Hospice care

Hospice care is care of the dying. It is a relatively recent concept that
originated and gained momentum in Great Britain after the founding of the
first modern hospice, St. Christopher's, in 1967. Dr. Cicely Saunders is
regarded as the founder of the hospice movement. Since its beginning, the
hospice movement has grown dramatically.

Hospice care occurs in hospitals, free-standing hospice units, and in homes.
More than a place, hospice care is a philosophy. It is characterized by
concern for symptom relief, general well-being, and spiritual/existential
comfort for the dying. The need to maintain quality of life in dying or
"quality of dying" is important as the incidence of chronic illness
increases with the aging of the Western world's population. The patient and
family are the focus of hospice care, with emphasis placed upon the
well-being of family caregivers as well as the patient. Opportunities for
caregiver respite are one of the services hospices provide to promote
caregiver well-being.

The first hospice in America was established in 1974. In the U.S., hospice
care is provided by a core interdisciplinary team consisting of physicians,
registered nurses, chaplains, social workers, and the family. The focus of
the team is to optimize symptom relief and function in people with terminal
illness. Additional members of the team are likely to include home health
aides, volunteers, personal care assistants, and housekeepers.

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