St. Joseph-Stift Palliative Station: 25 years of humanity and care!

St. Joseph-Stift Palliative Station: 25 years of humanity and care!

In the heart of Dresden, the Center for Palliative Medicine at the St. Joseph-Stift Hospital has played a major role in the care of seriously ill people for 25 years. The palliative care unit, which was founded in 2000 in the Clara-Wolff-Haus with ten beds, has developed into a place of comprehensive medical, nursing, spiritual and social care. Every year, around 300 patients find a sensitive home in their last phase of life, while the dedicated team of 16 nurses and 2 doctors do everything they can to meet the needs of those affected, such as [Johannstadt.de] (https://www.johannstadt.de/2025/06/palliative care-in-st-joseph-s-s-wegberiter/) reported.

This inpatient care is accompanied by a specialized outpatient team, the so -called bridge team, which has been working closely with the hospital for 20 years. The aim of this specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV) is to support patients in the advanced stage of an incurable disease in their familiar environment. Regardless of whether at home, in the nursing home or in other care facilities-the bridge team is planning the necessary care together with patients and their relatives and thereby creates additional security in everyday life, as hospiz-villa-auguste.de explains.

successful concept

The palliative care unit at St. Joseph-Stift signed an important agreement in 2004 to optimize outpatient palliative-medical care with the AOK Saxony. For these successful steps, the center received not only the support from the German Cancer Aid with DM 6 million, but also through the Diocese of Dresden with a million DM. Since the SAPV was included in the statutory performance catalog in 2007, the care situation has improved significantly for many patients.

The close cooperation with the Christian Hospice Service Dresden plays an important role. Patients are currently experiencing holistic care by a team of 9 nurses and 6 doctors who provide around 420 patients on an outpatient basis annually. Another Highlight is the planned expansion by a day hospice that is to be opened in autumn 2023 to create additional offers for patients and their families, reports [Johannstadt.de] (https://www.johannstadt.de/2025/06/palliative care-in-st-joseph-stift-als-wegberiter/).

A look at the numbers

In Germany there is a steady increase in offers in the field of palliative care. Around 1,500 outpatient hospice services and around 350 palliative stations in hospitals are currently active. This development shows that in recent years the needs of seriously ill people have been increasingly dealt with. Especially since the introduction of SAPV in the Social Code V in 2007, the conditions have improved significantly, and every insured person is now entitled to this form of specialized care.

according to dhpv.de are remarkable: 16,292 Doctors have completed additional training in palliative medicine by the end of 2023, which takes into account the growing interest and needs in this sensitive area. In addition, over 120,000 people are involved in the hospice and palliative work in Germany- a remarkable achievement that shows how important the support and support of seriously ill people is.

The challenges are great, and especially at a time when the topics of death care and palliative care are increasingly in focus, they need institutions such as the St. Joseph-Stift that not only keep an eye on the medical, but also the emotional and social aspects of patient care. Here in Dresden, committed teams are committed to ensuring that people can live in their last phase of life with dignity and with the necessary support.