The Parmenter Foundation expands compassionate care, bereavement community with 2026 grants 
Transcendental Meditation News Today, Wayland, MA; Press Release; 2/3/26 
... The Parmenter Foundation, based in Wayland, Mass., will provide $400,000 to nearly two dozen innovative and compassionate programs in four areas of support: children’s bereavement, caregiver support, family bereavement, and hospice care. “We are honored to provide funding to such deserving organizations in 2026,” said Executive Director Angela Crocker. ... Among this year’s grantees is long-term partner Good Shepherd Community Care’s Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence, ... and Empower Grieving Children, ... [Click here for the full list.]

Stop losing customers: Why your retention strategy needs AI now
BusinessWorld; by Sheila Salamanca; 1/6/26
Here’s a question that keeps executives up at night: Why are customers leaving, and what can we do about it? If you’re watching customers slip away despite your best efforts, you’re not alone. In subscription-based businesses — think streaming services, software, telecom — losing just 5% more customers can slash profits by 25% or more. The math is brutal. But the solution isn’t acquiring more customers. It’s keeping the ones you have. This isn’t just common sense; it’s now backed by AI... Companies like Verizon and Vodafone have already figured this out. They’re using neural networks, sophisticated AI systems inspired by how our brains work, to predict which customers are about to leave, and how to intervene before it’s too late.
Publisher's note: This interesting article recently came across my desk. Hospice's focus retention strategies on staff, not patients. This article might help with both.

CAPC tools and events to help address disparities and improve outcomes 
Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); email and webpage; 2/2/26 
February 2026 marks 100 years of Black History Month. As we reflect on a century of honoring the history and contributions of Black Americans, CAPC’s Project Equity initiative focuses on turning that reflection into action by providing practical tools, innovative practices, and training to help palliative care teams effectively advance health equity for patients living with serious illness. 

National policy framework for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes 
National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes; email and webpage; 2/3/26
The NCPPCH recently formally released its National Policy Framework for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes, and has begun early engagement with key national partners. This framework is intended to help policymakers at the state and federal level better understand the structural, licensing, and reimbursement pathways needed to support Pediatric Palliative Care Centers nationwide. Review the Policy Framework and Executive Summary here: https://www.ncppch.org/national-policy-framework.

Medical expertise does not prevent caregiving grief 
Medpage Today's KevinMD.com; podcast hosted by KevinMD; 2/2/26 
Triple board-certified physician in adult and geriatric psychiatry and addiction medicine ... Barbara Sparacino shares the personal struggle of navigating end-of-life care for her own parents despite her extensive professional training. She explains the “prophet in your own country” paradox where family members often dismiss medical advice from their own relatives. The conversation explores the heavy guilt and self-doubt that arise when the professional detachment of a doctor collides with the emotional vulnerability of a child.  Barbara highlights the importance of setting boundaries to protect the parent-child relationship and offers advice on extending grace to oneself during this difficult season. Discover how stepping back from the physician role can actually be the greatest gift you give to your aging family.

Galactic Symphony thrills young hospice patient 
Lovin' Life; by Lin Sue Flood; 2/1/26 
A quiet backyard suddenly burst into song with the stirring brass of John Williams Star Wars theme recently, transforming a regular afternoon into a Galactic Symphony. For 26-year-old Anthony Castle, a lifelong Star Wars superfan, it was like watching the magic of the big screen come to life. Through a unique partnership between Hospice of the Valley and the Phoenix Symphony, six professional musicians arrived at Anthonys home to perform a private medley. To the delight of Anthony who proudly wore his Baby Yoda T-shirt several of the performers arrived in character, dressed as Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker.

Crossroads House to launch 'talking about death over dinner' program 
The Batavian; by Howard B. Owens; 2/2/26  Crossroads House will launch a community conversation program this fall designed to help people discuss end-of-life wishes before a crisis makes those conversations impossible. The program, called "Talking About Death Over Dinner. Won't Kill You," will bring small groups together over meals to break the ice on what founder Kathy Panepento calls "one of life's most profound topics." ... The dinner discussions will be facilitated gatherings for friends, book clubs, church groups, neighbors or co-workers. A trained facilitator will guide conversations through thoughtful questions about quality of life, personal values and end-of-life care preferences.

Hospice regulatory 2025 updates- year-end overview 
The National Law Review; by Benjamin J. Fenton, Nick D. Jurkowitz, Much Shelist, P.C.; 2/3/26 
As 2025 comes to an end, many hospice-related regulatory changes from the start of the fiscal year are now in effect and actively shaping daily operations. Providers nationwide have spent the year changing workflows, training staff, and improving infrastructure to remain compliant. 2025 Hospice Regulatory Updates:

• Payment and Reimbursement Changes ...
• HOPE Assessment Tool ...
• CAHPS Survey Modernization and Patient Rights ...
• Conditions of Participation and Enforcement Trends ...

“Existential risk” – Why scientists are racing to define consciousness 
WDC TV News; by WDC TV News Staff; 2/1/26 
As artificial intelligence continues to advance and ethical concerns grow alongside it, scientists say the need to understand consciousness has reached a critical point. In a new review published in Frontiers in Science, researchers warn that progress in AI and neurotechnology is moving faster than scientific understanding of consciousness. This gap, they argue, could lead to serious ethical problems if it is not addressed. The authors say explaining how consciousness emerges is now an urgent scientific and moral priority. A clearer understanding could eventually make it possible to develop scientific methods for detecting consciousness. That breakthrough would have far-reaching consequences ...

Struggling rural Nebraska hospitals find 'lifeline' in emergency model 
Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln, NE; by Julie Anderson; 1/31/26 
... In Garden County, which spans 2,000 square miles in Nebraska's eastern Panhandle and numbers about 2,000 residents, the stream of patients coming into the hospital side of Garden County Health Services in Oshkosh had dwindled to a trickle in recent years. According to a recent count, inpatient admissions at the hospital averaged .07 per day and daily swing bed admissions averaged .05. "They can be few and far between," said Sam Pennington, Garden County's CEO. ... Pennington said hospice care was another concern of residents, so he also plans to try to arrange that under some available options. 

Generative artificial intelligence in palliative care: A comparative evaluation of ChatGPT-4o and ChatGPT-5 as clinical decision support tools 
Digital Health; by Emre Vuraloglu, Kervansaray; 1/29/26 
Conclusions: ChatGPT-5 demonstrated measurable improvements over ChatGPT-4o in key domains of palliative care symptom management, while maintaining consistently high ethical sensitivity. These findings provide the first systematic evidence of the potential of generative AI, with the updated ChatGPT-5 model released in August 2025, as a complementary and reliable clinical decision support tool in palliative care.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.