Literature Review

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.

HomeCare & Hospice’s move into Motherhouse a promising partnershipOlean (NY) Times Herald, 12/21/23Allegany, NY—The association of Community Care of Western New York and the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany will grow even closer after Christmas when HomeCare & Hospice resumes its operations at the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse.

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. 

Lassus Donates To Stillwater HospiceTimes Union (Warsaw, IN)December 19, 2023Warsaw, IN—Lassus Handy Dandy, 777 Parker St., Warsaw, presented Stillwater Hospice with a $2,610 donation Tuesday. Store Manager Lora Bridegam said from Nov. 7 to Dec. 1, all the Lassus stores do the “Be a Blessing” fundraiser, which is a tradition Lassus has done for years. The donation came from customers choosing to round their purchases up. 

Community Foundation Boosts Mahoning Valley Nonprofits with $972,402The Business Journal (Youngstown, OH)December 20, 2023Youngstown, OH—The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and its affiliates awarded $972,402 to 39 local organizations. ... Additionally, the Hospice Trust of Trumbull County granted $100,000 to Ohio Living Home Health and Hospice.

Rome Community Foundation awards nearly $184K in fourth-quarter grantsCentral New York Business JournalDecember 19, 2023Rome, NY—The Rome Community Foundation announced it has awarded $183,616 in grants—ranging from $500 to $25,000 each—to 21 Rome-area charitable organizations. The recipients include: Hospice and Palliative Care, $15,000; ...

LCHD head defends hospice program budgetPen City Current (Fort Madison, IA)December 19, 2023Fort Madison, IA—It would appear that a push by some on the Lee County Board of Supervisors to get out of the hospice business is at a stand still. At Monday’s regular meeting of the board, Keokuk resident Mary Jo Reisberg and an employee of the health department advocated for the county staying in the hospice business to make sure that every county resident has a choice for care. ... Several members of the board, including Chairman Garry Seyb, said they don’t think the county should be engaged in business that competes with private for-profit companies. 

How 19 New Hanover Community Endowment grants totaling $53 million will be spentStar News (Wilmington, NC)December 18, 2023Wilmington, NC—The New Hanover Community Endowment has announced more than $53 million in grants to philanthropic efforts in New Hanover County. Over the next three years, the $53 million will go toward 19 grants in New Hanover County focused on the healthcare workforce pipeline, early childhood education and health access. The endowment is also granting $1.4 million to 14 organizations with one-year, non-renewable grants that supports programs like elder care, literacy and youth violence prevention. 

Racial and Ethnic Disparities Seen in Use of HospiceHealthDayDecember 18, 2023Racial and ethnic disparities are seen in use of hospice among Medicaid recipients, according to a study published online Dec. 8 in JAMA Health Forum. Julie Robison, Ph.D., from the UConn Health Center on Aging in Farmington, and colleagues compared hospice use and hospice length of stay (LOS) by race and ethnicity among Medicaid-only individuals and those with dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid (duals). 

Despite Economic Growth in 2023, State of the Commonwealth Report Shows Worrying TrendsNews ReleaseDecember 18, 2023Norfolk, VA—There are positive takeaways from Old Dominion University’s ninth annual State of the Commonwealth Report. Virginia’s economy and population continued to grow in 2023 and a record number of people were employed and in the labor force, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. But the report, produced by ODU’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, also raises questions about the commonwealth’s future. 

Chemed Corporation Announces the Appointment of Michael D. Witzeman as CFOBusiness WireDecember 18, 2023Cincinnati, OH—Today Chemed Corporation’s Board of Directors has appointed Michael D. Witzeman as Chief Financial Officer, effective January 1, 2024, following the retirement of David P. Williams from that role. Mr. Witzeman is currently Chemed’s Vice President and Controller and serves as Chemed’s principal accounting officer.