The Development of Hospice Care in the South Bohemian Region

Hospices provide palliative medical care to patients in the terminal stage of their disease. The idea of hospice care is based on the respect for a human being as a unique and unreproducible entity. This approach ensures that a person does not stay alone in the last moments of his or her life, does not suffer unbearable pain and, last but not least, is guaranteed that his or her human dignity will be preserved and respected in all circumstances. This thesis focuses especially on providing hospice care in clients' homes. The goal of hospice care is to enable a person suffering from a serious disease to spend the last moments of his or her life at home with his or her family. It emphasises both a quality care of a dying person and support of the nursing family. The bachelor thesis is entitled: The Development of Hospice Care in the South Bohemian Region. It aims to determine the need for providing field hospice care and at the same time to describe the issue of home hospice care development in the South Bohemian region. In order to achieve these aims, the method of qualitative research has been used, namely the technique of semi-controlled interviews, supplemented by a survey. Three interviews carried out with the representatives of the Hospice of St. Jan N. Neumann clearly showed that the public as well as healthcare professionals are interested in field hospice care. Even the medical staff who took part in the survey held a similar opinion, mainly stressing the interest in home hospice care among their patients. The interview with the director of the hospice in Prachatice clearly indicated that everything was ready for launching the home hospice operation. However, it is not possible to launch this service due to the insurance company's, as the main finance provider, lack of willingness to help. The insurance company is not interested in signing a contract with the only registered hospice in the South Bohemian region, namely the Hospice of St. Jan N. Neumann