Literature Review

The pendulum swings: Hospices’ 2026 M&A outlook Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/8/26 ... Hospices’ greatest strategic opportunities in 2026 will come from partnerships that strengthen continuity across the care continuum, according to Andy Johnston, president of hospice, palliative and personal care services, AccentCare. ... “The organizations that succeed will be those that balance innovation with operational discipline and choose partners who share their commitment to quality, compliance and patient-centered outcomes,” Johnston told Hospice News ... “It’s a year that will reward thoughtful alignment rather than aggressive expansion.”

Aspen Hospice opens new branch Wood County Monitor, Mineola, TX; by Brynna Williamson; 1/8/26 “It’s not a number. It’s very much a personal experience.” That’s the attitude the folks at Aspen Hospice and Palliative Care in Quitman say they maintain. Haven’t heard of them? That’s OK; Aspen is new to Quitman. However, it isn’t a new company. In fact, Regional Director of Business Development Kayla Howard says that Aspen has 24 branches across the nation. What the local branch might lack in antiquity, it makes up for in a professed desire to serve the elderly and vulnerable in Wood County. 

Hospice patient fulfills final wish of meal with his wife at Hard Rock Casino Fox 23 News, Catoosa, OK; by Paris Rain; 1/8/26 For one hospice patient, a simple trip to the Hard Rock Casino buffet became a final wish and thanks to a dedicated care team and community partners, that wish came true. For months, 84-year-old Tommy Evans talked about wanting to return to the Hard Rock Casino to enjoy the buffet, a place he and his wife once visited regularly. ... Transportation for the couple was donated, and the Hard Rock staff welcomed Evans on Thursday evening. “It’s an honor for me, as a chef, to be able to be a participant in this,” said Alfredo Vargas, executive sous chef at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. “We don’t have requests like this too often, so when this happened, we wanted to embrace it and make sure we did the best we could.” For Regina Marshall, the Compassus volunteer coordinator, the moment reflects the heart of hospice care.

Central Coast VNA & Hospice expands senior care services to meet growing in-home demand EIN Presswire, Montery, CA; by Core6 Marketing; 1/8/26 Central Coast VNA & Hospice is responding to rising community demand for in-home senior care by strengthening its continuum of services across Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and South Santa Clara Counties.  With a 75-year history serving California’s Central Coast, the organization now offers a range of in-home medical and supportive services, including:

Inside America’s first pediatric palliative care facility, a life-changing model that remains strikingly rare Make It Better Foundation; by Susan Yem; 1/9/26 ... George Mark Children’s House, a Make It Better Foundation 2026 Philanthropy Award winner, is the first pediatric palliative care facility to open in the U.S., and 1250 patients have received respite and end-of-life care there since its founding in 2004. “Facing a child’s death is the worst thing imaginable. There’s no way to take that pain away,” says GMCH Child Life Coordinator Kyle Amsler.  “We try to walk alongside families as best we can and make each day the best possible, however that looks for each family.”

NPHI welcomes CMS leaders Dr. Mehmet Oz, Kimberly Brandt, and Chris Klomp for on-the-ground listening tour at Nathan Adelson HospiceNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innnovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/9/26 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) welcomed leadership from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday to Nathan Adelson Hospice, Las Vegas, as part of an on-the-ground listening tour focused on hospice program integrity and the real-world challenges facing patients, families, and nonprofit providers. As part of the visit, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of CMS, Kimberly Brandt, CMS Chief Operating Officer, and Chris Klomp, Director of the Center for Medicare met with hospice clinicians, staff, community stakeholders, and NPHI leadership to hear local patient and provider stories that illustrate broader national concerns related to fraud, waste, and abuse in hospice care.

OhioHealth, Columbus family foundation end decades-long relationship Columbus Business First - Healthcare, Columbus, OH; by Carrie Ghose; 1/9/26 The primary benefactors for OhioHealth Corp.'s hospice facility have shifted their family's support to another nonprofit, Dayton-based Ohio's Hospice - citing dissatisfaction with the involvement of private equity in end-of-life care. ... "In the bright glare of machines and the cold calculation of metrics, some in our society have allowed the final days of human life to become a logistical and financial puzzle, measured in reimbursement rates and hospital capacity," said a statement from the Kobacker family of Columbus. OhioHealth will announce new naming rights for its Kobacker House in the coming months, the system said in a statement to Columbus Business First. No patients are affected by the transition. [Access may be limited due to paywall.]

'I want to carry on mum's legacy after her death' BBC News; by Lynette Horsburgh; 1/3/26 A man whose mother spent her final days in a hospice has described how it has inspired a decade of fundraising challenges with the latest his "toughest yet" - to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. David Clarke's mother, Margaret, of Blackburn, died aged 69 in East Lancashire Hospice in 2014. The next year he started challenges to raise funds for the hospice which provided "incredible" care to his mother who was known for her charity work and "carry on her legacy". ... "It costs £10,000 a day to run the hospice and that was my original target. "But my mum spent three days there so now I really want to raise £30,000."

Creating and sustaining a culture of excellence American Nurse; by Aileen Cassada, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, NRP, and Holly Puckett, DNP, RN, CNE, CMSRN; 1/5/26 Takeaways:

Community-dwelling older adults with dementia more likely to be bedbound in final year of life McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 1/2/26 Community-dwelling older adults with dementia were nearly five times more likely to be bedbound in the last year of their lives compared with those without dementia, according to a December study published in JAMA Network Open. ... “Our findings reflect the need for in-home support to older adults who are bedbound,” authors said. 

Malnutrition deaths are soaring in the US – especially among seniors Independent; by Brendan Rascius; 1/5/26 Malnutrition deaths are soaring in the United States — particularly among seniors — and the reasons are unclear, according to a new report. In roughly the last 10 years, deaths linked to malnutrition have skyrocketed by a factor of six, making it the fastest-growing killer in the country, The Washington Post reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kobacker program moves to Ohio’s Hospice in landmark partnership preserving future of quality nonprofit end-of-life care US National Times, Columbus, OH; Press Release; 1/7/26 The Kobacker family today announced that Kobacker House, central Ohio’s pioneering inpatient hospice facility founded in 1989, will move and continue its mission under Ohio’s Hospice, the state’s largest nonprofit hospice provider. As part of the announcement, the family published a guiding charter, The Kobacker Way, which details fundamental principles for quality nonprofit hospice care. The full document is available at www.TheKobackerWay.org. 

Fourth temporary extension of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescription of controlled medications Federal Register - The Daily Journal of the United States Government; A Rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Health and Human Services Department on 12/31/2025 AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.ACTION: Temporary rule.SUMMARY: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a fourth extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications through December 31, 2026.DATES: This rule is effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.