Latest News On End Of Life

Latest California Healthline Stories

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

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.

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

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.

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

In this 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.