The hospice
Historically a hospice was a guesthouse intended for pilgrims and was often closely connected with a monastery and supervised by monks. From the beginning it had a strong religious connection and exemplified the Christian insistence on compassion and care for the aged, the infirm, the needy, and the ill. In modern Britain the hospice movement developed gradually from its beginning in 1905, when the Sisters of Charity founded the St. James Hospice in London. St. Christopher’s Hospice, also in London, founded in 1967, soon became known for its peaceful environment and expert medical and nursing care. In 1974 the first hospice in the United States, the New Haven Hospice (now Connecticut Hospice), was established in New Haven, Conn. The hospice movement later spread to many countries worldwide.