The hospice, a specialized home for those with a
terminal illness and their families, is a relatively new part of Western health
care infrastructure. The first hospice
was established in 1967 in London, England, but it built itself upon the
foundations outlined in my last three posts.
Without hospitals, the idea of a
hospice as a specialized institution would not have arisen. The founder of the first hospice and the
hospice movement itself, Dame Cicely Saunders, began her medical training
during World War II. She trained to
become a Red Cross war nurse at, notably, the Nightingale Training
School! She subsequently added to her
education, becoming a medical doctor in 1957.
Ms. Saunders, according to the
Encyclopedia of world biography, was “[a] devout Christian.” When planning the concept of a hospice, she “incorporated
opportunities for spiritual reflection into her plan, including a chapel, staff
theologians, and prayer time. Yet she remained adamant that religion not be
forced on anyone” [1]. She believed that
the atmosphere of well-lit and home-like rooms would bring comfort to patients
and their families. More consistent pain
control and other palliative treatments would not try to artificially extend
life but make the end more bearable. Due in part to Saunders’ research, palliative care has become a specialized area of
medicine.
Hospice care, according to Saunders’ model
is diametrically opposed to physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia since her
beliefs were based on the sanctity of human life and the sovereignty of God
over one’s lifespan. It is worth noting
that despite its faith-filled beginnings, not all hospice care today continues
in that life-affirming tradition [2].
[1] Encyclopedia of World Biography | 2005 :
Saunders, Cicely.
[2]
American hospice pioneer Florence Wald was open to euthanasia, and that has
trickled down to some US hospices, according to Kelleigh Nelson’s March 6, 2013
article “Killing us Softly” found at freedomoutpost.com
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