Dallas Fort Worth Texas Hospice Care Terminally Ill End-of-Life

History of Hospice

The word "hospice" stems from the Latin word "hospitium," meaning guesthouse. It was originally used to describe a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages. During the 1960's Dr. Cicely Saunders, a British physician, began the modern hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher's Hospice near London. St. Christopher's organized a team approach to professional caregiving and was the first program to use modern pain management techniques to compassionately care for the dying. The first hospice in the United States was established in New Haven, Connecticut in 1974.

In 1990 an Expert Committee of the World Health Organization drew up a formal definition of palliative care, stating its goal and indicating its function:

"Palliative care is the active, total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social and spiritual problems is paramount. The goal of palliative care is achievement of the best possible quality of life for patients and their families."