Literature Review

Dancing with the Stars returns for annual Hospice fundraiser Richmond County Daily Journal, Rockingham, NC; by Ana Corral; 10/1/26 Richmond County Hospice’s annual Taste of the Sandhills & Dancing with the Stars fundraiser returned Saturday, bringing dancers and community members together for an evening of fundraising. Before audience members entered the auditorium, Jeff Smart, partner and owner of Mabry’s Drug & Home Care, shared that Hospice had already raised around $79,000. “We’re so proud we can be the main event sponsor again with Dancing With The Stars as we have for so many years,” Smart said. At the end of the night, Smart shared that the final amount raised had not yet been determined but estimated the total was under $90,000.

The home health and hospice moratorium at six months: what CMS’ anti-fraud CRUSH initiative has meant for providers JD Supra; by Lanchi Nguyen Bombalier; 10/1/26 Key Takeaways

Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties brings veterans together for a salute to servicefocusmedia, Montgomery, NY; Client News; 9/30/26 Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties brought veterans, families and community members together on September 23 for a Veterans Brunch: A Salute to Service at The American Grill at Stony Ford Golf Course in Thomas Bull Memorial Park. The gathering honored local veterans and provided an opportunity to share experiences, form connections and learn about available support.With the surrounding mountains in view on a bright fall morning, attendees exchanged stories across generations and branches of service. Before the panel discussion, the program featured a medley of military service songs, with veterans standing for their branches.

The annual journey plan —turning strategy into an organizational rhythm Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux; 10/1/26A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. A great year is not created in the final quarter. It is created through a disciplined rhythm of listening, deciding, executing, learning, and renewing. Consider a liturgical calendar. It does more than mark dates. It gives a community a shared rhythm with seasons for preparation, reflection, renewal, celebration, and recommitment. Each season has meaning because of what came before it and what follows. The calendar keeps people oriented to what matters most, even when daily life competes for attention.

‘Taking care of Granny’: hear this caregiver’s story of dementia, dignity and finding help WNDU 16 News Now, South Bend, IN; by LeAnne Gendreau and Wade Smith; 9/30/26 On this episode of The Aging Untold Podcast, Dugan Meredith, who documents caring for his mother-in-law online through the “Taking Care of Granny” social media feeds, joins us to talk about what it’s really like to become a caregiver and how his family found their way through it. Caring for an aging loved one can reshape a family, and it’s a responsibility more men are shouldering than ever before. Today, an estimated 21 million men are in caregiving roles, according to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. They are navigating the daily challenges of aging and illness alongside their own jobs and children.

11 Medicare scams retirees often don't see coming Finance Buzz; by Sara Albertelli; 9/30/26 Medical costs can escalate quickly after you retire, making access to affordable Medicare health care an essential part of your retirement plan. Unfortunately, scammers often target Medicare patients. ... Here are some common Medicare schemes that could throw a wrench in your retirement plans.

Adrian woman accused of killing sister skips preliminary hearing, heads to trial court WTOL 11 - CBS, Toledo, OH; by Melissa Andrews; 9/30/26 The Adrian woman accused of killing her sister, a hospice patient, waived her right to a preliminary examination Wednesday and will now face arraignment in Lenawee County Circuit Court. ... According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Adrian Police, Frances Stewart was a cancer patient with autism who was receiving in-home hospice care at her Adrian residence. Investigators allege Virginia Stewart gave her sister an overdose of morphine while she was unconscious in bed and then removed her oxygen mask. Police said Fran Stewart died within about 15 minutes. The affidavit states two witnesses told investigators Stewart instructed them to "look away" or they could become "implicated."

How CMS’ proposed rule would build palliative care into the home health system Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 9/30/26 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposal to add palliative care as a billable service under the Medicare Home Health Benefit could expand home health agencies to develop relationships with different types of providers. However, adding palliative care as a billable service could also make it difficult for home health providers to provide palliative services as robust as those delivered through the hospice benefit. Home health providers have celebrated the inclusion of palliative care in CMS’ proposed CY2027 home health payment rule. ... The rule will not change eligibility requirements for the home health care benefit. To qualify, a patient must: ...

New Jersey telehealth update: access expanded, pay parity extended, licensing upheld Mondaq Legal 500 | Intelligence; by Becca Waltuch and Josh Yoo; 9/30/26 New Jersey has significantly expanded telemedicine access for Schedule II controlled substances by eliminating certain in-person examination requirements for cancer patients, hospice care recipients, and adults prescribed stimulants. The state has also extended its telemedicine pay parity mandate through 2027, while federal courts have upheld strict physician licensing requirements for out-of-state providers offering telehealth services to New Jersey patients.

Geographic disparities in hospice quality and family caregiver experience: the roles of ownership, social vulnerability, and workforce capacity arXiv; by Jinho Cha and Misun Roh; 9/29/26  Hospice quality should be interpreted in relation to both provider organization and the local conditions under which care is delivered. This study develops a provider-county performance assessment framework by linking national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospice data and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey outcomes with county measures of rurality, social vulnerability, health burden, and workforce and health-resource context. The adjusted analysis includes 2,928 providers in 1,078 counties and combines geographic mapping, blockwise regression, six secondary CAHPS outcomes, and eight sensitivity analyses.

MA: Shared credentialing platform slated for November start LeadingAge; by Nicole Fallon; 9/28/26 Provider credentialing and recredentialing can be one of the more time-consuming aspects of contracting with Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid managed care plans. Many LeadingAge members must submit the same information through separate credentialing processes for each plan they work with, often waiting months before contracts become active and negotiated rates take effect. A new national credentialing service, CertifyOS, may help streamline that process. Beginning November 1, 2026, providers participating in certain managed care plans will be able to submit credentialing information through a single online portal that can then be used by all participating health plans.

Warning: If you get a ‘new’ plastic Medicare card in the mail, do not give your Social Security number SavingAdvice.com; by James Hendrickson; 9/28/26 An official-looking Medicare card unexpectedly arrives in your mailbox, but there’s something different about it: it’s plastic, perhaps has a chip, and comes with instructions telling you to call a number to “activate” your new benefits. Don’t make that call. The Senior Medicare Patrol specifically warns beneficiaries about scams involving supposed new plastic Medicare cards, chip cards, and annual replacement cards. Scammers may use the story as an excuse to obtain your Medicare number, Social Security number, banking information, or other personal data. There’s an important 2026 wrinkle, however: receiving a new Medicare card isn’t automatically evidence of fraud. ... Here’s what to check before giving anyone information. ...