Palliative care provides a compassionate approach that supports people facing the final stages of life. It emphasises emotional and spiritual comfort.
As new treatments become more available in palliative care, the field still comes with many areas of improvement. Some Dutch doctors are concerned that palliative sedation, using medication to keep patients asleep, is becoming an overused practice. They argue that many patients can die naturally without deep sedation and that the presence of holistic care can still address physical, and spiritual needs.
In the Netherlands, Christian hospices such as De Wingerd and De Regenboog, believe in preserving the value of life until the end. What sets them apart from other care facilities? In their treatment for terminal patients, they do not support practices like voluntarily stopping eating and drinking to hasten death. Instead, they try to reduce suffering by attending to their emotional, physical, and spiritual needs.
In Sweden, interest in palliative care is becoming more popular as more doctors are specialising in this field. However, its access and availability vary by region.
Volunteers can also provide an important role in hospice care by alleviating loneliness during the final breaths of life.
