Berlin: (hib/PK) Thousands of volunteers are active in hospice work. This emerges from the federal government’s answer (20/10521) to a small question (20/10330) from the Union parliamentary group.
As the answer states with reference to the German Hospice and Palliative Association (DHPV), around 1,000 outpatient hospice services for children, adolescents, young adults and adults receive funding in accordance with Section 39a Paragraph 2 SGB V. Some people are involved in these services more than 50,000 volunteers.
However, the number of helpers is higher because, in addition to the funded outpatient hospice services, there are other outpatient hospice services that operate without funding and whose data is not recorded.
Also not included would be volunteers who are not involved in the direct support of seriously ill patients in funded outpatient hospice services, but rather in the areas of education and public relations or who are involved in inpatient hospices and palliative care wards.
In particular, the law to improve hospice and palliative care, which came into force in 2015, paved the way for all seriously ill and dying people to be able to live a dignified and self-determined life right up to the end as widely as possible, be it at home, in the hospital or in the hospital nursing home or hospice.
In addition to professional medical and nursing care, people need special attention so that they can say goodbye as painlessly and fearlessly as possible. Therefore, the interaction between professional and voluntary help has been strengthened.