Literature Review

The Joint Commission Home Health Accreditation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | FederalRegister.gov; Announcemen; scheduled to be published on 7/10/26  The Federal Register announced on July 9, 2026 that the application from The Joint Commission for continued CMS approval of its Home Health Agency (HHA) accreditation program has been approved by CMS. The approval is applicable from March 31, 2026 through March 31, 2032. 

After Nebraska sanctions and federal charges, Iowa nurse surrenders license Iowa Capital Dispatch; by Clark Kauffman; 7/7/26 Almost two years after the State of Nebraska revoked a nurse’s ability to practice there for posing a “significant risk to public safety,” Iowa’s Board of Nursing has agreed to accept the nurse’s surrender of her license to practice in Iowa. The decision by the Iowa board comes after Brandy Wicks, a registered nurse from Treynor, was accused of stealing patient medications from a hospital, a home-hospice program and at least two nursing homes, and after her indictment on 11 federal criminal charges.

MedCity Pivot Podcast: the evolution of at-home careMedCity News; podcast by Jill Schwartz-Cheylin and article by Arundhati Parmar; 6/30/26 In this month's pivot podcast, I speak to the chief medical officer of San Francisco-based Vynca, an innovative company in the world of palliative care that is providing serious disease management at home. Whenever people think of at-home care, generally it’s tied to remote monitoring or at-home diagnostics or temporary hospital-at-home programs. But at-home care now includes palliative care. In this month’s pivot podcast, I speak with the chief medical officer of Vynca, an innovative company in the world of palliative care that is providing serious disease management at home.

HCS home care/hospice salary & benefits studies underway American Health Care Association; by LIsa Hohenemser; 6/23/26 Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) has announced the 2026 Home Care and Hospice Salary & Benefits studies are now underway with the deadline of August 10th. The Reports are recognized as the authoritative source for comprehensive marketplace data for home health + hospice agencies. Last year’s Home Care Report contained data from 1,111 home health agencies. The Hospice Report had data from 1,091 hospice agencies. Both studies include questions on staffing issues, nursing turnover/vacancy rates, and sign-on bonuses used by agencies to attract new employees.  ... Directions to Participate in the HCS Home Care or Hospice Salary & Benefits Study: ...

The missing middle in healthcare—and why it matters | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Bridget Sumser and Sonya Dolan; 6/20/26 What happens between a life-changing diagnosis and hospice care?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Mettle Health co-founder Sonya Dolan and Director of Counseling & Programs Bridget Sumser to explore what they call healthcare’s “missing middle.” ... Together, they unpack how Mettle Health was created to provide a different kind of support: one centered on accompaniment rather than treatment, resilience rather than answers, and human connection rather than healthcare transactions.

The missing middle in healthcare—and why it matters | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Bridget Sumser and Sonya Dolan; 6/20/26 What happens between a life-changing diagnosis and hospice care?  In Part One of this thought-provoking conversation, Chris Comeaux welcomes Mettle Health co-founder Sonya Dolan and Director of Counseling & Programs Bridget Sumser to explore what they call healthcare’s “missing middle.” ... Together, they unpack how Mettle Health was created to provide a different kind of support: one centered on accompaniment rather than treatment, resilience rather than answers, and human connection rather than healthcare transactions.

Central Coast VNA & Hospice expands focus on aging-in-place support as regional demand grows K99.1 XLG, Monterey, CA; by Presswire.com; 6/5/26 Central Coast VNA & Hospice, a nonprofit home healthcare organization serving Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and South Santa Clara counties, is expanding its community education and outreach efforts around aging-in-place care services. The initiative responds to a growing number of families in the region seeking structured, professional support to help older adults live safely and independently at home, a trend observed broadly across California and the nation as the senior population continues to grow.

We couldn't afford to pay for my mom's dementia assisted living anymore. She moved into a tiny house next door to me. Business Insider; as told to Noah Sheidlower; 5/31/26 This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lori Bufka, 64, who is caring for her mother with dementia in Arizona. Assisted living became too expensive for her mother, so Bufka moved her into a trailer next to their home, where her mother would have enough space and safety. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Editor's Note: From this essay, "She went into hospice care, and we hired someone to come for a few hours a week. It was supposed to be $37 for two hours, but when I got the bill, they tacked on mileage, so it became $92. We figured it wasn't worth it, so now hospice volunteers visit every now and then, and hospice covers medically necessary appointments. ..."

Sovereign Hospice releases guidance on home setup for end-of-life care NEWSnet, Aubrey, TX; by Sovreign Hospice; 5/31/26 Sovereign Hospice, a Dallas-Fort Worth-based hospice and palliative care provider, has released practical guidance for families preparing to receive end-of-life care at home. ... The guidance covers room selection, durable medical equipment placement, medication organization, caregiver strategies, and a clear explanation of the services hospice offers in a home setting. It is directed at families across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex who are beginning to consider hospice at home service for a loved one with a life-limiting illness.

Early palliative integration for heart failure Medscape; by Karel De Pourcq, PhD; 5/27/26 ... Chronic conditions such as heart failure often bring relentless symptoms, repeated hospital admissions, and deep emotional and social effects for patients and their families. Bringing a palliative perspective into care widens the focus beyond disease-directed treatments to include ongoing symptom relief, emotional support, and help for overburdened caregivers. It also promotes early, shared planning about treatment intensity — deciding when worsening episodes can be managed at home vs when hospitalization is needed — and clarifying care goals as the illness progresses.

BAYADA ranked on Forbes' Best Employers for New Grads list HomeCare News, Philadelphia, PA; Press Release; 5/27/26 BAYADA Home Health Care announced it has been named to Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2026, an annual ranking based on an independent survey of more than 100,000 United States employees with fewer than 10 years of work experience. BAYADA said it is the only home healthcare organization that made the list, ranked No. 116 out of the 500 companies recognized, spanning all industries. More than 2 million employer evaluations across a three-year period informed the final list. 

Redwood Newsmakers: Hospice of Humboldt Palliative Care Program Redwood News; by Ross Rowley; 5/20/26 We’re here with Karen Ayres, nurse practitioner with Hospice of Humboldt, talking about home-based palliative care and the growing need for these services here in our community. Hospice of Humboldt started this program in 2022. ... “So we started this service called home-based palliative care,” she said. “While we are part of Hospice of Humboldt, we are one of the services they offer. We’re not hospice care, we’re palliative care. ..."

Addus HomeCare says license moratorium won’t slow personal care growth, M&A Transcript Daily; by Lauren Steadman; 5/19/26 Addus HomeCare (NASDAQ:ADUS) executives said a new federal moratorium on certain home health licenses should have little effect on the company’s growth plans, while highlighting continued improvement in personal care services trends and ongoing acquisition opportunities.