PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE IN SOCIAL AWARENESS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

Abstract

Palliative and hospice care is about improving the quality of life of patients who face a life‑threatening illness through pain management, treating other symptoms and providing psychological, social and spiritual support to the patients and their families. Engagement of an interdisciplinary team of specialists provides the opportunity to identify the needs of the patient and his or her family and to implement appropriate interventions to prevent and alleviate suffering. Promoting the idea of palliative and hospice care is important because it increases the chances that people in need of specialist support at the end of life and their loved ones will know what help they can get and where. The aim of this article is to analyze the findings about levels of knowledge and belief of palliative care in different countries (including the United States, Ireland, Italy and Poland), which indicate that there is still much work to be done on building public awareness. An attempt will be also made to answer the question: why do people know so little about palliative care and what can be done to change this situation?

Keywords

• palliative care
• hospice
• social awareness