Viktor Frankl, Carl Jung, and Alan Watts All Discovered the Same 5 Rules for Living - Almost Nobody Lives by Them
Substack; by Science & Soul; 6/29/26
A Holocaust survivor, a pioneering psychologist, and a Zen philosopher came from radically different worlds. Yet they all arrived at the same uncomfortable truths about what makes a life worth living.

• Rule 1: Stop Searching for Happiness. Search for Meaning.
• Rule 2: Everything You Refuse to Face Eventually Controls You
• Rule 3: Your Identity Is More Flexible Than You Think
• Rule 4: Life Begins to Change When You Stop Trying to Control Everything
• Rule 5: The Greatest Prison Is the One You Can’t See

What Cleveland can teach us about aging with dignity: Robert Phillips-Plona 
Cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH; by guest columnist Robert Phillips-Plona, director of facilities for Reserve Care; 7/26/26 
During my career, I have had the privilege of working in -- as well as participating in creating --hospice care environments in Northeast Ohio. ... These spaces evolved over time as the needs of patients, families and staff changed. Each space and project looked different. The integration of technology that supported, but did not distract from, the human experience of patients, their loved ones and caregivers offered new challenges. Community needs changed. But one thing remained constant: People deserve dignity, comfort and compassion during life's most difficult moments. As Cleveland's population continues to age, conversations around health care often focus on hospital capacity, staffing shortages and rising medical costs. Those challenges matter, but we also need to ask a different question: How do we create environments where people can age and die with dignity?

Life’s Treasures Thrift Store plans Dade City locatio
The Laker Lutz News, Dade City, FL; Press Release; 7/26/26
Chapters Health System, a nonprofit hospice organization, has leased a 10,000-square-foot retail space at 12709 U.S. 301 in Dade City to serve as a new Life’s Treasures Thrift Store location. The thrift store is moving from Zephyrhills to provide a more modernized shopping experience. The relocation is part of a strategic update of the health system’s thrift stores that benefit the charity grief and hospice services of HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, affiliates of Chapters Health System. The organization also recently leased a 10,000-square-foot thrift store location planned for The Villages.

Hospices worry patients will be unfairly punished amid fraud crisis 
The Washington Post | KFF Health News; bu Laurie Udesky; 7/26/26 
Health policy researchers and hospice administrators worry that the negative attention on the industry and potential for overly punitive regulations could put California patients and taxpayers on the losing end. “The fraud situation has done a lot of damage to the reputation of hospices overall and undone a lot of the progress that had been made in destigmatizing hospice,” said Lauren Hunt, an associate professor at the University of California at San Francisco’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies who focuses on hospice care. “Policymakers should pursue targeted strategies that root out fraud and abuse without overburdening the many providers who are doing the right thing.”

Hospice care helps patients stay connected to themselves  
Portland Press Herald; by Carol Weir; 7/27/26
We must look past the fraud and incompetence of a few bad actors and recognize the vital role played by trusted, dedicated hospice providers. [Story about caring for 14-year-old boy Jacob] I share this story because I feel strongly that hospice care in America has been dealt a rough hand recently. Outlier examples of fraud and abuse in the news overshadow the exceptional, professional, compassionate and personalized care hospice programs provide day in and day out. Without a doubt, bad actors should be eradicated from the Medicare program, and government oversight reforms are needed ... No legitimate or credible providers dispute that. But we must not lose sight of the quality care patients like Jacob are receiving from skilled, reliable, warm, nurturing and empathetic hospice teams in every corner of our country.

Nearly 500 readers shared stories of deathbed visions. Here are 10. 
The Washington Post; by Caitlin Gibson and Stephanie Arrigotti; 7/26/26 
When we pub­lished our recent project about end-of-life dreams and vis­ions, we invited Post read­ers to share their per­sonal exper­i­ences with this phe­nomenon. ... I hoped we might col­lect a few dozen anec­dotes. To date, we’ve received about 500 sub­mis­sions and count­ing. It’s been a priv­ilege to read every one. ... The major­ity of people who wrote in — no mat­ter how they made sense of what they’d seen — described an exper­i­ence that seemed to instill a sense of calm or solace in the per­son who was dying, and in turn, brought a last­ing com­fort to their bereaved care­givers. From those hun­dreds of accounts, here is a selec­tion of 10. The fol­low­ing are drawn from writ­ten sub­mis­sions and fol­low-up inter­views, and edited for length and clar­ity.

Grief support matters beyond the hospice journey | opinion 
The Star | USA Today Network via Reuters Connect; by Miral Ackman; 7/26/26
August is National Grief Awareness Month, a time to recognize that while grief is universal, every person's journey through loss is unique. I've learned that one of the greatest acts of integrity is continuing to support families long after a loved one's hospice journey has ended. When families invite us into their homes during one of life's most difficult seasons, they place extraordinary trust in us. ... Grief doesn't follow a timeline. It can resurface during holidays, milestones or ordinary moments, and no one should feel they have to face it alone. This National Grief Awareness Month, I encourage our community to make space for conversations about grief. A simple phone call, a listening ear or a kind gesture can remind someone they're seen, supported and not alone in their healing.   

Suicide Survivors Support Group offered by Home Hospice of Grayson County
North Texas e-News, Sherman, TX; by Nancy Jackson; 7/27/26 
Home Hospice of Grayson County is pleased to announce the start of a new “Suicide Survivors Grief and Loss” Support Group ... “Experiencing grief over the loss of a loved one to suicide can be especially difficult” said Nancy Jackson, Group Leader. “However, it can become overwhelming in the weeks and months after the loss. People are often surprised how much it impacts them emotionally, mentally and physically. There is no magic pill or quick fix for your grief, but sharing your journey with others who have experienced a loss, can make it easier."
Editor's Note: Suicide loss is often disenfranchised grief—sudden, stigma-laden, and lacking the preparation and care-team support that accompanies an expected hospice death. Survivors need spaces where their grief is understood, not minimized. Specialized groups like this one meet that need directly. Home Hospice of Grayson County offers a compassionate model we're grateful to see—one we hope more hospices will feel inspired to offer.

Public Policy Agenda & Toolkit 
National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care; Press Release; 5/4/26 
The National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care’s Public Policy Agenda outlines a unified, consensus-driven set of priorities to strengthen palliative care and hospice for patients, families, and caregivers across the lifespan. Developed through collaboration among national member organizations, the agenda provides a coordinated framework to guide policy and advocacy efforts at both the national and state levels. It reflects shared priorities to improve access, advance quality and equity, support the workforce, and promote sustainable, value-based care.

'Jeopardy!' champion Courtney Shah dead at 52 after brain cancer battle 
US Weekly; by Danielle Campoamaor; 7/26/26 
Beloved seven-time Jeopardy! champion Dr. Courtney Shah has died. She was 52. "My mom died today, at 4:57am on July 22, 2026, in the comfort of her home," Shah's daughter, Maya Shah, wrote via CaringBridge, announcing her mother's death after battling brain cancer. "I don't know what you believe about death, but I like to think that she's at peace now. We loved her in this world, and we loved her out of this world, and we'll go on loving her." ... In her final [Caring Bridge] update prior to announcing her mother's death, Maya described what her new reality was like as she watched her mother receive hospice care.

[Global] Following WHO Global Cancer Report, international nursing and palliative care leaders call for urgent workforce investment for rising cancer needs 
World Health Organization (WHO) and Internationalouncil of Nurses (ICN); Joint Statement on World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Report on Cancer 2026; 7/24/26
Based on the evidence in WHO’s recent Global Status Report on Cancer 2026, the International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) and International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) urge leaders to invest in and protect the nursing and health workforce to urgently strengthen health systems and improve cancer outcomes across the full continuum of care. ... We affirm that meeting the world’s most urgent cancer challenges depends on investing in nurses and multidisciplinary teams; addressing workforce shortages and burnout; and moving away from medicalized models towards people-centered, equitable health care across prevention, treatment, survivorship, rehabilitation and palliative services.

Live your life as an exclamation than an explanation. ~ Isaac Newton