Since the beginning this year our charity campaign "Hospiss house" no longer receives state funding for the care of hospice patients in Riga and the Riga suburbs, but we were able to co-finance hospice care at home for 28 people from the funds of "Hospiss LV" donors! Also 372 patients and their family members received the "Mobile Brigade" service at their place of residence. Hundreds of people throughout Latvia have been consulted by phone for free. And volunteers with the charity project "Festive Table" visited approximately 9,120 people in the Palliative Care, Oncology and Radiation Therapy Departments in Riga hospitals this year, providing their presence and attention, treating them with treats prepared by our donors and organizing concerts. This summer for the first time we took part in the conversation festival "Lampa" in Cesis, bringing up the reality of death and dying, and illuminating the situation from different points of view in a two-day program in the "Death Cafe" tent. There we also overcame challenges in order to fulfill a wish of the seriously ill Alexander's family – taking him to the seaside. In a initiative for a state-paid hospice care at the place of residence throughout Latvia collected 18,487 signatures. After the submission on the initiative, it was approved in the Saeima. "Hospiss LV" diligently follows the course of events after that, so that the hospice care service is not equated with social care, but is provided to people who need it and is customized to each individual, as it happens elsewhere in the world. "Hospiss LV" also organized their first forum dedicated to hospice care in Latvia at the University of Latvia, inviting industry professionals to shed light about the problems of terminally ill, dying people with the aim of drawing the attention of officials and residents. A new volunteer charity project "Be there" has been created with the aim of organizing support groups for terminally ill people loved ones who provide long-term care, as well as support groups for grieving people, both in person and online. Also, we continue to organize the "Death Cafe" events, which brings people together in a safe environment to share their feelings, thoughts, and be aware of prejudices about inevitable death. More and more volunteers are trained to work with hospice patients. As only 10% of people experience a quick death, which means that 90% of people and their loved ones face physical and emotional suffering, they require public funding and the involvement of citizens and the desire to be socially responsible.
Thank you to everyone who gets involved and supports the "Hospiss LV" movement!
