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• A A new element of palliative and hospice care in Hungary, the Hospice-Palliative Therapy Unit in Debrecen

  48-57

  Gyöngyi Porkoláb

  Csaba László Dózsa

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  210

  The hospice-palliative care developing as a bottom-up initiative in Hungary, has gradually integrated into the Hungarian healthcare system, continuously evolving to meet the demographic trends and public health challenges. Ensuring the dignity of patients while providing end-of-life care has become a universally accepted horizontal principle of healthcare. This trend has brought to life the establishment of dedicated palliative-hospice departments throughout the country: overall 96 hospice healthcare providers are operational, utilizing funds from the National Health Insurance Fund, foundations and other sources. The Hospice-Palliative Therapy Unit was opened in 2017 in Debrecen, with 20 chronic beds and 120 hour/day/month ambulatory home-care capacity. Currently the Unit is hosted in the University of Debrecen. The operation of the Hospice-Palliative Therapy Unit is supported by the Debrecen Hospice House Foundation ever since its establishment in 2015. The Fields of Dignity is an initiative widely open for the public that must be highlighted. This initiative brought substantial social innovation with its innovative program elements leading to the understanding and acceptance of hospice-palliative care.

  In summary it must be articulated that albeit the focus of hospice care is the provision of end-of-life care, it fills a void by raising awareness of the value of life, honesty, mutual respect and caring. Hence the sustainable and continued operation of the hospice-palliative care the regional and national capacity and infrastructure is mandatory alongside the establishment of financing home-based care in agreement with the recommendations of the National Palliative Strategy.