IN THE 1970S, the hospice movement,

IN THE 1970S, the hospice movement, from which contemporary palliative care has emerged, established a model of care for dying people that encompassed physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of need. Over the past 30 years, hospice and palliative care services have generated a rich store of accounts about the ways in which people face death. These make it plain that the imminence of death, together with the changed circumstances associated with illness, cause many people to reflect on questions such as: Who do I belong to? What’s the purpose of my life? What can I hope for?