"Visiting a sick friend or relative—sometimes gravely ill, sometimes in the final days of life—is something most of us have done at least once. It might happen when a loved one lies in a hospital bed. We all wish such places were less run-down, less neglected."
For some years now, Europe and Italy have found an answer in a new kind of facility: the hospice. Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement, helps us understand what hospice is through the brief writings collected in this book. A hospice (there are now more than 100 in Italy) is not simply a place of care for chronically or terminally ill patients. It is also a philosophy of care—encompassing welcome, accompaniment, pain relief, and acceptance of the passage to the other shore. Readers will find the pages they need, the ones that speak to them most.
M.B.