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The History of Hospice

Hospice care is often sought for terminally ill patients when medical treatment is no longer considered to be a viable option. Cancer.org explains that most hospice care in the United States is performed in the patient's home, but patients in nursing homes, hospitals and private facilities also receive hospice care. Hospice care is offered around the clock, every day of the week and is specifically designed for patients who have a life expectancy of six months or less.

  1. What is Hospice?

    • The Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) explains that the word hospice is derived from the word "hospitium" which is Latin for "guest house." The word "hospice" has two meanings. The first definition is quite general: a shelter for the underprivileged or someone who has nowhere else to turn. The term "hospice" may also refer to a program in which a terminally ill patient and his family are provided comfort, along with spiritual and emotional support; this is also known as "palliative care." Historically, hospice shelters were run by religious group, the HFA says.

    Jeanne Garnier

    • According to the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA), Jeanne Garnier is considered a pioneer of hospice care, and was the first known person to use the term "hospice" in conjunction with care for the terminally ill. Garnier founded the Association Des Dames du Calvaire---a group of widows who volunteered to tend to the sick and dying---in Lyons, France, in 1842.

    Cicely Saunders

    • Dr. Cicely Saunders was born in 1918 in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, and has been credited with developing the hospice care services that we are familiar with today. According to MyHero.com, her desire to relive the pain of her patients while a nurse led her to enter medical school to become a doctor at age 33. She then established the first hospice care program in southwest London in 1967. Saunders, the website says, believed in a patient's right to die with dignity and upheld the notion that it was important to care for the whole person---the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.

    U.S. Hospice Care

    • According to The Center for Nursing Advocacy (TCNA), the first hospice to open its doors in the United States was in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1971. The founder of the Connecticut Hospice was Florence Wald, who was inspired by Saunders' work. In fact, Wald left the United States in the 1960s to work with her mentor, and learn more about palliative care, before opening up her own facility. Wald's noble efforts were publicly acknowledged and honored by the National and the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame organizations.

    Hospice Today

    • Hospice care has become an important part of the U.S. health care system and has rapidly grown to include more than 4,500 hospice programs from coast-to-coast, according to the HFA. The federal government has acknowledged the value of hospice care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services explains that Medicare patients with a life expectancy of six months or less may be eligible for hospice care and entitled to the services provided by a specially trained medical team.

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