Public health care is one of the prime topics in politics around the world. There are many people concerned with the way their government is taking care of people’s wellbeing. Not everyone who is in desperate need of help feels that they receive the best care possible. The financial crisis of 2007-2008, which ultimately led to a global recession, has made governments decide to cut down on their expenses, including health care. Consequently, people use the media to ask for donations and raise awareness for the importance of medical research, the care of elderly people who often face loneliness, and better access to social health insurance and medical care.
However, one aspect of health care does not get that much attention; the needs of dying people. This year, the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is on the 11th of October and has as its theme ‘Achieving universal coverage of palliative care: Who cares? We do!’ Globally, there is a need for hospices where people are able to spend the final days of their lives in peace and with the care they need. Also, people who choose to stay at home in their final days should be able to receive palliative care. But due to the negative changes in government health policies, palliative care is often neglected.
Even in Western Europe, where health care is often of good quality, palliative care still needs to be improved and/or needs to stay available for every person with a life-limiting illness. In the UK, Help the Hospices and the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) is distressed about the lack of concern towards palliative care by the Health and Wellbeing Boards. The research they conducted in August of this year has led them to the conclusion that many boards need a strategy to improve the end of life care. According to their findings, 92,000 people die each year in the UK without the palliative care they need.
On World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, many hospices open their facilities to show the importance of palliative care. There are also hospices that specifically focus on one group of people, for example children or elderly people. In Leiden in the Netherlands, Xenia has recently opened its doors; the first Dutch hospice that specifically focuses on youth. Jacqueline Bouts, founder of this youth hospice, still feels that it is not always possible for someone with a serious illness to receive temporary care in her hospice. The government does not give enough support to supply these needs. The care people receive in a hospice is more personal and intense than in a hospital. They often try to offer ways to increase the quality of life, even in its final phase.
In Belgium, people are also concerned with the needs of the dying. In the province Antwerp, they want people to try and talk more openly about death. It is often still a taboo subject for people. The provincial council published a special brochure about the subject last year. Its title was ‘not alone’ and focused on people with dementia, people whose origin lies in another country and poor people. These groups often find it hard to get the support they need in the final phases of their lives.
Unfortunately there are also children with life-limiting illnesses and this specific group also needs more attention. Many of the hospice services for children are charities and rely on people’s gifts. The Demelza Hospice Care for Children is an excellent example of a charity care facility in the UK. It has houses in Kent, South East London and East Sussex. Demelza also opens its doors on the 27th of September and the 11th of October. They want to display that the generosity of people “will ensure Demelza can continue to help families through what is a difficult time and make each day a little bit easier”. They do not only focus on the child, but also care for its family and gives them the opportunity to spend as much time as they want with their ill family member in Demelza.
Charlotte Craggs is one of the children who received excellent care in the Demelza Hospice before she sadly passed away last year. Her two stepbrothers Greg and Ben Cohen and their friend Shaun Carter are running the Tonbridge Half-Marathon on the 28th of September to honour Charlotte and raise money for Demelza. They say, “Demelza gave tremendous amounts of time, compassion and dedication to Charlotte, and do so for all of the children that they help. This is simply the least we can do to show our gratitude.” They have created a special donation website where you can support them. Through these kind of initiatives, hospices can keep on doing their wonderful work.
To donate visit: www.justgiving.com/CohenBros/
This article was written for CultNoise and published on 25.09.2014.
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