SO WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?
Palliative care is a holistic approach that improves the quality of life for patients of all ages facing life-threatening illnesses, as well as their families. It focuses not only on relieving physical symptoms, but also on addressing psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
How?
Palliative care:
- Helps patients live as actively and comfortably as possible until the end of life.
- Reduces unnecessary hospital visits and supports families through grief and bereavement.
Can be provided alongside curative treatments, from early stages of illness.
Burmheal network champions Palliative care by:
- Fostering collaboration across hospices to strengthen care networks and share best practices.
- Raising awareness about the importance of hospice care for terminally ill cancer patients.
- Providing essential resources to underserved hospices, improving access to palliative care services.
- Encouraging storytelling and knowledge exchange to reduce stigma and promote emotional healing.
- Mobilizing volunteers and donors to support palliative programs through fundraising and advocacy.
HISTORY OF HOSPICES
17th-19th century
1600s–1800s – Religious institutions in Europe (e.g., France and Ireland) establish hospices for the poor and dying. These remain mostly religious and charitable in nature.
1843 – The Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul found a hospice in Lyon, France, focused on terminal care.
20th century: The Modern Hospice Movement
1905 – The Irish Sisters of Charity establish Our Lady’s Hospice in Dublin, a key model of modern hospice care.
1967 – Dame Cicely Saunders founds St. Christopher’s Hospice in London, introducing the integration of pain control, emotional support, and spiritual care—the foundation of modern palliative care.
1974 – The first hospice in the United States, Connecticut Hospice, opens in Branford, Connecticut.
1980s-1990s
1982 – The U.S. Medicare Hospice Benefit is established, funding hospice care for terminally ill patients.
1987 – The World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognizes palliative care as a critical part of healthcare.
1990 – WHO defines palliative care and promotes it as a global health priority.