Can the palliative care services of today keep up and match the expectations of the 'baby boomer' generation?

摘要

Much has been written in the popular media about the so-called 'baby boomer' generation; those people born in the 1950s and 1960s who, in many respects, are a unique generation. While the rise in smoking-related cancers, obesity, coronary heart disease and other lifestyle-related health issues have tragically cut short many lives, the average 'baby boomer' can confidently expect to live longer and with better quality than has ever been experienced before.Alongside this sits the modern hospice movement, conceived and developed right in the midst of this economic and social revolution. While there are many successful ways of interpreting the hospice philosophy, the core of most of these specialist services in western countries revolve around a central building.