ABOUT PALLIATIVE CARE Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. For more information, visit: hpca.co.za/palliative-care OUR MISSION The HPCA's mission is to promote quality in life, dignity in death and support in bereavement for all living with a life-threatening illness - which includes Covid-19. This entails providing medical care, psychosocial care, and spiritual support, as well as end-of-life support. Each hospice has a multidisciplinary health care team that includes a medical doctor, professional nurse, social worker and home-based carers. Care also extends to families, especially after their loved ones have died and as they process their grief. Hospices provide holistic care to people affected by life-threatening diseases, regardless of whether they can afford to pay for this or not. To date approximately only 18% of patients who need palliative care are able to access these services. In summary, the HPCA services include: i) advocacy and policy support,
ii) education, training and research,
iii) QA, mentorship and accreditation, and
iv) monitoring, evaluation and reporting WHAT THE HPCA PROVIDES The HPCA works with all of the member and partner organisations to provide quality palliative care in South Africa. This encompasses many elements including the provision of the STANDARD FOR PALLIATIVE HEALTHCARE SERVICES that are provided free to member organisations and at a fee to anyone else. The accredited Standards are the only Standards that exist in South Africa for institutions that provide palliative care (aside from hospitals and clinics). The HPCA also offers a mentorship programme on standards implementation to hospices and this platform is available to any other organisations that wish to implement the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services. For more information on the this, visit: https://hpca.co.za/standards-for-palliative-healthcare-services. The HPCA also offers holistic and accredited courses for palliative care. For a full list of courses and access to detail and enquiry forms, visit: hpca.co.za/accredited-and-holistic-palliative-care-courses. The HPCA works with many partner organisations, both locally and internationally to further accelerate access to palliative care and to provide support to their member organisations. As a member of the public, if you wish to get involved, please visit: hpca.co.za/donate and if you wish to find a hospice near you, please visit: hpca.co.za/province | 
