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appeared 27 April 1999
UCSF Stanford Opens Hospice Rooms
In response to an increasing awareness of the needs of dying patients, UCSF Stanford
Health Care has opened a Comfort Care Suite exclusively dedicated to end-of-life care.
Although surveys reveal that approximately 80 percent of patients would prefer to die at
home, the majority of Americans still die in hospitals. The goal of the Comfort Care Suite
is to provide a home-like environment where trained staff can focus on patient comfort and
where family members can give support and say their good-byes.
"Hospitals all over the country are recognizing the importance of caring for their
dying patients," said Steven Pantilat, UCSF assistant professor of medicine and
director of the Comfort Care Suite. "Death is part of the process of life. As a
hospital, we need to deal with it in a compassionate way."
The two rooms in the Comfort Care Suite resemble birthing rooms more than traditional
hospital units. They are quiet and private with furniture, music, and warm lighting.
Patients and families can use art therapy to express their feelings and children are
allowed to visit. A multi-disciplinary team trained in end-of-life care offers
psychological and spiritual guidance.
UCSF Stanford is hosting a public open house today (Tuesday, April 26) to dedicate the
addition of the Comfort Care Suite and to raise awareness of the increasing need for
palliative care in hospital settings. The Open House is 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Rooms L 1239
and L 1245, Moffit-Long Hospital, 505 Parnassus Avenue.
Links:
UCSF Stanford Health Care
Source: Rebecca Sladek Nowlis, News
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