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Groups
and individuals
We have listed
here only 2 Hospice groups. There are many more to be found through the
links on page 2 and by doing a search of the Internet.
"You matter
because you are you, and you matter until the last moment of your life. We
will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live
until you die"
Dame Cicely Saunders
Founder of the modern hospice movement
The History of Hospice
Cicely Saunders -
Founder of the Modern Hospice Movement
Cicely Saunders is
regarded as the founder of the modern hospice movement. Dr. Saunders
founded St. Christopher's in 1967, which charted new directions in both
the philosophy and techniques for treatment of the terminally ill. When
planning St. Christopher's, Dr Saunders stated: "The name hospice, 'a
resting place for travelers or pilgrims,' was chosen because this will be
something between a hospital and a home, with the skills of one and the
hospitality, warmth, and the time of the other."
"In the late 1960's,
several students at Yale University heard about a program in England that
offered special care for people diagnosed with an irreversible illness.
The students invited Dr. Cicely Saunders, founder of St. Christopher's
Hospice in London, to speak at Yale, and were subsequently inspired to
open such a place here in the United States. These students developed, and
eventually launched, the hospice movement in the United States. In 1974, a
Connecticut Hospice nurse and volunteer made their first Hospice Home Care
visit to the home of a terminally ill patient."
http://www.cp-tel.net/pamnorth/history.htm
The following is an
excerpt from the Masonicare website:
Contrary to what many
people may think, up to 92 percent of hospice care is performed in the
home, not in a healthcare setting. This, however, is only one factor that
distinguishes it from all other types of care. Tailored expressly for the
needs of dying and terminally ill people, hospice is a departure from
regular medical treatment. Instead of attempting to cure individuals with
terminal illnesses, its primary focus is to keep patients as free of pain
and as comfortable as possible, so they can make the most of the time they
have left. Beyond treating their physical needs, hospice cares for the
emotional and spiritual needs of patients.
Another common misconception about hospice is that it is all about death.
Hospice care is mostly about living. In addition to helping people live
out the end of their lives as they wish, a large part of its services is
geared to caring for those who will be living for a long time to
come—family members and others connected and concerned with caring for
the patient. Hospice helps this group with everything from coping with the
tremendous burden of caregiving to bereavement care, which often extends
for more than a year after a loved one's death.
Just a few generations
ago, death—like birth—was almost always confined to the family home.
Beginning at the turn of the century, these important life events started
to take place in a hospital setting. As medical science began removing our
loved ones' deaths from our view and our homes, many people also believe
it took away some other things—a patient's dignity, the intimacy of
spending one's last hours in the company of family, and perhaps even our
ability to recognize and accept human mortality. Today, hospice is
combining the latest medical advances to free patients from pain with a
concept of care that is bringing back the ability to die at home.
http://www.masonicare.org/hospicearticle.htm
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