Hospice: Concept and Implementation in the Black Community

The growth and development of the hospice is traced from its roots in medieval times to its modern form that emerged in the late 1960s. Three institutional forms of hospice are discussed. Examples of hospices serving largely black communities are cited. The need for the hospice in the black community, sources of support already available for the terminally ill and their families, and the scope of additional services are explored. Suggestions for implementation of the hospice in the black community include: (a) The hospice philosophy should be incorporated into the hospital setting; (b) the in-home hospice should be centered in the black church; and (c) as blacks become upwardly mobile, the model of the hospice as it currently exists may become more viable in the black community.