The social stigma of hospice care in the context of cancer

Abstract

Hospice care is designed to help individuals with pain, physical and psychological, that arises during the advanced stage of a disease so that the patient can face their impending death with dignity. Through the hospice lens, the patient is viewed as an entity that needs both medical and non-medical care, which differentiates hospices from other forms of care available. However, despite hospice care having been integrated into the medical sphere and its widespread availability to patients, it has begun to be met with social reluctance and fear. This article is a review of theories, concepts, and research in the context of the social construct of cancer, palliative treatment, and hospice care. The texts analyzed in this article have been selected to show both the time-changing approach to the issues discussed, as well as the indication of threads that are characteristic of the USA and Europe, including Poland. The aim of the article is to reflect on the social stigmatization of hospice care, changes in the identity of patients, especially the transition from oncological treatment to palliative and hospice care, and thus draw attention to the patient experience before the impending death.