Literature Review

[Snow shoveling] Call to action: Local volunteer opportunities Prince William Living; by Volunteer Prince William; 1/23/26 ... Volunteer Prince William is recruiting Volunteer Snow Shovelers to assist senior citizens and adults with disabilities by clearing sidewalks and driveways after snowstorms.  ...

Fighting hospice fraud an OIG priority Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/26/26 The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has identified hospice fraud among top management and performance challenges. This is according to an annual document that OIG prepares, a statutory requirement that is designed to help HHS improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations. A major challenge for HHS is the “sizable” reduction in workforce and a slew of program changes instituted by the Trump Administration, the report indicated. “Effectively managing a changing organizational and workforce environment is itself a significant management challenge,” OIG said in the report. 

Stroke survivors in DFW find new hope with Sovereign Hospice Home Care Holliston Town News, Aubrey, TX; by Sovereign Hospice; 1/26/26 Stroke survivors and their families often encounter unexpected challenges ... Sovereign Hospice in Aubrey, Texas, addresses these complex needs through targeted palliative care programs designed specifically for post-stroke complications. ... Post-stroke pain affects approximately 30% of survivors, manifesting as headaches, muscle spasticity, or neuropathic sensations. Fatigue represents another common issue, with many patients reporting exhaustion after minimal activity. Depression occurs in roughly one-third of stroke survivors, creating additional barriers to recovery. 

Changing the story data tells about Black health The Seattle Medium, Seattle, WA; by Joseph Williams; 1/26/26 When it comes to the health of Black Americans, the numbers don’t lie. ... Last August, Word In Black launched its Insights & Research Division, a data-focused department centered on the perspectives, priorities, and lived experiences of Black Americans. The goal is straightforward: find out what Black people think about the issues affecting them most, analyze the results, and use those insights to reshape the narrative.

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day theme suggestions 2026 World Hospice and Palliative Care Association (WHPCA); 1/26/26 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD) is celebrated and marked each year on the second Saturday of October. [This] year, it will be on 10 October 2026. Each year, the WHPCA team gives a lot of thought to the theme, which is used the world over to advocate for better palliative care services for people living with palliative care needs. The WHPCA invites you to share suggestions for the theme for the coming year, 2026. ... If your suggestion is selected, we can share your name and picture on our digital platforms, giving you a shout-out for your brilliant contribution.

Participants praise palliative care program for the homeless Medscape; by Kate Johnson; 1/26/26 Patient perspectives about a palliative care outreach intervention for adults experiencing homelessness are overwhelmingly positive, according to a qualitative, descriptive study of the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) program in Toronto. “While previous research suggests persons experiencing homelessness emphasize symptom management needs at the end of life, our findings also underscored unmet primary care, medical supply, and psychiatric needs,” wrote lead author Alexander R. Levesque, MD, of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and coauthors. 

Board finalizes acquisition of Hugh Chatham's share of Mountain Valley MtAiryNews.com, Mt. Airy, NC; by Ryan Kelly; 1/23/26 The Surry County Board of Commissioners approved Tuesday the final agreements needed for Northern Hospital District to acquire Hugh Chatham Health’s 50% ownership stake in Hospice of Surry County, which operates as Mountain Valley, completing a transaction announced six months ago. The board, sitting as the governing body of Northern Hospital District, unanimously approved a member interest purchase agreement that makes the hospital district sole owner of the hospice organization. 

Bristol Hospice’s sees ‘guiding light’ in 4-state expansion Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/23/26 Bristol Hospice has expanded with de novos across four states, with plans to soon grow its geographic presence in five more markets. Through its de novos, Salt Lake City, Utah-headquartered Bristol Hospice now provides services in Southaven, Mississippi; Pittsburgh; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and McAllen, Texas. The hospice announced that it would soon unveil new locations in Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and New Albany, Indiana. 

Grant will support memory care training North Central News; by Staff; 1/22/26 In late 2025, Molina Healthcare of Arizona granted $10,000 to Hospice of the Valley to support its Memory Care Training program. The grant will help Hospice of the Valley continue its program to train more than 4,000 memory care staff throughout the state – teaching effective communication techniques and strategies for managing challenging behaviors in people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The Memory Care Training program is offered at no charge to the community and shares best practices in dementia care through engaging role-playing videos that depict real-life challenges.

Improving timeliness of palliative care referrals within the ICU: A quality improvement project Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing (DCCN); by Stephanie Fiore, Simone O'Donovan, Kerry A Milner; 1/23/26 ... Using the Model for Improvement, this quality improvement project was conducted over 7 months, including a 4-month baseline phase and a 3-month implementation phase. ICU nurses used a PC screening tool to evaluate patients within 48 hours of admission. The project aimed to increase PC screenings to 75% and ensure PC referrals within 48 hours. ...  The implementation phase saw a significant increase in PC screenings, with compliance reaching 90.9% after process adjustments. 

Husband with Parkinson's was admitted into at-home hospice program and has dramatically improved. Have others experienced this? Aging Care; by Klwolf; 1/21/26 My DH has Parkinson’s that has been getting progressively worse for months. In early December we had him assessed for hospice and he was admitted. Since then, he’s improved dramatically. Has anyone else experienced dramatic improvement AFTER hospice enrollment? The hospice staff simply shrugs and says this sometimes happens and that we need to be prepared for him to revert back to his previous state. Editor's Note: Many clinicians have seen individuals improve after hospice enrollment, often due to better symptom control, reduced stress, or consistent interdisciplinary care. The concern here is not the improvement itself, but the hospice team’s reported response. A shrug can feel dismissive to families already living with uncertainty. How do we teach teams to communicate about improvement—honoring hope while preparing families with clarity, compassion, and trust?

10 things I learned after 10 years with ovarian cancer Cure; by Kelly Irvin; 1/22/26 My birthday was January 20. ...  I received my stage 4 ovarian cancer diagnosis on Jan. 16, 2016. ... So here I am still alive ten years later on my 68th birthday. ... I feel I’m allowed to share what I wish my younger self had known when I received my diagnosis. Counting down to number one, here are my lessons learned:

2026 health care fraud year in preview Foley Hoag LLP - White Collar Law & Investigations; by Foley Hoag LLP; 1/16/26 ... As in years past, the investigation and prosecution of health care fraud cases remains at the forefront of the federal government’s enforcement activity, though tempered by the government’s interest in a variety of non-health care enforcement, some of which we take up in forthcoming entries in our Year in Preview series.