Discovering the Voice of Hospice and Palliative Care Worldwide: World Hospice and Palliative Care Day - October 10, 2009

Discovering the Voice of Hospice and Palliative Care Worldwide: World Hospice
and Palliative Care Day - October 10, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thousands of people around
the world will be coming together to sing, dance, perform, recite poetry and
speak out to raise awareness and funds for hospice and palliative care
services across the globe on Saturday, October 10, 2009.

"Discovering your Voice," the theme for World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
2009, stresses the need to hear the voices of people around the world affected
by life-limiting illness--this includes patients, family caregivers,
healthcare professionals, policy makers and funders.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, National Hospice
Foundation, and FHSSA are U.S. organizations supporting this day of worldwide
outreach.

"We are all part of a global community that is united by our shared humanity.
Compassion and dignity and the need to live fully, even at the end of life,
are valued the world over," said J. Donald Schumacher, president/CEO of NHPCO.
"Through outreach activities at the local, national, and international level,
October 10 is a day that raises global awareness of quality care at life's end
and reminds us that every voice must be heard."

Help the Hospices reports that half of the world's 234 countries have no
palliative care services available and one third have yet to take the first
steps in planning to build service capacity. It is estimated that 100 million
people could benefit from basic palliative care every year.

This year, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is taking place in
conjunction with Voices for Hospices, a wave of simultaneous concerts that
will be held at 7:30 p.m. (local time) around the world. These concerts use
music and the voice to raise much needed awareness and funds to improve the
quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses.

Hospice and palliative care improves the quality of life of people affected by
life-threatening illness by preventing and relieving suffering through pain
and symptom control, and emotional, practical and spiritual support.

Learn more about World Hospice and Palliative Care Day at www.worldday.org, or
email U.K.-based Help the Hospices at worldday@helpthehospices.org.uk.

Media Contacts:
U.S.: Jon Radulovic, ph: 703-837-3139 or jradulovic@nhpco.org
U.K.: Bansree Takodra, ph: +44 (0) 20 7520 8251 or
b.takodra@helpthehospices.org.uk

More information about National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is
available at www.nhpco.org.

SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

U.S.: Jon Radulovic of NHPCO, +1-703-837-3139, jradulovic@nhpco.org; or U.K.:
Bansree Takodra, +44 (0) 20 7520 8251 or b.takodra@helpthehospices.org.uk