Literature Review

Big Bend Hospice launches Nutrition Shake Drive to support Jefferson County Patients WTXL-27 ABC, Tallahassee, FL; by Crystal Whitman; 5/8/26 Big Bend Hospice in Jefferson County is calling on the community to help provide vital nutrition for local hospice patients through a month-long Nutrition Shake Drive. For many in hospice care, eating full meals can be difficult or impossible. Meal replacements like Ensure, Boost, and Glucerna offer comfort and essential nutrients, but they are often not covered by health insurance, leaving families — especially in rural areas — to shoulder the cost themselves.

Community Hospice & Palliative Care recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces in Health Care 2026 ehospice - USA, Jacksonville, FL; 5/7/26 Community Hospice & Palliative Care has been named one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces in Health Care 2026 by Newsweek, a national recognition that highlights organizations committed to fostering exceptional workplace environments in the health care sector. ... “Our people are at the heart of everything we do,” said Phillip Ward, President and CEO of Community Hospice & Palliative Care. ... America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces in Health Care 2026 recognizes organizations across the country that excel in employee experience, workplace culture, and overall performance within the health care industry. Editor's Note: From Newsweek, "Ultimately, 350 companies emerged as the gold standard." Examine Newsweek's full list of "America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces in Health Care 2026." 

Hospice workers stop by to thank Lila Kozel, founder of hospice care in Bismarck KXNET News CBS, Bismarck, ND; by Joel Porter; 5/1/26 Health care workers in North Dakota made a house call on Friday to a special woman’s house. Workers from CHI Health at Home stopped by Lila Kozel’s home to greet her and thank her. Kozel is credited with starting hospice services in Bismarck in the 1980s. Health workers say Kozel started the program after losing a son, which made her want to give comfort to others as her family handled their grief. Now, Lila is living on hospice care, and the workers say if not for Lila, they’re not sure the program would be what it is.

My mother left me a garage full of mysterious ingredients—and so much more Vogue; by John Mok; 5/6/26 Late in the summer of 2024, my mother was moved into hospice after a brief hospitalization. ... I promptly returned home to Los Angeles from New York and steeled myself for her passing. The trip lasted five months. ... Over the years, I had tried to meet her in the kitchen, to learn through her homestyle dishes, to unlock some part of her Chinese heritage, even with her American adaptations. But there was never enough time. During those five months we did get a little more time—one more round of holidays and one more memorable moment, when she passed peacefully passed. ... What my mother left behind was an invitation. Our garage remains an apothecary of TCM, dried herbs, and dried seafood—all stored in repurposed mayonnaise jars and Costco biscotti containers, their labels scribbled over with her Chinese script. ...

Ambassador spotlight: Jill Nida’s lifelong commitment to Hospice of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara, CA; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 5/5/26 For more than three decades, Jill Nida has been a steadfast advocate, volunteer, and champion for Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB). Her leadership and generosity have helped shape the organization into what it is today, and her personal story is deeply woven into its mission.  ...

Mother's Day support for hospice families

Local students stitch comfort, compassion, and dignity for hospice patients Bennington Banner, Bennington, VT; Press Release; 5/4/26 A small group of students in a dedicated class at Mount Anthony Union High School have spent recent weeks carefully crafting handmade catheter bag covers and adult bibs for patients served by VNA and Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR). Each stitch tells a story — not just of skill learned, but of empathy in action. For hospice patients, small details can make an immeasurable difference. Everyday medical necessities, like catheter bags, can feel clinical and impersonal. These thoughtfully designed covers soften that experience, offering privacy, warmth, and a sense of normalcy. 

Hand-stitched memory bears help grieving maker and recipients ArcaMax, Pittsburgh, PA; by Gretchen McKay; 5/1/26 Shirley Whitlinger knows all too well the profound, existential loneliness that follows a spouse’s death. When David, her husband of 50 years, died from prostate cancer in 2021, after two years of chemotherapy and trials at Hillman Cancer Center, it was almost impossible not to lose herself in grief. Whitlinger finally learned to move forward last year, she says, with the help of a support group and, more recently, a beloved hobby that started in childhood: sewing. Three months ago, she started making keepsake “memory” bears from a piece of clothing in honor of a lost loved one.

Art exhibit is about 'Completing the Journey.' It offers window into hospice through patients’ eyes Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT; by Christopher Arnott; 4/30/26 “Completing the Journey: The Art of Hospice Care” is an art exhibit created by those in hospice care at Masonicare Hospice & Palliative Care senior/assisted living communities throughout Connecticut. Masonicare hasn’t created a project like this in over 15 years. It’s meant to be much more than an art exhibit and is curated so as to present the artists — some of whom have passed away — as prominently as their art.

Butterfly Release brings solace after loss Pahrump Valley Times; by Robin Hebrock; 4/29/26 Butterflies carry many meanings and their symbolism of both transformation and hope is something that Nathan Adelson Hospice draws inspiration from each year as it hosts its annual Celebration of Life – Live Butterfly Release. A chance for community members to come together in honor of the husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, siblings and friends who are no longer in this world, the 2026 Pahrump Live Butterfly Release took place on Sunday, April 19 at the Calvada Eye. ... In addition to their patients who have passed, Nathan Adelson officials were also honoring three of their own, Dr. William Craig, Stan Cuaresma and Vivian McCuneo.

Local boy becomes honorary doctor with Hospice Family Care teamFox 54, Huntsville, AL; by Caleb Aguayo; 4/24/26 A young boy battling what his caretakers call a "likely incurable disease" got to live out a dream Friday when his hospice care team made him an honorary doctor for the day, complete with scrubs, a white coat bearing his name, a name tag and his very own stethoscope. Abobakr Almageleh, who has spent years surrounded by medical equipment, has long shown a fascination with the tools and routines of the health care professionals caring for him, from listening to his own heartbeat to tracking the rhythm of monitors nearby. His caregivers at Hospice Family Care took notice.

Mary Chan legacy fuels record fundraising at hospice race The Standard Newspaper, Kingman, AZ; by Allen Scott; 4/22/26 The 21st annual Mary Chan “Race for Hospice” drew roughly 200 runners and walkers to downtown Kingman on Sunday, where participants once again faced the steep and unforgiving Andy Devine Avenue/Route 66 hill leading up to the El Trovatore Motel. The challenging climb has become a defining feature of both the 5K and 10K courses. The race honors Mary Chan, whose Chinese-American family has lived in the Kingman area for six generations, beginning with work on the railroad. Chan has been involved with the fundraiser since its inception in 2005.

South Surrey hospice thrift shop getting crafty with fundraising Europe Says; 4/21/26A new initiative launching at the Peace Arch Hospice Thrift Store in time for Mother’s Day will showcase the heartfelt talents of volunteers, staff and patrons to help boost funds raised at the shop in support of hospice programs and services. Handmade with Love was inspired by a volunteer who offered up “beautiful” aprons she’d made, suggesting the store could sell them as possible gifts for the occasion. ... The idea sparked excitement, and a flurry of conversation and brainstorming that followed quickly transformed it. ... Robbins said another positive of the initiative is the opportunity it creates for crafty folks who want to support hospice but are physically unable to volunteer at the store or give cash donations. ... With a story behind each piece, it is “a reflection of the care, creativity, and connection that defines our hospice community,” a news release states.