Many years ago Hospice came to my attention because of an uncle of mine. He was a poor South African with Lung Cancer and could not afford proper care during the last couple of months of his life. Fortunately, he was admitted to the Hospice Palliative Care in Houghton, Johannesburg.
There his pain and needs was attended to with great care by staff and volunteers alike. They made his last days on this earth bearable and dignified without asking anything in return for it. We visited him several times during this period, and I never saw any angry faces or rude staff. These people that attended to the patients in their care have a real passion for what they are doing and will go the extra mile to make the patient comfortable.
What is palliative care you might ask yourself? The WHO defines it as follow:
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. Palliative care:
The fact that they did not ask anything in return for his care while he was in much pain, made me decide that they should be one of the beneficiaries of the pole2poleandback drive being planned for 2014.
There are many ways that you can get involved with Hospice if you would like to. By volunteering or by contributing to their work. Please find their link on the drives web site http://pole2poleandback.yolasite.com
Hospice does not only cater for Cancer patients, but for all terminal illnesses. Show your support today and be blessed.
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