[The practical realization of the hospice concept in health facilities]

In a qualitative study the concept of hospices and their practical realization were reconstructed. Based on interviews with two nurses, each from a different hospice, and one nurse from a palliative ward, it is was found that fundamental differences in institutional structures exist between the hospices and the palliative ward. This has consequences for the care of a seriously ill patient and his family. These institutional differences are manifested in the two main points of the study "everyday life in the hospice" and "taking leave of the deceased".