Enhance Hospice Services in Rural Regions - Enhancement of Hospice Services in Rural Regions: Focus and Initiatives
In Saxony-Anhalt, the growing acceptance and awareness of hospice care, coupled with an aging and ill population, has led to a significant rise in the number of individuals being accompanied by hospice services. This trend is particularly evident in rural areas, where the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Saxony-Anhalt is advocating for enhanced hospice care, particularly in nursing facilities.
Around 850 volunteers play a crucial role in the ambulatory hospice services across Saxony-Anhalt, providing emotional support, conversations, and relief for relatives. Six of these services are run entirely by volunteers. The association emphasises that many people in Saxony-Anhalt prefer to be accompanied in their familiar environment, rather than in a hospital or nursing home.
The need for strengthened hospice care in rural areas is evident, with 23 ambulatory hospice services in Saxony-Anhalt boasting full-time coordinators. However, more people are dying in hospitals and nursing homes than in hospices, according to a spokesperson.
The expansion of hospice services is not limited to urban areas. On Friday, a new ambulatory hospice service will open in Stendal. This expansion will increase the number of beds in Saxony-Anhalt's stationary hospices from 117 to 119, with a new building with 12 beds being constructed in Bad Lauchstädt, adding to the total number of beds in stationary hospices statewide, which will reach 131 upon completion.
Despite the expansion, the association maintains that no new stationary hospices are needed at this time. The focus remains on improving the availability of ambulatory services, providing specialized staff training, and strengthening community support networks in rural areas.
For those seeking detailed and updated information specific to Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, it is recommended to consult local government health departments, hospice organizations in the region, or academic publications focused on palliative care development in rural Germany.
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