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A Very Brief History
Of Hospice Care
Copyright 2013 Christina M. Guerrero
The stucco shelters were oases of good will during times of both war and peace in Western Europe. Found along well-worn paths and roads and even at high altitudes in the mountains, the buildings were the destination of a variety of visitors: the poor were welcome, as were weary travelers, the sick, and the orphaned or widowed. The medieval shelters, also known as hospices, provided temporary housing, food and personal care for those who stayed and are the roots of modern hospice care.
The Buildings
The buildings were often part of, or close to, monasteries or nunneries. College students from any era would recognize the format: like dormitories, often two-story, and with many separate rooms. Maintained by monks or nuns, they had separate quarters for visitors. They might be part of a cloister, a space surrounded by buildings and hallways, or stand on their own among other buildings in town.
The Staff
At a monastery, the abbot was in charge. He supervised a community of monks. The monks would care for visitors by cooking and serving food, attending to injuries or illnesses of the sick, and comforting the orphaned or widowed. Similar activities occurred at convents, where nuns and their abbess would provide assistance.
The Routine
Visitors would arrive and be greeted by their hosts, and then led to a place where they could rest and keep their belongings. After settling in, their activities depended on their needs. Travelers or temporary visitors would eat, and get some rest, before they moved on. The sick would stay near or at the infirmary, while the orphaned or widowed might find permanent accommodations in the hospice or common rooms.
The Atmosphere
Monasteries and nunneries were places of peace and tranquility. Abbots and abbesses wished for their brothers and sisters to find meaning in chastity, obedience and poverty. By working toward these ideals, the residents aimed for meaningful devotion to their Christian faith, and also constructive solitude. The quiet, clean hallways and buildings of the religious orders were settings of silence and prayer, providing a tranquil experience for both residents and visitors.
Where Hospice Began
The medieval practice of welcoming guests, whether healthy or sick, became the roots of modern hospice care. Sometimes the visitors were terminally ill; they spent their final days at the hospices or monasteries. Modern palliative care is based on the actions of the monks and nuns who provided medical assistance, and who hoped to ease the pain and suffering of patients in their final moments.
SOURCES:
Collins, Michael and Matthew A. Paige. The Story of Christianity. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1999.
Encyclopedia Americana, Volume Nineteen. Connecticut: Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc., 2006.
Encyclopedia Americana International Edition], Volume Fourteen. Connecticut: Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc. 2006.
Johnson, Paul. A History Of Christianity.New York, 1926.
Kagan, Ozment & Turner. The Western Heritage to 1715. New York: MacMillan Publishing, Inc., 1979.
The New Encyclopedia Brittanica, Volume Eight, Fifteenth Edition. Chicago, et. al., 2010.
Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second Edition. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1980.
The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume Four. Chicago: World Book, Inc. 2013.
The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume Thirteen. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2013.
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