Expanded Funding for Hospice Care in BW: Enhanced Support of 1 Million Euro from Health Insurance Providers for Terminally Ill Patients' Companions
In a significant move to support the dignified accompaniment of incurably ill people, the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Companies has announced an increase in funding for hospice care in Baden-Württemberg. The additional funding amounts to one million euros, bringing the total to approximately 16 million euros.
This increased funding is intended to support the work of ambulatory hospice services, which provide care for patients in their familiar environment. These services enable many people to spend their last phase of life at home, surrounded by loved ones. The services for the affected people are free of charge.
The Hospice and Palliative Care Association Baden-Württemberg e.V. describes the work of ambulatory hospice services: they listen, read, help with "settling last things" and support the dying and their relatives in saying goodbye. Around 6,000 volunteers are involved in accompanying the seriously ill and their relatives.
Last year, the number of adults who took advantage of these services increased by around eight percent, totaling 7,317. In addition, 114 families with a parent dying received care from children's hospices, and the number of children who received hospice care also increased slightly, to 426.
The funding increase, announced on Wednesday in Stuttgart, is expected to allow for an expansion of services and support for more families in need. The funds for these services flow into the training of these helpers and the coverage of personnel and material costs.
It's worth noting that Baden-Württemberg has a well-developed palliative and hospice care system that includes both ambulatory (home-based) and inpatient hospices. However, exact numbers fluctuate over time and across sources. To obtain the current number of ambulatory and inpatient hospices in Baden-Württemberg, you may consider consulting the state health ministry or official regional health authorities' reports, reviewing data from German hospice and palliative care associations such as the Deutscher Hospiz- und PalliativVerband (DHPV), or checking regional hospice networks or healthcare provider registries.
Inpatient hospices have contracts with health insurers, while ambulant hospice services can receive subsidies from statutory health insurers for their expenses, but are mainly dependent on donations. In the case of children and young people, support often begins at the time of diagnosis and can last for years.
This increased funding is a significant step towards ensuring that more people in Baden-Württemberg can receive the compassionate care they need during their end-of-life journey.
- The Association of Substitute Health Insurance Companies aims to boost funding for hospice care, recognizing the importance of workplace-wellness and addressing medical-conditions like chronic diseases and respiratory conditions.
- Ambulatory hospice services, a vital part of health-and-wellness, provide care in the familiar environment of patients, offering a chance for people to spend their final days at home surrounded by loved ones.
- As mental health is crucial, the services offered by hospices offer emotional support to both the dying and their relatives, helping them say their goodbyes.
- The increased funding for hospice care will not only cover personnel and material costs, but also support the training of therapies-and-treatments professionals in skin care and fitness-and-exercise, improving the quality of care for patients.
- Aging brings unique challenges, and this funding increase is expected to extend the reach of hospice care to more families in need, providing assistance for people as they age gracefully.
- With a well-developed palliative and hospice care system in place, Baden-Württemberg hopes to combat the growing prevalence of cancer and reduce the number of incurable illnesses, ensuring that everyone receives the compassionate care they deserve during their end-of-life journey.
