Helping People at the End of their Lives
Hospice and Palliative Care in Europe

Summary:
Between February 2003 and October 2004 a systematic, empirical study of hospice and related development in Europe was undertaken; the report is now available in four different languages – English, German, Polish and French. The study was founded by the Robert Bosch Foundation, Stuttgart. Gronemeyer et al. explain the results in two parts:

A comprehensive analysis of today's situation of palliative care in Europe is provided, including previously unidentified statistics, and standardised profiles of 16 European countries are presented that is,

o demographics
o the history of hospice and palliative care
o the number of current services
o funding
o education and training of professional staff
o the role of volunteers
o in-depth case portrayal of particular services.

The following countries were part of the research study: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.

The authors hope that this comparative study will contribute to the ongoing discussion. Presumably the questions involved with the issue will be among the most important for the future of Europe. The answers given may set the tone for the development of the growing European Union. The study should interest people working in the field of palliative care who would like to know: What is happening in other countries? How can we learn from each other? What mistakes can be avoided? The latter point could be especially interesting for activists in those countries where palliative care is still in its infancy.

"A movement like that of the Hospice movement and the development of Palliative Care has led to a small revolution in Europe in the treatment and care for the terminally ill and dying. Professor Reimer Gronemeyer and his team have done well in critically analysing the contents and developments of this revolution." Stein Husebø, physician and expert in Palliative Medicine, Norway

Authors:
Reimer Gronemeyer is professor of sociology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany. He is the author of several scientific publications, for example in the field of aging societies, HIV/Aids in Africa and ethics.

Michaela Fink, sociologist, is working with Gronemeyer in different research projects at the Institute of Sociology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen.

Marcel Globisch, sociologist, was a member of the hospice research group until August 2005. Since September 2005 he is working for the German Children's Hospice Society.

Felix Schumann, psychologist, is working with Gronemeyer in different research projects at the Institute of Sociology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen.

Contact:
Project on Hospice and Palliative Care in Europe
Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen
Institute of Sociology
Karl-Gloeckner-Str. 21 E
35394 Giessen
Germany

Phone 0049-641-99-23204
FAX 0049-641-99-23219
E-mail:

The German, French and Polish versions of the study are available at
www.uni-giessen.de/hospizprojekt