20 years of Palliative Hospice Day: A day for dignity and humor!

20 years of Palliative Hospice Day: A day for dignity and humor!

The 20th Palliative Hospice Day took place in the Elsenfeld Community Center on November 5, 2025, and the event impressively shows how the topic of dying and dealing with the end of life has not only come into focus in the last two decades, but is also attracting more and more people. Loud my-news.de The diverse program attracted numerous guests who wanted to find out about the most important aspects of palliative and hospice work.

In his speech, Deputy District Administrator Günther Oettinger recalled the founding of the palliative hospice working group in 2005. Its aim is to promote exchange and networking among those involved in hospice work and to inform the population about the offers.

A colorful program for visitors

The palliative hospice day covered several program items, including two lectures, an exhibition and a performance by the improvisation theater Tabutanten. This was particularly praised for its humorous program about death, which was not only informative but also touched on personal topics such as funeral wishes through audience interaction.

“We have to deal with the finite nature of life,” emphasized Deputy Mayor Berthold Oberle in his speech. The ecumenical hospice association and numerous outpatient hospice services, which are financially supported in Germany, offer support in the last phases of life in order to enable those affected to die with dignity diakonie.de explained.

Important topics in hospice work

Elisabeth Reinelt-Bienek from the Mainfranken Ethics Network gave a particularly insightful lecture on ethics advice for those affected and their relatives. Important points such as patient autonomy and the preservation of human dignity were addressed. Sabine Schramm from the Bamberg Palliative Care Academy also brought to the fore the central importance of listening and appreciating the patient's wishes.

The large number of information stands enabled guests to find out about the various aspects of palliative and hospice care as well as social and legal help. The event was musically accompanied by the duo Eva Reis (vocals) and Christian Schmitt (guitar). The “Mittendrin” seniors’ club provided a selection of coffee, cake and culinary delicacies to ensure their physical well-being.

The hospice movement is changing

Modern hospice work, which began in the 1960s and has gained a foothold in Germany since the 1980s, is a large citizens' movement supported by volunteers. The work aims to accompany seriously ill people in the last phase of their lives, like you diakonie.de summarizes.

There are currently around 282 inpatient hospices in Germany, with 95% of the financing coming from health insurance companies. These facilities specialize in enabling those affected to die with dignity and pain, which concerns society as a whole and points to the need for an understanding approach to the issue of dying.

The Palliative Hospice Day in Elsenfeld was an important step in further raising awareness of this topic and recognizing the valuable work being done in this area.