Promoting the integration of quality palliative care: the South African Mentorship Program

This article provides a brief outline of the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa and the development of the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) as the background to an exploration of the changing face of palliative care in light of the demands of HIV/AIDS. It describes the South African Palliative Care Mentorship Program, including a description of the Integrated Community-Based Home Care (ICHC) model and its promotion of collaboration with the formal health care sector and other networking partners. The role mentorship played in its application to HPCA member hospices in response to the increasing demands of HIV/AIDS is outlined. The article also focuses on the development of provincial and regional mentorship capacity, the establishment of provincial palliative care development teams, the development of comprehensive palliative care standards, and the link between mentorship and accreditation. The key results of the promotion of the ICHC model and the effects of the mentorship program are highlighted, including possibilities for the expansion of the model beyond its original context in South Africa. The difficult issue of sustainability within an African context is also mentioned. In conclusion, there is a challenge to readers to explore the use of mentorship within their own palliative care settings.