Discovering the Voice of Hospice and Palliative Care Worldwide: World Hospice and Palliative Care Day – October 10, 2009
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Thousands of people around the world will be coming together to sing, dance, perform, recite poetry and speak out to raise awareness and funds for hospice and palliative care services across the globe on Saturday, October 10, 2009.
“Discovering your Voice,” the theme for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2009, stresses the need to hear the voices of people around the world affected by life-limiting illness–this includes patients, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, policy makers and funders.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, National Hospice Foundation, and FHSSA are U.S. organizations supporting this day of worldwide outreach.
“We are all part of a global community that is united by our shared humanity. Compassion and dignity and the need to live fully, even at the end of life, are valued the world over,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president/CEO of NHPCO. “Through outreach activities at the local, national, and international level, October 10 is a day that raises global awareness of quality care at life’s end and reminds us that every voice must be heard.”
Help the Hospices reports that half of the world’s 234 countries have no palliative care services available and one third have yet to take the first steps in planning to build service capacity. It is estimated that 100 million people could benefit from basic palliative care every year.
This year, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is taking place in conjunction with Voices for Hospices, a wave of simultaneous concerts that will be held at 7:30 p.m. (local time) around the world. These concerts use music and the voice to raise much needed awareness and funds to improve the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses.
Hospice and palliative care improves the quality of life of people affected by life-threatening illness by preventing and relieving suffering through pain and symptom control, and emotional, practical and spiritual support.
Learn more about World Hospice and Palliative Care Day at www.worldday.org, or email U.K.-based Help the Hospices at worldday@helpthehospices.org.uk.
Media Contacts:
U.S.: Jon Radulovic, ph: 703-837-3139 or jradulovic@nhpco.org
U.K.: Bansree Takodra, ph: +44 (0) 20 7520 8251 or b.takodra@helpthehospices.org.uk
More information about National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is available at www.nhpco.org.
SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization