Palliative Care in Paris : Where they need it, when they need it
It was a great experience to interact with two institutions in Paris and to see the potential for hospice as an institution and hospice-at-home to work together to provide optimal palliative care to people where they want to be. Jeanne Garnier is a well-established home of compassion in Paris – excellent ambience, optimal facilities, the combination of everything that people need for a peaceful time in the evening of their lives.
We met up with Dr Benedicte Denoyel, François Génin and colleagues at Visitatio, which is a volunteer-led home based service – inspired by Kerala’s neighborhood network of palliative care. What great commitment, what enthusiasm!
And it was good to speak at a conference organized by Visitatio and to interact with a team at Jeanne Garnier hospice and to feel the prospects of two organizations working together. Their work could be so complementary to each other – somebody treated by Visitatio easily getting connected to Jeanne Garnier when in-house treatment is necessary and Visitatio taking over for compassionate care at home when the patient gets discharged from the hospice.
Visitatio has challenges, naturally . They are only 2 years old and acceptance by the government’s health care system is yet to happen. But judging by the enthusiasm of the team, we have no doubt that they will grow, and they will overcome.
Thank you Dr Benedicte Denoyel and Mr François Génin for the kind invitation to be part of your work. Best wishes Visitatio & Best wishes Jeanne Garnier!