History

The term “hospice,” interestingly from the same linguistic root as “hospitality,” can be traced back to medieval times. However, during this time period the term referred to a place of shelter and respite for weary or ill travelers. Subsequently, the name was first applied to specialized care for dying patients in 1967 by physician Dame Cicely Saunders. In fact, Dame Saunders is the person who founded the first modern hospice, St. Christopher’s Hospice, in London.

Development of Hospice

Saunders was paramount in terms of the development of hospice. In particular, Saunders introduced the idea of a very specialized and innovative type of care for the dying to the United States during a 1963 visit with Yale University. She gave a lecture to medical students, nurses, social workers, and chaplains about the concept of holistic hospice care. Saunders very prudently, included photos of terminally ill cancer patients and their families; the photos illustrated the dramatic differences before and after the symptom control care. This very lecture launched a chain of events, which resulted in the development of hospice care as we know it today.