Literature Review

Commonwealth Hospice cuts ribbon on new office Times Leader, forty Fort, WY; by Sam Zavada; 6/10/25 Commonwealth Hospice — formerly based in Berwick — now has a presence in the Wyoming Valley. They held a ribbon-cutting and open house at their new office at the 900 Rutter Avenue building on Tuesday afternoon. The new location officially opened about two weeks ago. Residents of Luzerne County will now have access to the services provided by Commonwealth Hospice, including nursing assistance, social work and bereavement and spiritual care. Commonwealth also has a team of volunteers who can go to patients rather than vice versa.

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Fashion for a Cause raises more than $305K BayNet, Annapolis, MD; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 6/11/25 Style met substance on June 5, as Hospice of the Chesapeake’s Fashion for a Cause returned to the U.S. Naval Academy’s Fluegel Alumni Center. The high-energy fashion show smashed last year’s totals, raising more than $305,000 to support the nonprofit’s community health programs, including pediatric hospice care, children’s grief counseling, and family support services. The event has become one of Annapolis’s most anticipated evenings. Guests were treated to a red-carpet experience complete with bites from local restaurants, personal magic trick performances by magician Chris Dugdale and a moving celebration of compassion and community care.

Senior living and care leads healthcare bankruptcies again in first quarterMcKnight’s Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 6/3/25Senior living and care bankruptcies hit a two-year high in the first quarter, increasing to seven from three in the fourth quarter of 2024. That’s the highest quarterly increase in two years, according to a new report from healthcare restructuring advisory firm Gibbins Advisors. Senior living and care bankruptcies accounted for more than 40% of total healthcare filings, according to the report. [Related] 

New report details ongoing staffing shortages in Iowa nursing homesIowa Capital Dispatch; by Clark Kauffman; 6/5/25The latest analysis of federal data on nursing home staffing shows the overwhelming majority of nursing homes in Iowa and the United States are operating with less than the recommended staff to meet residents’ needs.

2,200 Walk to Remember those who have passed away Cleveland Jewish News; by Kirsten Beard; 6/9/25 About 2,200 people attended the 14th annual Walk to Remember with the Hospice of the Western Reserve on June 8 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This event offered a meaningful way to celebrate life, to honor the memory of loved ones and support care that brings comfort and dignity for those facing serious illness. “The Hospice Walk to Remember is both our most important fundraiser of the year, but it’s also a really important time for families to come together and remember their loved ones that aren’t with us anymore, ...” Bill Finn, president and CEO of Hospice of the Western Reserve in Cleveland, told the Cleveland Jewish News. Gary Isakov, board member of Hospice Western Reserve, told the CJN while this is a fundraising event, it’s more about “bringing people together.”

Longtime Fargo-based hospice service has new name Fargo Forum, Fargo, ND; Press Release; 6/9/25 Hospice of the Red River Valley, which has had a presence in the region for decades, is now called HIA Hospice. Editor's note: The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Click here for more from HIA Health's website.

7 browser extension rules every organization should follow to stay secure PI - Programming Insider; by Mar Berman; 6/9/25 Browser extensions have become essential for workplace productivity. Yet, they pose serious security risks that many organizations ignore. These small programs can access sensitive data, alter web content, and create openings for cyberattacks. ... This article presents seven important rules for organizations to manage risks effectively. Whether you work in IT or lead a team, these steps keep your network safe and easy to use. ...

From hospital to home: Mastering transitions of care and preventing re-hospitalizations Mayo Clinic; by Mayo Clinic Press Editors; 6/3/25 Physically moving from one healthcare setting to another — whether it be from the hospital to rehab, or rehab to nursing home — can be a complicated process, both logistically and emotionally. And in the midst of all of that hubbub, it can sometimes be hard for the person in the center of it all to feel like they’re properly being heard. On this episode of Aging Forward, Dr. Maria De la Garza talks about the commonality of communication errors between health providers during care transitions, the importance of caregivers and loved ones in the process, a how to center the patient and their wishes in their care.

[Wales] 'Breaking point' as people in last 12 months of life occupy 'almost a fifth of Welsh hospital beds' Sky News; 6/3/25 People in the last 12 months of their life occupy "almost a fifth of Welsh hospital beds", according to a end of life care charity. Marie Curie Cymru says end of life care in Wales is "at breaking point" and is calling on the next Welsh government to ensure high-quality care. The charity says that, for many, support could be better provided at home or close to home, as it launched its manifesto for next year's Senedd election at Cardiff Bay's Norwegian Church on Tuesday. Gareth Miles died at home in Llanddarog, Carmarthenshire, in September 2023. Mr. Miles, who had Parkinson's disease, had spent 10 weeks in hospital before his last week.

Revolutionizing health in South Florida: The benefits of IV therapy and inclusive hospice care South Florida Reporter; by southfloridareporter.com; 6/8/25 ... South Florida is known for its multicultural population, making the expansion of hospice care to diverse groups particularly significant. Traditionally, certain cultural or community groups may have had hesitations or lacked access to hospice care due to language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, or lack of awareness. Increasingly, hospice organizations are focusing on outreach and education within these communities, breaking down barriers and encouraging patients and families to consider hospice as a valuable option for quality end-of-life care. 

Colorado exemplifies how to build opon paid leave progress to meet families’ evolving needs A Better Balance; 6/3/25 Colorado continues to pave the way for strong work-family protections by modeling how these policies can be expanded to meet families' needs. This spring, Colorado expanded the state’s paid family and medical leave program (the FAMLI Act, which our Colorado Office helped write and pass) to include an additional 12 weeks of paid leave for parents with a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit. Governor Polis signed the bill into law on Friday, May 30th, and Colorado workers with a child in the NICU will be able to take additional leave under the expansion beginning on or after January 1, 2026. ... For parents with children in the NICU, additional time off work to remain present can be a lifeline during a stressful time.Editor's note: As we know, the fragile and uncertain health of an infant in a neonatal intensive care unit can, heartbreakingly, lead to death. This—one of the most devastating forms of loss—often leaves parents to grieve in silence, their sorrow compounded by the experience of disenfranchised grief. While family and friends care deeply, they frequently falter in their efforts to provide meaningful support. Though it has been more than two decades since I served on the Pediatric Team at Hospice & Palliative Care of Louisville—only four years in total—my memories remain vivid. The emotions expressed by mothers and fathers, grandparents and siblings still rise easily to the surface, reminding me how enduring and raw such losses can be. Bravo ti Colorado's FAMLI Act. May more states follow their lead.

Sacramento hospice for terminally ill homeless people to open after decade-long effort Sacramento Business Journal; by Chris Campbell; 6/9/25 A new hospice facility in Sacramento will open its doors to terminally ill homeless people on June 18. Joshua's House Hospice ... will provide end-of-life care for up to 15 residents. The project, a decade in the making, was funded by more than $3.5 million in contributions from individual donors, local foundations, the city of Sacramento and Sacramento County. "This project began with simple but profound conversations I had with people living on the streets," said Marlene Von Fredericks-Fitzwater, founder and CEO of Joshua's House. "They weren't afraid of dying, they were afraid of dying alone." The facility consists of six residential units, each approximately 670 square feet ...

SCI Waymart meets needs of aging incarcerated population by training inmates in hospice care PBS WVIA News, NPR, Pittston, PA; by Lydia McFarlane; 6/8/25 Nurses and their inmate aides care for hospice patients. Some are bedridden, needing help with eating, changing and using the bathroom. The patients have recently signed do-not-resuscitate (DNR) forms. Some have just a few more months to live. The medium security prison's hospice unit looks like a nursing home. SCI Waymart is one of two prisons, along w ith SCI Laurel Highlands, in the Commonwealth that has a personal care unit. Waymart receives medical transfers from institutions across the state, making its population older than most of Pennsylvania’s state prisons. The average age of a Waymart inmate is 45.5, according to SCI Waymart’s superintendent, Mark Wahl. About 36% of inmates are over the age of 50, and 10% are over 65 out of a total of 1,122 as of April of this year, he said. Wahl said SCI Waymart averages one death per month.