The "Natural Death" Guide: Understanding Palliative and Hospice Care in 2026 | Holly Vossel

AI Is at Your Bedside Now. Here Is What That Means for How You Die. In this episode, Holly Vossel, senior reporter at Hospice News and Palliative Care News, joins host Niki Weiss to break down the state of hospice and palliative care in 2026, why patients are still arriving to hospice in their final days instead of their final months, how AI is entering end of life care, and what families need to ask before choosing a provider. CHAPTERS 0:00 AI Is at Your Bedside Now. Here Is What That Means for How You Die. 1:12 Welcome Holly: senior reporter at Hospice News since 2019 2:45 The difference between palliative care and hospice and why it matters 5:10 Why patients are still arriving to hospice too late in 2026 8:03 How AI predictive tools are being used to identify hospice-eligible patients earlier 11:40 What AI documentation tools are doing for clinician time and patient experience 14:20 The regulatory and reimbursement landscape that governs hospice in the US 17:05 What to ask when choosing a hospice provider and why not all hospices are equal 20:33 The difference between a for-profit and nonprofit hospice and what that means for care 23:15 What anticipatory grief support looks like and who provides it 26:40 Digital assets, passwords, and the new administrative layer families face at death 30:04 Why having those conversations early is the single most important move 33:38 Holly's takeaways: have the conversation early and then document it WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - Why patients who receive palliative care before transitioning to hospice have a measurably different experience than those who arrive in crisis - How AI predictive tools are identifying hospice-eligible patients earlier and what that means for family planning - What the difference between for-profit and nonprofit hospice providers means for the quality and philosophy of care - What anticipatory grief is and why hospice providers who offer palliative care first are better positioned to support families through it - Why digital assets, passwords, and account access are now part of the end of life conversation and what families are least prepared for Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ Download the My Final Playbook app: Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Apple App Store: [link coming soon] #deathandyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #digitallegacypodcast #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: The Death and Dying in the Digital Age channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.