ABSTRACT
This chapter describes three hospice cares in South Africa such as St. Luke's Hospice, Houghton Hospice and the Portshepstone Hospice for terminally ill people. Information on the history and activities of St. Luke's Hospice was collected from interviews with members of staff in the education, community development and nursing sectors of the organisation. The hospice dates back to 1979 when Dame Cicely, initiator of the hospice movement visited Cape Town. The aim was to care for all terminally ill people in need of its services regardless of their ability to pay. There is no reason why St Luke's and Houghton hospices cannot follow the path taken by the Portshepstone Hospice in reaching out to communities in rural areas. The major problem faced by all these organisations is funding and it is that partnerships with the government must be encouraged, not just for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients but for all terminally ill patients.
