Literature Review

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.”

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. 

Understanding hospice care: Eligibility, cost and purpose Emmanuel Hospice; 6/5/25 How do you want to live? It may be surprising to learn that’s the first question Emmanuel Hospice asks every new patient. Isn’t hospice about dying? While hospice is often associated with death, Melissa Wedberg will tell you it’s more about living, especially at Emmanuel Hospice, where she serves as vice president of community relations. With more than a decade in the hospice industry, Wedberg has spent years dispelling this and many other myths. Despite having roots in the U.S. dating back to the 70s, there remains a lot of mystery about hospice. Common questions Wedberg hears include: What is hospice and who’s eligible? How does hospice work? How is hospice paid for? Editor's note: This simple question jumps to the core of person-centered care, "How do you want to live?"

Death literacy is fostering positive conversations about the end Counterpunch; by Caren Martineau; 5/30/25 “[D]eath literacy is defined as the knowledge and skills that make it possible to understand and act upon the end-of-life and death care options,” according to a 2024 article in the journal Palliative Care and Social Practice, and its four foundational pillars: knowledge, skills, experiential learning, and social action. ... The U.S. Census named 2024 as the start of “Peak 65,” a period that will last through 2027. Around 4.1 million Americans are expected to turn 65 each year from 2024 to 2027 (approximately 11,000 a day). By 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 or older. Implications of “Peak 65” include:

Hospice of Southern West Virginia to host Father’s day Grief Support Session on June 10 ABC WOAY-4, Beckley, WV; by Brandy Lawrence; 6/6/25 As Father’s Day approaches, many individuals face a renewed sense of loss and sorrow.  To provide comfort and support during this emotionally challenging time, Hospice of Southern West Virginia will hold a special grief support session focused on coping with the loss of a father or paternal figure.  The session is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, from 5:30 p.m. To 7:00 p.m. At Bowers Hospice House.  The event is open to anyone in the community navigating the grief of losing their father or father figure.  Editor's note: Bravo to Hospice of Southern West Virginia, especially for opening this support to "anyone in the community ..." and for including "or father figure"! Are you hosting a Father's Day-related grief support event, or another type of Father's Day support? Let us know, preferably with a URL link to your description.  

Local bat mitzvah project becomes ‘bear’ mitzvah Columbus Jewish News, Columbus, OH; by Bill Motchan; 6/4/25 Most 13-year-olds preparing for their b’nai mitzvah mark the occasion by completing a community service initiative. Emily Cammeyer had her bat mitzvah in 2012, but her mitzvah project lives on. In fact, it recently turned 13. The program is known as Love & Hugs and is part of the admission process at Wexner Heritage Village’s Zusman Hospice. A new hospice patient receives a stuffed bear to be there as a comfort tool. Eventually, the bear is reunited with the family of the patient. For her mitzvah project, Cammeyer raised enough money to donate 100 bears to Zusman Hospice. Since then, the program has placed more than 4,000 bears. ... “Our social workers help match the bear to the patient,” Sears told the CJN. ... Personalizing the bears was part of an evolution of the program, but it has made it special for hospice patients, Cammeyer said.

Public: If you think you may have experienced Medicare fraud, call 1-800-Medicare to report it. Posted on X; by Mehmet Oz, "DrOzCMS"; 6/2/25 There’s a Medicare scam out there that can really hurt people, and I want to make sure you’re aware! People are targeting older Americans to trick them to sign up for Hospice without their knowledge.   If you think you may have experienced fraud, call 1-800-Medicare to report it.  To learn more, go to http://Medicare.gov/fraud.

Missoula community celebrates opening of Hope Hospice Center NBC-KULR, NonStop Local Billings, MT / Missoula, MT; by Taylor Richardson; 6/3/25 The Hope Hospice Center celebrated its opening with a ceremony in Missoula, marking a significant milestone for elder care in Western Montana. The new facility will provide critical end-of-life care for people across the region. The state-of-the-art center spans 15,200 square feet and offers 24-hour end-of-life services. It includes 12 private patient rooms, spaces for family visits, and areas for religious and cultural practices. Amanda Yeoman Melro, Executive Director of Partners Hope Foundation, expressed her excitement about the center. "I think it has exceeded our wildest dreams of what a hospice center could possibly be," she said. The facility was made possible through community fundraising efforts led by the Partners Hope Foundation, which raised more than $15 million. 

[United Kingdom] Group treks Great Wall of China to raise £85k BBC News; by Emma Petrie; 5/31/25 A group of people who trekked along the Great Wall of China have raised more than £85,000 in support of a hospice. The team took on the challenge to fundraise for Dove House Hospice, which is a charity that provides respite and end-of-life care for people in Hull and East Yorkshire. The hospice warned they were facing a funding shortfall in April due to rising costs. ... Twenty people signed up for the site's latest fundraising challenge and set off for China 17 May, walking a 31-mile (50km) route along the Great Wall. Upon her return, Ms. [Ruth] Scott said: "It's not an easy walk, incredibly steep in places, ... The views are just unbelievable. You can't comprehend."

Hospices facing a US caregiving ‘crisis’ Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 6/2/25 Family caregivers in the United States are being challenged by a swelling aging population inneed of greater support and stronger policy infrastructures. Much room for improvement exists at both state and federal levels when it comes to recognizing the important roles that family caregivers play, according to Steven Lee, co-founder and CEO of ianacare, a Boston-based patient and caregiver resource company. More innovative care models and disease-specific reimbursement options have widened pathways for hospice providers to improve family caregiver support, Lee said in a recent Hospice News Elevate podcast. But these fall short of addressing the diverse scope of practical, emotional and financial needs, he stated. Editor's note: This article has an excellent map of US states with caregiver categories for "Well-Supported," "Safe for Now," "High Risk," and "Critical" (courtesy of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical). Additionally, our sponsor Hospice Analytics provides the National Hospice Locator, for caregivers/families to find hospices that serve in each US county, and sorted by their quality scores. And, our sponsor Composing Life equips hospice organizations with caregiver/family video libraries that span the continuum of serious illness, hospice, and grief care. 

Nonprofit participates in ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Coeur d'Alene / Post Falls Press, Coeur d'Alene, ID; 5/31/25 Hospice of North Idaho took the plunge this week after being nominated by Kootenai Health to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral campaign aimed at raising awareness and funds to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In a video on social media, Hospice of North Idaho’s Leadership Team and staff sat front and center Wednesday as team members gathered, cheered and doused them with buckets of ice-cold water all in the name of a great cause, Hospice of North Idaho shared in a Friday news release. ... “Hospice of North Idaho is proud to take part in this movement and show our support for those affected by ALS,” Megan Ryan, communications specialist at Hospice of North Idaho.

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes ABC News WFTS, Tampa Bay, FL; by Gulfside Healthcare; 5/27/25 Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes serves a greater purpose than providing affordable gently used goods: all net proceeds fund charity care for hospice patients. Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes has a new and improved online shop for easy access and including shipping. To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, visit Gulfside.org. To shop Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes online visit gulfsidethrift.myshopify.com/ or stop by one of four convenient locations in New Port Richey, Hudson, Dade City or Zephyrhills. Follow Gulfside on social media for updates and sales.Editor's note: This online access opens up a world of engagement with those who cannot visit the shop in person, especially long distance donors and family members/friends acquainted with Gulfside Hospice. 

Lanterns light up the sky in east Wichita to remember lost loved ones on Memorial Day ABC KAKE, Wichita, KS; by Jocelyn Schifferdecker; 5/26/25 About a hundred lanterns lit up the sky Monday night at the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice memory garden in East Wichita. Each lantern floating on the water told its own special story. [Candace] Dudley says [her husband] Ricky died about a year and a half ago from colon cancer. ... She says she misses him every day and she's thankful for Lanterns of Life because it gave her an opportunity to remember him. "My heart is full tonight. Making his lanyard, I made it very special ... I did all four sides with a lot of thought and put a lot of love into it because he was the love of my life," she said while holding back tears.The event is arranged by Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. Organizers say they hope lighting a lantern for their lost loved one will bring them peace in some way. ... The event also featured food trucks, music, and more. This was the first year the hospice held it but it says it doesn't plan for it to be the last.