ICU to Hospice Transitions Are Increasing. What Should We Measure Now?
What the study examined A new national study examined US Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries over age 65 who were admitted to an ICU between 2011 and 2023. The authors found that discharges to hospice after ICU admission increased substantially over time, including...
Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD): Analyzing Trends in Academic Literature
A recent narrative review published in Cureus examined trends in U.S. academic publications on Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). Rather than arguing for or against MAiD, the authors analyzed the scholarly literature itself. They reviewed recent peer-reviewed articles and...
Music, the Brain, and End-of-Life Care
A recent study published in PLOS ONE explores how music influences the way the brain processes, learns, and remembers information. The researchers found that listening to music - especially music that is familiar and predictable - can significantly affect attention,...
Topological turning points across the human lifespan
This large-scale study analyzed 4,216 diffusion MRI brain scans from individuals aged 0 to 90. The aim of the study was to map how the brain’s structural wiring - the connections that allow different regions to communicate - changes throughout the entire human...
End-of-Life Care for Older Adults With Dementia by Race and Ethnicity and Physicians’ Role
Abstract Importance Evidence is limited regarding whether end-of-life care for individuals with dementia varies by race and ethnicity, and whether observed variations can be explained by differences in the physicians providing their care....
The Role of HealthCare Workers in Shaping the Bereavement Journey
Loss is inevitable when working in end-of-life care. But the grief that follows is not simply the family’s burden alone. The way care is delivered before, at, and after the death of a loved one significantly influences whether bereavement becomes a manageable process...
A Hospice Intervention for Caregivers: Improving Home Hospice Management of End-Of-Life Symptoms (I-HoME) Pilot Study
Background While home-based hospice care seeks to reduce suffering at the end of life (EoL), patients continue to experience a high symptom burden. High symptom burden contributes to adverse outcomes, including patient suffering, burdensome care transitions, and...
Care in Palliative Care: A Challenging Concept with Normative Issues
Abstract Palliative care is an approach for seriously ill patients. Illnesses and knowledge of limited life expectancy often limit self-determination among patients. Along with the concepts of patient autonomy and heteronomy, care is central to the everyday personal...
Recognizing Signs of Imminent Death: Improving Hospice Care and Quality Outcomes
Understanding when a patient is approaching imminent death is one of the most sensitive and critical aspects of hospice care. Recognizing clear clinical indicators not only allows hospice teams to adjust care plans appropriately but also helps families prepare...
Inside the Archives: How George Soros Changed End-Of-Life Care in America
Summary This compelling article explores the transformative work of the Project on Death in America. This groundbreaking initiative fundamentally reshaped American attitudes toward death and dying. The project emerged in response to what researchers identified as a...