Hospice Palliative Care

The word “Hospice” is very old and its meaning has evolved over time. In medieval times a hospice was a way station for weary travellers where they could be replenished and refreshed. Hospice palliative care now refers to a philosophy or way of thinking about the care people need as they are going through life’s last station.

Today hospice palliative care describes the active and compassionate care given to people experiencing a life-threatening illness that no longer responds to traditional curative treatment. Our focus is on caring, not curing, on life not death. Hospice care extends to the family. They receive support in managing the pain and suffering of their loved one and their own grief before and after death.

---------

From: Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Ottawa 2002: A Model Guide to Hospice Palliative Care

Hospice Palliative Care aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of living and dying.

Hospice Palliative Care strives to help clients and families: address physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical issues and their associated expectations, needs hopes and fears; prepare for and manage self-determined life closure and the dying process; and cope with loss and grief during the illness and bereavement.

Hospice Palliative Care aims to: treat all active issues; prevent new issues from occurring; and promote opportunities for meaningful and valuable experiences, personal and spiritual growth, and self-actualization.

Hospice Palliative Care is appropriate for any patient and/or family living with, or at risk of developing, a life-threatening illness due to any diagnosis, with any prognosis, regardless of age and at any time they have unmet expectations and/or needs and are prepared to accept care.

Hospice Palliative Care may complement and enhance disease-modifying therapy or it may become the total focus of care.

Hospice Palliative Care is most effectively delivered by an interdisciplinary team of healthcare providers who are both knowledgeable and skilled in all aspects of the caring process related to their discipline of practice. These providers are typically trained by schools or organizations that are governed by educational standards. Once licensed, providers are accountable to standards or professional conduct that is set by licensing bodies and/or professional associations.

While Hospice Palliative Care has grown out of and includes care for patients at the end of life, today it should be available to patients and families throughout the illness and bereavement experiences.