Literature Review

Concordia Hospice of Washington Donnell House closes Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA; by Karen Mansfield; 8/3/26 For nearly 25 years, Concordia Hospice of Washington Donnell House has helped patients and their families through life’s hardest moments. Now, the hospice facility in Washington has closed its doors. “Concordia Hospice of Washington can confirm that inpatient hospice services are no longer being provided at the Donnell House,” the company said in a statement. “This change reflects a continuing decline in the need for inpatient hospice care as more patients and families choose to receive hospice services in the comfort of home, supported by advances in community-based care.” The hospice team continues to provide in-home care and support to patients and families throughout the region, according to a spokesman.

The living dead among us - a call to recognize social death ehospice; by Aizaq P. Davis; 8/5/26... In healthcare, we often focus on physical symptoms.

Beyond the headlines: the hospice story we aren’t telling enough National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI); podcast hosted by Tom Koutsoumpas and Carole Fisher with Karen Rubel, Tim Meadows, Viki Jingle, and Brad Luna; 7/31/26Hospice is making headlines — but there’s a much bigger story to tell. In this episode, hospice leaders Karen Rubel, Tim Meadows and Viki Jingle join Tom and Carole to discuss how organizations can respond to today’s hospice fraud-focused environment by leading with messaging on quality, transparency, and trust. Communications expert Brad Luna then shares practical strategies for developing messages that resonate, engaging local media, and telling the stories that showcase the real impact of hospice care in communities across America.

The key is not to prioitize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. ~ Stephen Covey

Safeguarding palliative and serious illness care in America The Lancet Regional Health - Americas; by William E. Rosa, Gina Piscitello, Diane E. Meier, Arif H. Kamal, Jean S. Kutner, Abby R. Rosenberg, Allison Silvers, Stacie Sinclair, Robert M. Arnold; August 2026If a society's greatness is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable, we live in discouraging times for the more than 13 million adults and 700,000 children with serious illnesses in the United States of America (U.S.). ... In this personal view, we describe three threats to specialty palliative care in the U.S., namely healthcare financing changes, increased privatization of services, and low prioritization of palliative care research in myriad contexts, including pharmaceutical and clinical trial research and development. We subsequently provide guidance for multi-sector actors to address these threats and mitigate harms while optimizing palliative care for U.S. populations.

Embracing the four M's—a path to person-centered, reliable hospice and palliative care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Margherita Labson and Kelly McCutcheon Adams; 8/5/26 What if the key to delivering more compassionate, reliable hospice care isn't another regulation—but a simpler way of thinking? In Part One of this compelling conversation, host Chris Comeaux welcomes Kelly McCutcheon Adams, Senior Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and Margherita Labson, President and CEO of MCLabson Consultation & Education Services, to explore the transformative power of the 4 M's Framework.  Originally developed through the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, the 4 M's—What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—provide an evidence-based roadmap for delivering highly individualized, person-centered care while improving reliability across healthcare settings. 

Swimmers raise $18,000 for hospice North Country Now; by Cheryl Shumway; 8/3/26Dozen of swimmers ranging in age from four to senior citizens swam in the 16th annual Swim a Mile for Hospice at Norwood Beach August 1. Over $18,000 was raised for Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley. ... Ruth Fishbeck, Executive Director at Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley said, “It is so nice to have so many families here. It is outside, community-minded and supports a good cause,” she said. ... Teresa Stone, in her 15th year in the Swim a Mile for Hospice,  had a special reason to participate this year. “I am swimming in honor of my mother, Barbara Towne, of Canton, who I lost last December. I can’t imagine not having Hospice. It gave me comfort to have someone guiding me with her care,” said Stone. ... Funds raised support hospice care, grief counseling, bereavement programs and community education services.

Delivering compassionate care in an evolving industry: OIG challengesHospice of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ; Press Release; 8/4/26... Over nearly five decades, Hospice of the Valley-West (HOV-West) has served our community and been a national leader in end-of-life care. We are committed to excellent clinical care along with being strong advocates of regulatory compliance and proponents of responsible stewardship of public resources. This commitment is shown in a number of ways: HOV was ranked among the top three hospices in the nation for high-quality care. ... An OIG third-party contractor audited 100 hospice claims for care provided during the first two years of the COVID-19 PHE. The OIG praised HOV-West for strong internal controls, policies and procedures. During the review, their third-party auditor agreed with 85 records, denying 15 records. In conversation with the OIG, they stated that this represents good results. However, HOV-West strongly disagrees with the 15 denials and we believe they will be overturned through the review and appeal process. ... The OIG report can be read here.

Who worked with Brian Rowan? Sales representatives and medical providers allegedly joined nationwide wound-graft networkBefore It's News, Phoenix, AZ; 8/4/26 Prosecutors describe Alexandra Gehrke, Jeffrey King, affiliated medical businesses, unnamed sales representatives, and healthcare providers as participants within an alleged kickback-driven network targeting elderly and terminally ill patients across the United States. ... Hospice enrollment does not make advanced wound care automatically inappropriate because terminally ill patients can require interventions reducing pain, drainage, infection, odor, exposed tissue, or other symptoms affecting comfort and dignity. Prosecutors nevertheless allege that representatives deliberately visited hospice facilities because elderly beneficiaries with insurance coverage and persistent wounds offered continuing opportunities for expensive applications, even when meaningful healing remained clinically improbable.

Hospice of Western Ky. hosts largest Camp Erin for grieving youthThe Messenger, Owensboro, KY; by The Messenger Staff; 8/4/26Hospice of Western Kentucky recently welcomed 55 children to its largest Camp Erin to date, providing a free overnight camp experience for young people grieving the loss of a loved one, according to a release. The camp was held July 31 through Aug. 2 at Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center in Bowling Green. This marked the fifth year Hospice of Western Kentucky has hosted Camp Erin for children ages 6 to 17. Camp Erin is offered at no cost to families through support from Eluna, Hospice of Western Kentucky and the New York Life Foundation, the release stated.

You may not be perfect in many things, but many things can't be perfect without you. 

Schoolgirl's response to being told about dad's terminal cancer BBC; by Lauren Hirst; 7/12/26  When Chris Capstick was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, his family made the decision not to use the word c-word in the house. Instead the disease was known as "daddy's little monsters" for the benefit of his two youngest children. ... "It was really, really hard," said the 30-year-old, who works as an arts coordinator for young people but has taken time away to support her husband. ... "Having a six-year-old and a two-year-old, we didn't really know how to navigate it." This is when the idea of writing a rhyming storybook with their eldest daughter Isabella, who is now aged six, was born. "We thought what a great thing to do little cartoon monsters in a way that aren't scary," said Lauren. ... Isabella wanted to write the book from her own perspective with lots of colorful illustrations on each page.   

[Belgium] Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Heatwaves expose a blind spot in palliative care Public., Vrije Universiteit Brussel; News Release; 8/3/26While politicians debate air conditioning in residential care homes, we still know surprisingly little about what climate change means for people in the final phase of life. ... Extreme heat disproportionately affects older people and those with chronic illnesses. Comfort and safety are not luxuries when temperatures remain above thirty degrees [centigrade] for days on end. But the discussion also raises another question. What does a changing climate actually mean for people in the final phase of life? Remarkably, we still know surprisingly little about this.Editor's Note: What does this have to do with hospice and palliative care in the US? Similar blind spots in preprations for the elderly. We only need to recall both older and more recent news to learn: Hurricane Katrina's deaths due to extreme heat; rampant wildfires (in both the US and European news); increases in US heatdomes; more. Bravo to hospice organizations who prepare--as much as is possible--for Emergency Disaster Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.