Latest News On End Of Life

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Bringing ‘Poogie’ Home: Hospice In The Time Of COVID-19

KFF Health News Original

One family took up the challenge of taking their mother, who had serious medical problems and the coronavirus, from the hospital to die at home. But because of the risk of infection, home hospice can be a daunting experience.

Palliative Care Helped Family Face ‘The Awful, Awful Truth’

KFF Health News Original

Elizabeth and Robert Mar would have celebrated 50 years of marriage in August. Instead, they died within a day of each other. Their two very different deaths illustrate how palliative care is changing to help patients and families cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

Sheltered At Home, Families Broach End-Of-Life Planning

KFF Health News Original

Barbara Dreyfuss died March 1 after contracting COVID-19 at a Seattle-area nursing home. Her earlier decision to document her final wishes may offer an example for families as the deadly virus spurs interest in end-of-life care.

Terminally Ill, He Wanted Aid-In-Dying. His Catholic Hospital Said No.

KFF Health News Original

Neil Mahoney had terminal cancer. He also had a legal right to aid-in-dying. But his faith-based hospital called it “morally unacceptable.” So he turned to a network of Colorado doctors to fulfill his last wish.

Patients Want A ‘Good Death’ At Home, But Hospice Care Can Badly Strain Families

KFF Health News Original

Fewer Americans are dying in a hospital, under the close supervision of doctors and nurses. That trend has been boosted by an expanded Medicare benefit that helps people live out their final days at home in hospice care. But as home hospice grows, so has the burden on families left to provide much of the care.

Diagnosed With Dementia, She Documented Her Wishes. They Said No.

KFF Health News Original

Across the U.S., people with early dementia are signing new advance directives to confirm their end-of-life wishes while they still have the ability to do so. But doctors say the documents may offer a false sense of security.

Firing Doctor, Christian Hospital Sets Off National Challenge To Aid-In-Dying Laws

KFF Health News Original

In Colorado case, the right to aid a cancer patient’s death runs up against faith-based hospital policies. As more states have passed laws, about 1 in 6 acute care beds nationally is in a hospital that is Catholic-owned or -affiliated.

En secreto, adultos mayores hablan del “suicidio racional”

KFF Health News Original

Es un tema tabú, pero algunos adultos mayores comienzan a hablarlo. Se trata de la posibilidad de terminar con sus vidas pero no por depresión o desesperación, sino como una decisión pensada.

In Secret, Seniors Discuss ‘Rational Suicide’

KFF Health News Original

Running counter to the efforts of suicide prevention experts and many religious and social norms, some seniors are quietly exploring the option of turning to suicide when they feel they’ve lived long enough.

Facebook Live: Inclusive Care at the End of Life: The LGBTQ+ Experience

KFF Health News Original

For a generation of LGBTQ+ people who lived through unprecedented social change, getting older poses new challenges. When it comes to seeking elder care, concerns about lack of services, discrimination, neglect and even abuse threaten to reverse recent progress.