Hospice of South Texas announces full funding for new support services building 
PROLG Press Release Distribution, Victoria, TX; by Hospice of South Texas; 12/8/25 
Hospice of South Texas (HOST) is grateful to announce that the Support Services Building is now fully funded. This milestone was reached through a remarkable $700,000 gift from the M. G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation and the generous support of many additional donors. Their partnership ensures continued access to nonprofit, compassionate hospice care for families across twelve South Texas counties. 

HOV honors family traditions 
North Central News; by Staff; 12/8/25 
Family traditions enrich the holiday season, and for Hispanic families in the community, Día de los Muertos is an especially meaningful observance, says Lin Sue Flood, director of community engagement at Hospice of the Valley. “Though the name translates to ‘Day of the Dead,’ this cherished Mexican holiday is not a morbid occasion. Instead, it is a vibrant celebration that honors those we hold dear through ofrendas (altars) adorned with photos, favorite foods and bright marigolds, alongside music and dancing,” she added. ... Organizer Dulce Rodriguez noted that the event helps reinforce family bonds across generations and strengthens cultural identity.

Inside TRU Thrift’s Giving Room: How Boulder donations reach neighbors in need 
The Gazette, Boulder, CO; by Tricia Stortz; 12/6/25 
In the back of TRU Community Care’s Thrift Shop in Boulder, past racks of winter coats and holiday decor, there’s a doorway most shoppers never notice. Step through it, and you enter the Giving Room, a bustling, volunteer-run operation where nearly nothing goes to waste and where unsold items find new purpose across Boulder County. The space is compact, but the impact is wide. More than 30 local partner organizations – from homeless outreach teams to youth programs, animal shelters, mobility-assistance nonprofits and more – rely on the items flowing through this little room. 
Editor's Note: Calling all hospice organizations that have a thrift shop, read on!

Palliative care improves outcomes in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), with Crawford Strunk, MD 
Consultant Live; by Crawford Strunk, MD; 12/8/25 
Incorporating a palliative care team into a comprehensive sickle cell disease (SCD) care center substantially reduced inpatient length of stay and improved outpatient pain management, according to a recent study. ...  Additionally, the study authors noted plans to continue examining the efficacy of palliative care regarding cost savings and broader applicability outside of SCD patients.

Veterans are invited to connect over coffee at the library 
Rome News-Tribune; by Emily Bradshaw; 12/6/25 
Starting Thursday, Dec. 11, at 9:30 a.m., Transitions Hospice Care will kick off a new monthly event at the Rome-Floyd County Library, aiming to provide a sense of community and connectivity for local veterans. ... Transitions Hospice Care decided to put this event together to foster a sense of camaraderie while also providing resources, she said. Their first meeting will be casual, gauging interest in various resources attendees may want to discuss. From there, these monthly meetings will build to incorporate aspects that pique guests’ interests and needs.

MedPAC to recommend 7% cut to 2027 home health payment rate 
Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 12/8/25 
Just over a week after home health providers were hit with the announcement that their 2026 Medicare payment rates would be reduced by a 1.3% aggregate cut, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) agreed to recommend a significantly more drastic cut for the following year. On Friday, MedPAC released a draft report recommending that Congress reduce the Medicare base payment rate for home health care services for calendar year 2027 by 7%. 

Healthcare fraud enforcement trends to expect in 2026 
JD Supra; by Arnall Golden Gregory; 12/8/25
Key Takeaways

• AI-driven oversight will accelerate enforcement. ...
• False Claims Act activity will intensify. ...
• Telehealth and pharmacy operations face heightened scrutiny. ...
• Value-based care arrangements carry growing fraud-and-abuse risks. ...

A Place for Mom’s refreshed marketing strategy focused on family stories, thought leadership 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/8/25 
Upon the 25th anniversary of its founding, the senior services company A Place for Mom is undergoing a rebrand and redesigning its marketing strategy. The company’s name is not changing as part of the rebrand. Rather, A Place for Mom has a new logo and visual identity and has developed a data-driven, tech-enabled approach to marketing that leverages AI, social media and video content. This is coupled with efforts to further establish the company as a thought leader in the senior care space.

Hospitalization experiences among nursing home residents with dementia
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association; by Jordan M Alpert, Jeffrey D Kovach, Nicholas J Casacchia, David Harris, Ardeshir Hashmi, Luke Dogyun Kim, Silvia Perez-Protto, Matthew A Pappas, Michael B Rothberg; 12/5/25
Hospital admissions among nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are burdensome, expensive, and provide limited clinical benefit. ... Conclusions and implications: Patients undergoing hospital admission suffered distressing experiences, but most patients did not have do-not-resuscitate orders, and referrals to hospice and palliative care were rare. Patients and their family members should be informed about the hospital experience before admission and offered appropriate care services.

Social worker dies from injuries suffered in San Francisco hospital stabbing attack: Police 
ABC News; by Bill Hutchinson; 12/7/25 
A social worker, described by colleagues as "remarkable" and "compassionate," has died from stab wounds she suffered when a patient armed with a steak knife allegedly attacked her inside a San Francisco hospital, according to authorities. The victim, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead on Saturday, two days after she was stabbed repeatedly inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, according to the San Francisco Sheriff's Office. The victim was described by the sheriff's office as a 51-year-old University of California, San Francisco, social worker. 

[United Kingdom] Hospice donation a 'no-brainer' after lottery win 
BBC News; by Patrick Barlow; 12/6/25 
A lottery winner who donated thousands of pounds to a hospice after the death of her husband said the decision was a "no-brainer" given the care he received there. Linda Styles, donated £25,000 to the Heart of Kent Hospice, in Aylesford, Kent, after winning £250,000 in the People's Post Code Lottery. Ms Styles' husband, Owen Styles, died in March aged 60 having been cared for at the hospice after being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer six weeks before. 

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