In medieval times, hospices lodged, fed, and comforted weary travelers on long journeys, a moving metaphor for modern hospice care at the end of life's journey. The modern hospice movement, however, dates from the 19th century. Even though the roots of the words "hospice" and "hospital" share lineage, hospices evolved just as hospitals became more scientific about curing patients. As hospitals increasingly focused on treating illnesses, they became less a place to care for dying patients.
As medical specialization increased and extended family living decreased in the 20th century, dying in the hospital rather than at home became the norm, and some reacted to a lack of dignity in a setting where death was regarded as a medical "failure".
The modern hospice movement took hold in 1967 through the force of an exemplary individual, Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded St. Christopher's Hospice in London, where the concept of "the whole person" was established to treat not just physical pain, but social, emotional, and spiritual concerns as well. Instead of merely attempting to alleviate pain through further medical treatment, Saunders urged elimination of physical pain for the terminally ill, so that patients and their families could address their final emotional and spiritual needs with dignity. Although St. Christopher's embraced the scientific method of hospitals for clinical care, research, and education, they expanded the focus to treating "the whole person" for those with terminal illnesses.
In 1974 the first modern hospice opened in the United States in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1983 Congress expanded Medicare to include hospice care, and today 96% of people who receive hospice services remain in their homes or home like settings cared for by their loved ones, volunteers, and trained professionals who form the hospice team. Alliance Hospice supports the rich history of hospice with pride and dedication to its philosophy of care.