The Hospice Movement

The Hospice Movement

Middle Ages – physical an spiritual refreshment/sick/travellers/elderly. Most had a Christian foundation. Most were run by Monks and Nuns

Modern Hospice Movement – 19th century

The Hospice Movement

Irish Nuns – Sisters of Charity, est. a home for the dying in Dublin

1900 – five Nuns from the Order arrived in England to set up a home for the terminally ill in the East End of London

1910 – St Joseph’s Hospice up and running

1967 – Cicely Saunders set up St. Christopher’s Hospice in London

The Hospice Movement

Today – over 100 in- patient hospices in England

Each offers care and support for the terminally ill – currently approx 2000 in patients

1974 – First Hospice opened in USA – now 2000 strong looking after 300,000 patients

The Hospice Movement

In both countries there are not enough beds for the number of patients

Hospices depend on fund raising/personal donations/money left in wills

Aims of the Hospice Movement

Central Aim - Offer care and support to patients/friends/relatives

Three Aims1. To relieve pain2. Help people face up to forthcoming

death3. To care for the emotional and mental

needs of friends and relatives

How the Hospice Movement helps

They offer initially short term residential care – a week or two

As health declines they offer longer timePeople can choose to die in the hospice

or at homeIf they wish to die at home Macmillan

nurses are employed to help

Questions and tasks

Do you think Hospices should receive government money? Give reasons for your answer

Why do you think that many non religious people support the work of hospices? Give reasons for your answer

Comment on these two quotations:- “Anything which says to the very ill that they are a burden to

their family and that they would be better off dead is unacceptable. What sort of society could let its old folk die because they are ‘in the way’?”

“By giving terminally ill children permission to be who they are and ensuring that they are in a loving, supportive environment, it is possible to help them meet death with a dignity and with a nobility which in no way denies grief”