Proud To Be British.Cicely Saunders and Hospices
last updated Monday 27th February 2012 - 12:16
Click photo to enlarge
The modern hospice movement began in 1967 by Cicely Saunders. She worked as a nurse, social worker and finally a doctor and was inspired to provide spiritual, emotional and physical aid to the dying. The first hospice was St.Christopher but there are now 231, including those for children, adolescents and for people suffering with aids.
Hospice care is based upon the belief that death and dying are a natural part of life and that the quality of life for people with terminal illnesses should be made as positive as possible.
About 96% of adults using hospices have some form of cancer. Children are treated for a much broader range of illnesses.
Hospices provide about 80% of palliative care beds in the U.K. but the vast majority of income comes from donations, fund raising and legacies.
"Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.”
Within hospices you will find a range of services - pain control, symptom relief, skilled nursing care, counselling, complementary therapies, spiritual care, art, music, physiotherapy, reminiscence, beauty treatments and bereavement support.
There is a common belief that people go into hospices to be cared for until they die. This is not the case as many patients return home after a stay, during which time, they have received medical care to relieve pain and discomfort.
*****
A typical hospice is St.Lukes Hospice in Winsford, Cheshire has 10 beds. Patients are looked after by a team which includes a consultant, doctors, nurses, physiopherapist, occupational therapist, social workers, counsellors, chaplain and complementary therapists.
There is also a Day Hospice which operates 3 days a week and can care for 15 people.
St.Luke`s Hospice has a catchment population of approximately 1/4 million people in Mid and South Cheshire. The hospice has to raise over £5200 every day. This is almost £2 million pounds each year!
Related articles:-
Back to Conservatory
Top of Page