DIF Jalisco and SSJ present Casa Compasiva, a compassionate home for people with terminal illnesses.

In order to provide quality medical care for patients with terminal illnesses, the Jalisco DIF System and the Jalisco Health Secretariat They announced the Compassionate House project, a space that will feature palliative medicine specialists who will offer integrative therapies, physical care, and emotional, social, family, and spiritual support.

Located in the former Jalisco Institute of Cancerology building, next to the Fray Antonio Alcalde Civil Hospital, Casa Compasiva is the first of its kind nationwide and will be run by the Jalisco Health Services Decentralized Public Agency (OPD) and the Jalisco Institute of Palliative Care and Pain Relief (PALIA). This space is expected to open its doors to patients by the end of the year.

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The center will be staffed by specialists in thanatology, nursing, psychology, social work, occupational and rehabilitation therapists, as well as volunteers and community support. Care will be provided 24/7 and will have a capacity of 20 beds for adults—10 initially—and 10 for children, with the possibility of adding 10 more for adolescents.

Family members and friends of patients will be able to access emotional support through support groups. The center will also offer a volunteer program to provide final wishes and activities such as reading and painting and craft workshops.

Maye Villa de Lemus, president of the Jalisco DIF (National Institute of Family and Family Development), stated that this facility aims to provide person-centered care, as each patient will be accompanied by their family members. Her department will provide the necessary equipment and coordinate the volunteers who will support the families.

"This space is also a home for those of us who work from the heart, convinced that love and dignity should never be lacking at any stage of our lives. Count on us, on our great volunteer force, who will be there to support the families who use this Compassionate Home and provide all the love, affection, and attention. A board of trustees will also be formed, which the Jalisco DIF can lead. mentioned.

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Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez, state health secretary , highlighted Casa Compasiva's vision. "Patients who are in the terminal phase are extremely important. For example, a patient may require pain relief that is often not available at home, and then a hospital stay of varying lengths can help."

Meanwhile, the general director of the Jalisco Health Services OPD, Héctor Hugo Hernández, indicated that, among other things, this project is expected to reduce the burden on general hospitals. In Jalisco, around 54,000 people die, half of them from chronic illnesses that may require palliative care in the final stages of life.

"The social impact and benefits of this home include improving the quality of life for patients and families, reducing the burden on general hospitals, creating jobs and community participation, and reaching an underserved population in Jalisco, where, like the rest of the country, there is little infrastructure for palliative care," he commented.

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