The end-of-life benefit costs billions a year. A new approach aims to eliminate waste and weed out bad actors, while making the care more inviting to those who most need it.

The woman was unresponsive, and nurses were unable to detect her breathing. A state agency report found the facility "failed to ensure residents received dignified treatment and care at end of life."

Photographer Lori Grinker struggled to get along with her mother all of her life. When she moved in with her to help with her failing health, old wounds melted away.

Black patients and their families are less likely to sign up for end-of-life comfort care. To reach them, investors are starting hospice agencies run by people who look like the patients they serve.

Medical staff are liaisons to the sick and dying for relatives not allowed at bedsides. The emotional toil at one Montana hospital is a case study of what caregivers are grappling with across the U.S.

With many Americans dying of COVID-19, it's important to document your wishes for your care should you get seriously ill. Doing so can ease the way for family in difficult moments.