Final help: Course to support seriously ill people in Lengerich!

Final help: Course to support seriously ill people in Lengerich!

A special course will take place in the beautiful town of Lengerich on November 8th that will deal with an often taboo topic: final aid for the seriously ill and dying. “We want to show people how they can stand by their relatives in difficult times,” explain the course leaders Sebastian Wolff, coordinator in the Lengerich Region Hospice Association, and Mareike Bartholomäus, a committed social work student and volunteer in the hospice association. The course starts at 9 a.m. and lasts until 1 p.m. in Haus Jona am Berg. Everyone is welcome to attend and gain valuable knowledge that can be so important in the final stages of life. The initiatives to create awareness of the needs of terminally ill patients and their relatives are also reflected in the Hospice and Palliative Care Act, which has been in force since 2015 and improves the quality of palliative care. The law ensures that this care is an integral part of standard care in statutory health insurance and offers extensive advice and support options for those affected and their families.

But what exactly does “last aid” mean? In a society in which dealing with death is often avoided, such courses strive to reduce fears of death. They help people to actively deal with the needs and wishes of the dying. It is an opportunity for everyone to approach the difficult but necessary topic and to learn more about the possibilities of palliative care.

A look at the legal basis

The Hospice and Palliative Care Act has ensured that palliative care is offered in various facilities across the country - be it at home, in the hospital, in a nursing home or in a hospice. Health insurance companies cover 95% of the eligible costs for these important offers. Over 267 euros per day, which has been set as the minimum funding for inpatient hospices since 2017, is provided to ensure high-quality care. The improvement in financial resources has contributed to an increase in the number of services available, which covers the needs in this sensitive phase of life.

In addition, a higher subsidy per service is granted in outpatient hospice work. This development also enables carers to have more time in their daily work to provide individual support to residents in nursing homes. Hospitals are also required to include hospice services in their care mandate and to conclude careful cooperation agreements with general practitioners and specialists in order to guarantee the quality of final aid.

The upcoming course from the Hospice Association in Lengerich will once again impressively demonstrate how important it is to deal with the topics of life and death. “It’s a task for all of us, we have to do it,” says Wolff, and articles like this are intended to encourage people to actively engage with the options and help in the area of ​​palliative care. These simple steps can not only change society's perception, but also have a positive impact on your personal environment.