Literature Review

Ask Amy: Annual charity column shows ways to giveDenver Post, by Amy Dickinson; 12/26/23Dear Readers: As I offer my 20th annual year-end “charity roundup,” I’d like to remind readers that while charity truly does begin at home, it need not stay there. Those who can afford to share their material wealth should give abundantly, donating locally to the local library, after-school program, hospice center, arts organizations, historical society and animal shelter. Acts of kindness and compassion are always worth their weight in gold: Shoveling a walk for a neighbor, writing a letter to an elder and volunteering at the local food bank are all ways to express your generosity.

Amedisys Finds Answer Key in Medalogix PulsePRNewswire, 12/28/23Nashville, TN—Medalogix, the leading data science and clinical decision support company specializing in the advancement of patient care in home health, hospice, and strategic payor initiatives in the home, and Amedisys, a leading provider of home health, hospice and high-acuity care in the home, announced an expanded partnership with the implementation of Medalogix Pulse for Home Health patients.

Aaron A. & Maria H. Putnam Family Charitable Trust gives grant to Aroostook Hospice FoundationThe County (Presque Isle, ME)December 26, 2023Presque Isle, ME—The Aroostook Hospice Foundation, owner of the Aroostook House of Comfort, is delighted to announce the receipt of a generous $5,000 grant from the Aaron A. and Maria H. Putnam Family Charitable Trust of Houlton. 

New residential end-of-life facility opens in central Pa.Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA)December 26, 2023Chambersburg, PA—Mercy House of Chambersburg has opened at 730 Norland Ave. in Chambersburg. Mercy House was formed last year and partners with local hospice agencies in providing care for those who need 24-hour assistance and who are unable to remain at home. 

Super One Foods Wadena and Baxter help raise $3,925.08 for Knute Nelson hospice programPioneer Journal (Wadena, MN)December 26, 2023Wadena, MN—Super One Foods Wadena and Super One Foods Baxter partnered with the Knute Nelson Foundation on a fund raising drive to benefit the Hospice Program. From Nov. 10 through Nov. 27 customers were able to round up or select a donation amount at the registers to donate towards the hospice program. ... [A] total of $ 3,925.08 was donated.

Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home hosts open houseHawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo, HI)December 25, 2023Hilo, HI—After closing its doors to inpatient services last year, Pohai Malama will be reopening as an adult residential care home beginning next year. Hawaii Care Choices, formerly Hospice of Hilo, earlier this month announced the opening of the Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home to a room full of board members, supporters and community leaders. The former 12-bed hospice and palliative care inpatient facility, located at 590 Kapiolani St. in Hilo, was closed in November 2022 after operating for 10 years due to changing preferences from patients, many who preferred to be treated in their homes. 

Merchants Bank gives $20K to local nonprofitsCullman (AL) TribuneDecember 24, 2023Cullman, AL—For three decades, Merchants Bank has hosted its annual Charity Classic golf tournament in early October, working to raise funds for local nonprofits. This year, the donation checks totaling $20,000 came just in time for Christmas for Cullman Caring for Kids, Brooks’ Place and Hospice of Cullman County [and other community agencies]. Each nonprofit received a check for $6,000 ...

Porter County nonprofits leave ARPA funds on the table because paperwork isn’t filled outPost-Tribune of Northwest Indiana (Gary, IN)/Chicago TribuneDecember 25, 2023Four hundred fifty thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at, yet VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana, a nonprofit Porter County chose to receive that share of $33 million in American Rescue Plan Act grant money, has yet to fill out the necessary paperwork to receive the hefty donation. 

Hospice office still has holiday cheer after real-life GrinchWRDW-TV (Augusta, GA), 12/22/23Augusta, GA—Someone stole a Christmas tree from the lawn of the Affinis Hospice office on Walton Way. They moved into this location in November, and since they had a nice front lawn, they decided to spread Christmas cheer into their new neighborhood. “We were really excited to put the Santa Claus out there. We had a tree we had all sorts of, but we even decorated the tree with ornaments and lights,” said Community Care Liaison for Affinis Hospice, Sara Simmons. They put up everything on Friday. The tree didn’t even last for a weekend. “We came in Monday morning, and our tree was gone. So somebody swiped the tree,” said Simmons. She said that evidence around the scene showed the tree was stolen. “I was furious,” Simmons said. “We put so much into getting these decorations, and we were so excited to be in this brand new neighborhood, new area and somebody took our tree.” ... “We thought if somebody else needed that tree, maybe there’s others who also need trees,” she said. They’ve been working as a middleman to get people whatever they need to brighten their holiday season. “If people have extra trees, which they were already offering to us, you’re welcome to bring them here. And then we’ll advertise and let other people know ‘Hey, you’re welcome to come here and get whatever you need.’ We’re here for you,” she said.

Hospice care is often misunderstoodDallas Morning News, By Tyra Damm, 12/23/23When Rosalynn Carter died this November, it came only a couple of days after her family announced that she had entered hospice care. Meanwhile, her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, has been under hospice care since February. Their paths to the same kind of health care illustrate the distinctions and difficulties in how and when patients and their loved ones make such crucial decisions.[Editor’s Note: The author is a middle school teacher in Frisco and a frequent contributor to The Dallas Morning News.]

Hope Hospice employee brightens holidays with gifts for New Braunfels seniorsHerald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX), 12/21/23New Braunfels, TX—For the last six years, New Braunfels resident Julie Hubertus has played “Secret Santa” to area senior citizens, bringing smiles to their faces and brightening their holidays. Hubertus works as the medical records specialist at Hope Hospice, a nonprofit that provides hospice and community grief services. Through her job, she has witnessed residents who do not have anyone to visit them or bring them presents around the holidays. Some of them have outlived their family members or do not have any family nearby. Some of the seniors also have dementia or Alzheimer’s and resort back to childhood, Hubertus said, so seeing a Christmas gift for them is like being a kid again. ... Hubertus gathers and puts together Christmas gifts through community donations, picking a different facility each year. This year, she provided about 90 gifts to seniors at EdenHill’s skilled nursing facility.

Hospice tech helps Scottsdale patientScottsdale (AZ) Progress, By Lin Sue Flood, 12/22/23ALS has changed John Rosso’s life, but not in the way one might imagine. The cheery-natured Scottsdale resident doesn’t focus on what he can no longer do. Instead, the 73-year-old channels his energy into pushing boundaries and overcoming challenges posed by the neurodegenerative disease. ... Hospice of the Valley’s unique Pulmonary Resource Program supports patients with neuromuscular diseases, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, COPD and other conditions that affect breathing.[Editor’s Note: The author is Director of Community Engagement for Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ.]

Helios Care Partners with Bassett Healthcare to Expand Hospice, Palliative ServicesHospice NewsDecember 21, 2023The hospice and senior care provider Helios Care is partnering with the integrated health system Bassett Healthcare Network to bring more extensive access to hospice and palliative care to patients in central New York. ... As a result of the partnership, the New York State Department of Health issued certificates of need allowing Helios to expand into additional counties.