PROFESSIONAL AND GENERAL PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT HOSPICE CARE

Authors in their work depict current issues hospice as one of forms of care about clients in terminal phase of illness. Scientific aim. The aim of the message is to find out attitudes of general and professional public towards the issues of hospice care and to assess differences between knowledge based on lack of expertise and professionalism of respondents. Methodology. The research file consisted of full-time and part-time university students (n= 168). General public (GP) was represented by students of technical fields (n= 85), where lower knowledge of issues of hospice care could be assumed. Professional public (PP) consisted of students of social work and medical students (n=83). Findings, conclusion. The questionnaire results show that awareness of issues of hospice care is influenced by the lack of expertise and professionalism of respondents. The concept of hospice care at PP was known by 98% of respondents, at GP it was represented by 61%. Positive approach and sense in hospice care is seen by 91% of PP, at GP was found at 47% respondents. There has been also reflected in the answer whether the respondents would use hospice care for their own purpose or for their close ones (PP 56 % of respondents), at GP 30 % respondents. There was no difference found in the response to a question, where would the respondents wish to die (mostly at home - 94%, 19 respondents from PP would imagine dying in a hospice).