Hospice is care for either a terminally ill or extremely ill person, and is mainly to provide some comfort and respite from the suffering the patient is going through. This is not to cure or treat the person but a kind of palliative care to relieve the person from discomfort and pain towards the end of their life and allow them to live in hospice near me dignity and have a meaningful life at this period. Hospice provides respite to the physically as well as the mentally ill. Services are provided not only at hospitals and nursing homes but also at the patient’s home by trained staff, if required.
This sort of care was started in the 11th century and was provided by religious orders to the Crusaders and other soldiers who had fought during the wars and come back wounded and sick with no one to care for them. Refuge was provided by the priests to the dying and they were comforted and taken care of until the end of their lives.
The philosophy of hospice is to focus on the suffering of the patient and not on the cure of the disease which was often beyond help. The physical and mental anguish of the person is the main concern and care is provided to the family also to cope up with such trauma. In the early days tuberculosis, cancer and even and ailment like pneumonia were terminal and patients with these diseases were given palliative care at hospice centers. Today, a person with full-blown AIDS are also cared for at such centers and they are provided with nursing as well as counseling to help them cope with the disease.
Families need respite from constant nursing of patients who are in their care and hospice understands their need for a break. This helps them with social service to stand in while they are away from their homes for periods ranging from a few hours to a few days.