Hospice to reach out to more terminal patients

Laughter and chatter can be heard coming from a room in a building in Balzan. Inside a number of people are talking while munching sandwiches.

This might look like any other day centre, bringing together people of all ages from all walks of life, but the truth is that they are all suffering from a terminal illness.

The room is on the ground floor of the Malta Hospice Movement, which for 18 years has been offering palliative care services to patients suffering from cancer or motor neuron disease.

"We started helping one or two patients, but over the years we have helped thousands," hospice chairman Theresa Naudi told The Times.

The aim is to improve the quality of life of terminal patients, reduce their pain and help them prepare for death.

The hospice employs several professionals but operates thanks to around 160 volunteers. At the moment the hospice is helping around 230 patients and receives an average of one referral a day. Today, countries around the world will celebrate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The local movement celebrated the day with Mass at the Balzan parish church yesterday evening. Access To Care For All has been chosen as the theme for this year.

"Palliative care has been recognised by the World Health Organisation, which now recommends that all health authorities adopt it and extend it to all end-of-life cases," Ms Naudi said. For the moment the hospice only takes care of cancer patients and those with motor neuron disease, but the intention is to extend it to all terminal cases.

The day centre - which apart from giving patients the chance to meet also serves as respite for the family - is only one of the services offered by the movement.

Nurses undertake home visits and the movement loans specialised equipment for free. Moreover, the whole family is helped to come to terms with their loved one's death.

Movement general manager Antoniette Shah explained that after the patient passes away, the hospice continues following up the family for up to a year. Ms Naudi says that when a patient dies, the staff feel a mixture of serenity and sadness.

The hospice is completely opposed to euthanasia. "We feel patients who want euthanasia have needs which have not been met."

She said palliative care was about making the inevitable as comfortable as possible.

"It does not interrupt the natural process of death and does not try to keep the patient alive, but allows the natural process to take its course, helping the patient through it."

The Malta Hospice Movement will join forces with the rest of the world and celebrate World Hospice and Palliative Care Day today.