PALLIATIVE CARE OR HOSPICE CARE?

In 1967 Dame Cicely Saunders pioneered the concept of total care in dying patients and
the modern hospice movement developed from that time. She was instrumental in setting
up St Christopher’s Hospice in London, the world’s first purpose-built hospice. The hospice
was founded on the principles of combining teaching and clinical research, expert pain, and
symptom control, with holistic or total care to meet the physical, social, psychological, and
spiritual needs of its patients and those of their family and friends. St Christopher’s
Hospice was developed based on a care philosophy that “you matter because you are you,
you matter to the last moment of your life.” This approach required specialist care which
led to a new medical specialty called palliative care. At that stage, palliative care referred
to patients who had a terminal illness with a clearly defined limit to their life. In essence
this was Hospice care which incorporated care of dying patients and their families and
friends

More recently, palliative care has grown into a field that that can be adapted to different
situations. It makes sense to consider palliative care now both within and without a
Hospice programme.

Hospice care incorporates palliative care of patients who are no longer receiving curative
treatment. The focus tries to maximize comfort and quality of life. The burden of treatment
decisions should not outweigh the benefit. The USA has fixed a time of 6 months for this
care which although strict, it supports the notion of palliative care within a Hospice setting.
Palliative care outside of Hospice is independent of the prognosis of the patient and in ideal
situations works alongside life-prolonging and curative treatment for persons living with
serious, complex and life-threatening illness.

Read the full document or download it.