Who is credited with the reemergence of hospice care?

Cicely Saunders is recognized for her pivotal role in the reemergence of hospice care. In the 1960s, she founded St. Christopher's Hospice in London, which was the first modern hospice and focused on providing comprehensive care for terminally ill patients. Her approach integrated medical care, pain management, and emotional support, emphasizing the importance of dignity and quality of life during one’s final days. Saunders' philosophy transformed how terminal illness was perceived and treated, making hospice care a prominent concept in the medical community and significantly influencing the development of hospice services worldwide.

While other figures, such as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, contributed to the understanding of death and dying through her work on the stages of grief, Cicely Saunders' establishment of a structured hospice movement laid the groundwork for modern hospice care as a compassionate response to terminal illness.