your world of family and friends--might this ultimately affect? Research, data, and personal stories (sure to be in each of our circles of family and friends) tell us why this matters. A resource for you to use is The Handbook of LGBTQIA-inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care, 2nd edition by Kimberly D. Acquaviva. This handbook is the first place winner, 2024 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award in Palliative Care and Hospice.

Solomon Center white paper outlines options to expand health care for children living with serious illnessYale Law School; 6/25/25 As state lawmakers consider establishing a statewide pediatric palliative care program, a new white paper from researchers at the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School recommends ways that access to palliative care can be improved for Connecticut’s estimated 7,000+ children living with serious illnesses.

LP Quinn Elementary students raise nearly $13K for High Peaks Hospice; Each grade chose a different way to fundraise The Sun, Tupper Lake, NY; News Report; 6/24/25 The students of LP Quinn Elementary School have once again proven the power of community, creativity, and compassion. During May, the entire school united in their annual fundraising campaign and raised an incredible $12,600+ for High Peaks Hospice. Each grade level chose a unique fundraising strategy, highlighting the ingenuity and heart of LP Quinn students:

[United Kingdom] King's College London: Half of UK adults worried about painful death King's College London; 6/24/25 Almost half (47%) of UK adults are worried that they or their loved ones will have a painful or undignified death, according to a survey commissioned by King’s College London. The survey conducted by Focaldata explores public attitudes to death and dying and finds that almost half (44%) of respondents also feel worried about the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in the UK. Previous research indicates that up to 90% of people in the UK will require palliative care before they die. ... 40% of respondents said they did not know how to access palliative care in their area, and almost one third said they did not know enough about the healthcare system to find the support that a dying person needs. 

National Health Care Fraud Takedown results in 324 defendants charged in connection with over $14.6 billion in alleged fraud: Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in history, more than doubles prior record of $6 billion Office of Public Affairs - U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC; 6/30/25 The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.Editor's Note: For cases specific to hospice and palliative care, (1) go to our homepage, (2) ;ogin to your newsletter account, (3) use the search engine at the top of our page, using the key word "fraud". We have posted  204 articles about hospice fraud, since we began this format on 1/1/2024. Ongoing, use this search engine as your first "Go To" resource for targeted, timely information.

Students organize death café to discuss the inevitable Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT; by Brad Thomas; 6/27/25 The annual event gathered more than 50 students and faculty from assorted disciplines for meaningful conversations about death and dying. ... [Student Jillian O'Brien '25] helped organize the second annual Death Café during her final semester at Fairfield. She and her classmates in “End-of-Life Communication,” an interdisciplinary course taught by Michael Pagano, PhD, wished to build on the success of last year’s event by continuing to create a space for meaningful conversation about death and dying. At the event, they led thoughtful table discussions about how their perspectives and ways of communicating about death have evolved.

The Alliance Responds to CY 2026 Home Health Proposed RuleNational Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/20/25The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) issued the following statement today in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate and Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Competitive Bidding Program Updates proposed rule, which proposes payment and regulatory updates for Medicare home health agencies (HHAs). The proposed rule includes policies that would reduce payments to HHAs by over $1 billion dollars in 2026, at a time when providers also continue to experience unmatched inflationary pressure in a challenging labor market — making it difficult, if not impossible in some areas, to deliver care to Medicare beneficiaries entitled to receive it.

Grief literacy’s growing impact on hospice bereavement care models Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/27/25 Evolving trends related to grief literacy have trickled into the innovative bereavement approaches that hospice providers employ amid rising demand for family support. Hospices have fine-tuned how they measure quality and shape services within their bereavement programs as more is learned about the diverse ways people both understand and experience grief. Even the term “grief literacy” has been gaining ground in recent years, according to Sarah Saltee, executive director of Colorado-based 3Hopeful Hearts (3HH). The term generally refers to the ability to understand and recognize that grief experiences span beyond a person’s death and can apply to any significant loss of health, relationships, goals, self-identity or safety, Saltee stated.

Wisconsin author discusses her mother’s aging, dying in the American health care system: The long-term care system failed both her and her mother, she writes Wisconsin Public Radio; by Colleen Leahy; 6/27/25At age 99, Judy Karofsky’s mother was kicked out of her Wisconsin hospice facility. Within 48 hours of that decision, Karofsky became her mother’s default nurse. “I had to find a wheelchair for her. I had to keep track of her meds. I had to buy all the bandages and supplies that she would [need],” Karofsky told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” Karofsky is the author of “Diselderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice.” In it, she chronicles nightmare scenarios as her mother aged and died in the American healthcare system: making her way through independent living, six different assisted living facilities, memory care, skilled nursing and hospice.  

Choice Bank’s 'Go Hawaiian for Hospice' campaign has raised $1.3 million since 2012 to support end-of-life care by HIA HospiceInForum; by Drew Berg; 6/24/25A Fargo bank is having fun while raising money for local end-of-life care. Choice Bank held its 14th annual “Go Hawaiian for Hospice” event on Tuesday, June 24. The event raises money for HIA Hospice, formerly known as Hospice of the Red River Valley... Choice Bank says the event has raised over $1.3 million since 2012.

[Italy] Last signs of life: What to expect in final hoursMedscape; by Mirko Riolfi, 6/13/25 (Medscape ran 6/25/25)Caregivers of terminally ill patients often turn to health professionals to learn what to expect in the final weeks, days, and hours of life. Regardless of the underlying cause, many signs and symptoms are similar during this period. Addressing families’ concerns proactively can ease discomfort and anxiety and help prevent crises during hospital stay. Below are the key topics to discuss with caregivers as death approaches a patient.

Big Bend Hospice unveils new mobile medical unit Thursday in Tallahassee[FL] WCTV; by Ava Van Valen and WCTV staff; 6/26/25Big Bend Hospice and its parent organization, Seven Oaks Health, unveiled Thursday their new Seven Oaks Health Care mobile medical unit. Seven Oaks Health said the new medical unit is part of its mission to bring compassionate, expert support to patients and families in our community. “The focus of our mobile unit is really to improve access to end-of-life care and palliative care services throughout our region,” said Chief Medical Officer Debrah Morris. “A lot of people love to come to Leon County, but a lot of people can’t, and many of our patients are homebound, but they have caregivers who can’t drive into Leon County.”

'Very shocking' | Warner Robins neighbors in shock after elderly couple found dead at their home[GA] 13WMAZ; by Jasamine Lee; 6/26/25A quiet Warner Robins neighborhood is reeling after police say an elderly couple was found dead in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide. According to Warner Robins Police, officers responded to a home on Hillcrest Avenue around 6 p.m. Wednesday for a welfare check. When they arrived, they discovered 88-year-old Robert Moll dead in the backyard from a gunshot wound. Inside the home, his wife, 80-year-old Judy Moll, was also found dead from an apparent gunshot wound... Neighbors said the Molls had been facing serious health issues and that hospice nurses visited the home frequently. Captain Paula Blevins with the Salvation Army said that cases of intimate partner violence often remain hidden. “Intimate partner violence is very heartbreaking, always very heartbreaking,” Blevins said. “It affects more than 12 million people in the United States every year.”Publisher's note: How does your hospice evaluate possible partner violence? How can your hospice prepare - before the fact - to handle such a situation after the fact?