In Canada right now hospice is a major topic of discussion. A small number of Chinese protestors are opposing the construction of a hospice sight in a Chinese neighborhood out of cultural fears and folkloric beliefs about ghosts and hauntings. The majority of the Chinese, however, are in favor of the project. David Choi, national executive director of the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, said that "Compassion and respect – especially for the elderly – are entrenched Chinese cultural values and a hospice is compatible with those values."
The applicable aspect of this story is that just as in Northwest Indiana, around the world there are far too many people without adequate hospice care. According to the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance, more than 100 million people a year need palliative care but fewer than eight million receive it. In Canada, only 16 to 30 per cent of residents have access to or receive hospice palliative care, depending on where they live. Read more at the Globe and Mail.
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"Beets and Beans: Living and Dying with Hospice" is a new documentary on hospice care. It will have its first screening in Ithaca, NY. Read more about it at the Ithaca Journal.
