KHARON

Thanatology Review

Electronic Journal

Content

Volume 22

Number 4 · 2018

Original article


DR. SÁNDOR KŐMÜVES
DR. SÁNDOR KŐMÜVES

egyetemi adjunktus

komuves.sandor@med.unideb.hu

The modern hospice

Cicely Saunders’ theological-philosophical foundations

Abstract · The paper begins with the demonstartion of the various meanings of the terms ’palliative care’ and ’hospice’ using examples taken from the Hungarian usage. Then it highlights some possible practical consequences brought about by the different meanings. Interpretive presentation of the tradition which played a significant role in the development of the terms ’modern hospice’ and ’palliative care’ constitutes the core part of the paper. This tradition is made up of the ideas of Cicely Saunders. Our discussion of Cicely Saunders’ works is restricted to her theoretical groundwork for the two terms, to the philosophical-theological establishment. In our interpretive presentation Saunders’ insights are put into the context of those well-known American works which were published on various aspects of death and dying between 1935 and 1969. On our way to closing our paper, we return to the meanings of the terms ’palliative care’ and ’hospice’. Here we also discuss those events briefly which made the secularisation of hospice and the birth of palliative medicine possible. The closing section contains some reflections: these might be interpreted as messages from the Saundersian foundation. Understanding the Saundersian tradition aids to interpret the differences in usage in a more adequate way.