Ganzheitliche Begleitung – ambulante Hospizdienste als letzte Wiese?

The focus of hospice care in the outpatient setting lies in the psychosocial and spiritual domain of the individual. The volunteers accompany the affected persons as they come to terms with their serious disease and approaching death. Unlike physicians and nurses, they have no specifically defined tasks; they offer their time and their attentiveness. The patient decides what support they need. The “healthy” relatives are also considered. It is important to note that accompaniment by an outpatient hospice service (OHS) is free of charge for the ill individual, regardless of the care environment (private home, residential home, or hospital)—a fact that many patients and their relatives are unaware of. The full-time coordinators are funded according to a points system based on the documented support provided by the volunteers. Material, equipment, and training costs can also be reimbursed up to the amount calculated for the respective OHS upon application to the health insurance company with appropriate documentation. OHS are an expression of civic commitment to a humane society that does not exclude dying and grief, but rather sees them as part of life.