The History of the Hospice Movement

The word "hospice" originated in medieval times, a derivative of the Latin "hospes" meaning host or guest. Travel-weary crusaders on their way to the Holy Land found places of refuge in monasteries. Eventually these places of rest came to be called hospices. Because great numbers of the pilgrims were in ill health, many probably spent their last days there.

During the 1960s, the hospice movement in the United States formed with its roots in the work of British physician Dame Cicely Saunders, who explored ways to improve the process of dying. Through her work she brought awareness to the importance of patients as individuals with unique needs and rights deserving of respect.

In the 1940s, Dr. Saunders founded the first modern hospice -- St. Christopher's Hospice in London, England. In 1964, she began teaching at Yale University School of Nursing in Connecticut about holistic hospice care and how it enhances the quality of life of terminally ill patients, focusing significantly on pain management and palliative care.

Another significant contributor to the movement was Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross who published the best-selling book "On Death and Dying." Based on interviews with dying patients, she identified the five stages of grief – denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance – still in use today.

The first hospice in America, the Connecticut Hospice, opened in 1974.

Today, there are more than 3,200 hospices across the country. There are about 100 hospice programs in Michigan, and about 25,000 state residents receive hospice care each year.