Hospice home care centre - abstract

ABSTRACT

The Hospice concept provides great comfort to the terminally ill. However, the original in-patient type of Hospice is expensive; hence it is not possible to provide its benefits to the very poor in the Third World. In recent times, the move has been to have patients remain in the comfort of family surroundings. The Hospice Home Care Centre was planned to investigate what form of care would be most practical and appropriate to the needs of very poor patients in the area around Eastern Kingston. Since April 1987, 179 patients have been referred to the Centre. Among female patients (n=137), cervical (44 percent) and breast (29 percent) cancers predominate, while in male patients (n=42), lung (24 percent), prostate (11 percent) and stomach (11 percent) cancers are more common. The length of time for which patients are looked after averages just over 2« months (AU)