Helping People at the End of their Lives

A comprehensive analysis of today's situation of palliative care in Europe is provided, including previously unidentified statistics and standardised profiles of 16 European countries. The analysis contains demographics, the history of hospice and palliative care, the number of current services, funding, education and training of professional staff and the role of volunteers, with an in-depth case portrayal of particular services.

"A movement like that of the Hospice movement and the development of Palliative Care has led to a small revolution in Europe in the treatment and care for the terminally ill and dying. Professor Reimer Gronemeyer and his team have done well in critically analysing the contents and developments of this revolution." Stein Husebø, physician and expert in Palliative Medicine, Norway

Reimer Gronemeyer is professor of sociology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany. He is the author of several scientific publications, for example in the field of aging societies, HIV/Aids in Africa and ethics. Michaela Fink, sociologist, is working with Gronemeyer in different research projects at the Institute of Sociology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen.

Marcel Globisch, sociologist, was a member of the hospice research group until August 2005. Since September 2005 he is working for the German Children's Hospice Society.

Felix Schumann, sociologist, is working with Gronemeyer in different research projects at the Institute of Sociology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen.

Research group Hospice and Palliative Care in Europe: www.uni-giessen.de/hospizprojekt