Christians have responded to the question of euthanasia by the use of hospices, hospices have been around for a long time as shown below and they have been found to be an effective way of reducing the numbers of euthanasia cases. Most Christians feel that euthanasia is morally wrong and this is why they have decided not to leave hospices without funding etc as they help people to die a peaceful death which is what “god” would have wanted in the bible teachings.
Although special hospitals for the terminally ill had existed prior to the 20th century, it was not until after World War II that recognition of the special needs of the dying led to the modern hospice movement. Cicely Saunders, one of the initiators of the movement and the founder of St. Christopher’s Hospice, London (1967), and other health professionals recognized that many established procedures of modern medical care could be inappropriate when applied to those who are dying. The aggressive life-prolonging measures routinely taken in intensive-care units often only increased the discomfort and isolation of terminally ill patients and deprived them of the opportunity to die in a peaceful and dignified fashion. In response to the absence in the medical system of provisions for the supportive care of this class of patients, the modern hospice was developed.
The hospice functions as a sympathetic and reassuring environment dedicated to making the last days of the dying as pleasant as possible. The prevention of physical pain is the first priority, and analgesics, tranquillisers, and physical therapy are used to alleviate physical suffering. Hospices emphasize the prevention, rather than the mere control, of pain through vigilant monitoring and by the tailoring of drugs and their dosages to patients’ individual needs. Patients in hospices receive moral support from loved ones as well as the staff itself, and a variety of measures are used to further their emotional and spiritual well-being.
A physician usually admits patients to a hospice on referral after a prognosis for survival of only months or weeks. Care may be provided completely within a health facility, on an
Outpatient basis, or at home. All of this has reduced cases of Christian euthanasia.