Welcome to Quality Hospice Care’s “Did You Know” blog.
My name is Jill Jones and I am the administrator of Quality Hospice Care. I would like to welcome you to our website. I am starting a monthly blog focusing on education regarding hospice care and services. Each month I will focus on a different “did you know” topic.
With this being the first blog, I wanted to start with ‘did you know the definition of the word “hospice” has evolved over the years?”. Merriam-Webster’s first definition of “hospice” is: an inn for travelers especially one kept by a religious order. The word “hospice” is derived from the Latin word hospitum meaning hospitality. Many experts believe the first hospices were started to provide refuge to weary travelers that were searching for spiritual renewal as they travelled to and from the Holy Land. These travelers often became ill on their journey and needed a refuge to receive care and often a place to die. According to Wikipedia in the early 14th century, the order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem opened in Rhodes. Hospices flourished in the Middle Ages, but languished as religious orders became dispersed.
Let’s fast forward a few centuries and explore the evolution of hospice care. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) states hospice is the “concept of providing specialized care for dying patients, linking pain and symptom control with compassionate care.” Modern day hospice began in England in 1967 when a pioneering physician named Dame Cicely Saunders created the first modern hospice, St. Christopher’s Hospice, located in London, England. Dame Saunders valued education and research. She was also an English nurse, social worker, researcher and writer. Medical professionals in the United States began to take notice of this new concept called hospice that was taking root in the United Kingdom. Connecticut Hospice was America’s first hospice. It was founded in 1974 by Florence Wald, along with a group of nurses, doctors and clergy. Florence Wald was inspired after attending a lecture given by Dame Cicely Saunders.
Merriam-Webster also offers a more modern definition of hospice as: a facility or program designed to provide palliative care and emotional support to the terminally ill in a home or homelike setting so that quality of life is maintained, and family members may be active participants in care. Quality Hospice Care is honored to provide modern day hospice services that focus on the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the patient, family members, caregivers and friends.
Since this is my first “Did You Know” blog I would like to tell you more about Quality Hospice Care. Did you know that Quality Hospice Care is celebrating its 10-year anniversary? That means providing high-quality, compassionate hospice care for 10 years. We are a locally-owned hospice agency that serves Fentress, Scott, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Jackson and Clay counties. As the administrator of Quality Hospice Care I want to emphasize the importance of being locally-owned. What does this mean for our patients and their families? It means that decisions are made locally by individuals that care about the communities and people that we serve. When it comes to healthcare there are a lot of factors to be considered. It should never be a “cookie cutter” approach. Each person’s situation is unique, and their plan of care should reflect their uniqueness. Our Board of Directors realize this and are supportive of our unique culture, beliefs, and values.
As I reflect on the humble beginnings of hospice in the 14th century, I am reminded that the concept is the same in the 21st century. Hospice is still based on “hospitality” – caring for weary travelers as they prepare for their next journey.