History

For as long as we have walked the earth, death has presented challenges and mysteries for the human species.

Superstition often led tribal cultures to exclude the ill from their midst, leaving them to die on their own or supported only by a close loved one. One special person would usually be given the role of ‘medicine’ woman or man. These people were said to have healing powers and were thought to be most closely in touch with the higher powers of gods and spirits.

Each society throughout history has evolved special ways of caring for the dying and the bereaved. For example:

  • in ancient China - "death houses" offered a place for the destitute & dying;
  • in New Zealand -- Maori customs give practical support to families at the time of death, and encourage community participation in mourning rituals;
  • in East Africa -- wise elders give both practical and spiritual support to the dying and bereaved.

Often rites and rituals concening death have been determined by religion.

In Western countries, care of the dying is historically linked to Judeo-Christian beliefs. The Church played an active role in tending to the sick and dying, most notably during the Crusades.

The development of holistic approaches to caregiving did not emerge until the 20th century, when health professions began to realize that their patients had physical, spiritual and pycho-social needs that must be met if quality of life is to be preserved.

The model which modern Hospice is built upon was first introduced in North America by Dame Cicely Saunders. She was in the process of establishing St. Christopher's inpatient hospice in London and visited Yale University in 1963.

Saunders gave a lecture on the concept of holistic hospice care to an audience of medical students, nurses, social workers, and chaplains. She included photos of terminally ill cancer patients and their families that dramatically showed the differences between before and after symptom control. The lecture sparked a series of events that eventually led to the development of hospice and palliative care programs across Canada and the United States.

 

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