Literature Review

Hospice of Wichita Falls hosts first Growing Through Grief Symposium KFDX Wichita Falls, TX; by Ashley Waters; 8/22/26 Hospice of Wichita Falls brought licensed professional counselors together for its first Growing Through Grief Symposium. ... "Grief as a child can really significantly impact their development growing up. So we want to try and mitigate that as much as possible and start working with them now," said Hospice of Wichita Falls Children's Program Specialist Sydney Reese. According to the National Alliance for Children's Grief, about 6 million children across the nation experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18. Hospice of Wichita Falls was awarded the 2026 Grief Reach Grant to support childhood grief awareness efforts throughout Texoma [for helping professionals]. 

‘Light Up a Life’: Rice County approves courthouse trees for Faribault Area Hospice initiative LeSeur County News, Faribault. MN; by Lauren Viska; 8/19/26 For 40 years, Faribault Area Hospice has turned the glow of hundreds of white lights into a celebration of lives well lived. Each light on its traditional “Light Up a Life” tree represents a person remembered, honored and celebrated by those who loved them. Since 1985, Faribault Area Hospice has placed thousands of white lights on a memory tree, with individuals sponsoring a light in memory of someone special. Proceeds from the lights go directly toward helping hospice patients in the Faribault area who are experiencing financial hardship. ... Now, after more than four decades of the tradition, Hospice is looking to bring that familiar glow to a new set of evergreens.

Detroit teen’s cancer death sparks 5K walk and new Georgia diploma law hoodline, Detroit, MI; by Jerry McAllister; 8/16/26 A Detroit family walked the riverfront near their old neighborhood this week to honor a 15-year-old whose fight with a rare bone cancer ended in his death nearly two years ago but has since reshaped state law hundreds of miles away in Georgia. GaKobe Milton, who once lived in Detroit before his family relocated to Atlanta, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 13 in 2022 and died on December 10, 2024, after a two-year battle with the disease. His mother, Kuleesha Milton, brought his memory back to the city he called home with a 5K walk at Alfred Brush Ford Park along the Detroit Riverfront. ... Georgia lawmakers signed the GaKobe Milton Act into law in his honor, and Governor Brian Kemp signed House Bill 1284 on May 5, according to the Georgia General Assembly. The law requires local school boards to petition the State Board of Education within 14 days for graduation requirement waivers, allowing schools to award diplomas to terminally ill students receiving end-of-life care, or posthumously if necessary. The act waives completion of all remaining high school graduation requirements for eligible terminally ill students.

Dad demands answers after daughter dies of rare cancer: why are so many kids getting sick in this community? (exclusive)People; by Wendy Grossman Kantor; 8/14/26Lilly Dalton grew up a few miles from Ladera Ranch, where at least a dozen young people and children have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. Three days after graduating from college at Loyola University in New Orleans, Lilly Dalton told her parents her stomach hurt. Doctors found a tumor on the 21-year-old’s liver and she was diagnosed with a very rare, one-of-a-kind cancer. Lilly was raised in Laguna Niguel, a city in Orange County, Calif. — just six miles from Ladera Ranch, where 12 children and young adults have been diagnosed with another rare cancer, Ewing sarcoma. “That’s not a coincidence,” says her father, Brian Dalton, 49, who now lives in Meridian, Idaho, with Lilly’s mom, Nicole Dalton, 50. 

Hospice of Michigan receives more than $20k in donations following Josh & Jase visit ABC-13, Grand Rapids, MI; by Mary Dupuis; 8/14/26 The viral social media duo Josh & Jase have helped raise more than $20,000 for Hospice of Michigan's statewide pediatric hospice program this summer. The fundraising campaign was launched in support of the Jo Elyn Nyman Pediatric Hospice Endowment Fund. ... Josh Cauldwell-Clarke and Jase Riley became famous on social media for their travel videos reacting to American food, culture and exciting experiences. ... During their time in Grand Rapids, Josh and Jase spent time with pediatric hospice patients and their families at Hospice of Michigan. After their social media post about the visit, more than 350 donations flooded in to Hospice of Michigan from across the country. 

The healthcare partnership nobody is talking about: hospice + FQHCs | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Kyle Ahlenstorf; 8/12/26 What if one of hospice’s most valuable community partners has been hiding in plain sight? In Part One of The Healthcare Partnership Nobody Is Talking About: Hospice + FQHCs, Chris Comeaux sits down with Kyle Ahlenstorf, CEO of Infinity Health, to explore the largely untapped opportunity for hospice and palliative care organizations to build meaningful partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).  Kyle brings more than a decade of clinical and executive healthcare experience, with a particular focus on rural healthcare, access, and sustainable patient-centered care. Kyle breaks down what FQHCs actually are, whom they serve, and why their mission aligns so naturally with hospice and palliative care.

My husband was kicked out of hospice for dying too slowly. Here's what I learned about navigating hospice care. CBS News; by Kim Clark; 8/13/26 It was mid-January 2026, and my then-73-year-old husband, Mike Salmon, had just started bouncing back from a three-month ordeal of three operations related to aortic aneurysms, sepsis, and a terrifying descent into delirium tied to a stay in the intensive care unit. ... Abruptly, we were shunted onto hospice care — the dead-end spur of the American medical system. ... Mike joined that select group. His experience in and out of the hospice system revealed surprising lessons about how families can manage care. And getting removed from hospice revealed a little-known process that can represent a welcome respite for families like ours — but can be devastating for patients with serious chronic illnesses. Here's what we learned in our four months on and off hospice. ...  

Flight of the Dove marks 21st year with 204 riders and more than $50,000 raised Laurens County Buzz, Laurens, SC; by Staff; 8/10/26 Laurens County’s 21st annual Flight of the Dove drew 204 registered riders to Clinton on Aug. 1 and raised more than $50,000 in support of hospice care in Laurens County. Riders traveled from six states to take part, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Illinois and Texas. The oldest registered rider was 83 and the youngest was 20. Of those registered, 150 were men and 54 were women. The ride was supported by 51 volunteers stationed at the stadium and at rest stops along the route, along with 26 volunteer motorcycles.

Local philanthropy ensures dignified death for allThe Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO; by Jace Dicola; 8/8/26It’s no surprise that the majority of Americans want to die in their home, comfortable and without financially burdening others. Satisfying all three criteria can be easier said than done; however, end-of-life care providers are a reliable solution for most people, since they typically deliver care in-home, focus on patient comfort and accept most insurance. But when it comes to people who are unhoused or uninsured, hospice care is often far from guaranteed. ... That reality looks different in much of western Colorado, primarily because of hospice and palliative care provider HopeWest.

Nonprofit announces new 'challenge grant,' matching every dollar donated through year-end up to $300K Steamboat Pilot & Today, Steamboat Springs, CO; by Julia Coccaro; 8/10/26 Northwest Colorado Health has raised nearly $800,000 toward its first-year fundraising goal for home health and hospice services since the campaign’s October 2025 launch, and a newly announced $300,000 matching grant could push the nonprofit past its target by year-end. Chief Executive Officer Steph Einfeld shared the fundraising update with the Steamboat Springs City Council at its meeting last week, framing the nonprofit’s home health and hospice programs as essential infrastructure that enables residents to remain safely at home rather than relying on hospitals, emergency services or out-of-area facilities.

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, Oct. 10, 2026, with theme "Pain management - an essential part of palliative careWorldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA); Press Release; 8/7/26World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world. WHPCD has been marked every year since 2005. Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 to advocate for better hospice and palliative care services around the world.

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.

Hospice's bad reputation amid fraud crisis will hurt patients, industry experts warn U.S. News & World Report; by Laurie Udesky and KFF Health News; 7/30/26... “The fraud situation has done a lot of damage to the reputation of hospices overall and undone a lot of the progress that had been made in destigmatizing hospice,” said Lauren Hunt, an associate professor at the University of California-San Francisco’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies who focuses on hospice care. “Policymakers should pursue targeted strategies that root out fraud and abuse without overburdening the many providers who are doing the right thing.” ... Hunt said she’s heard from California healthcare providers who are reluctant to refer patients to hospice because they’re unsure the patients will receive high-quality care and from patients who don’t know which hospice providers they can trust.