Hospice of the Upper Galilee (HUG) was founded in memory of Professor Rony Rozin in 1994 to treat terminal cancer patients at their homes in northern Israel. It is a non-profit organization that was established to provide effective care in this region of northern Israel where previously there was minimal access to hospital facilities. Previously in the Upper Galilee panhandle area, the nearest hospice facilities were over two hours away in Haifa while the closest hospital was in Safed which is around an hour's car drive away. Hospice of the Upper Galilee also provides support for the families of the patients. Currently, Hospice has provided home hospice services to around 400 patients, with ages ranging from 3 to 97. Hospice of the Upper Galilee has patients from all sectors of the community including Jewish, Druze, Arab, and Circassian.
The staff at Hospice of the Upper Galilee is composed primarily of volunteers, although we have a small number of paid positions, including two physicians, three nurses, a secretary, and a medical director.
HUG has made it possible for around 70 percent of its patients to die peacefully at home, whereas this would not be possible without Hospice. Plans for the future include establishing a small inpatient facility for patients that do not have a family member or other primary caregiver.
HUG has been listed within findings of a major American institute's survey of Israeli hospices as "signifactly higher" regarding the services offerred. HUG does not charge patients or their families for its services. HUG does receive some government funding, although it only covers 2/3 of its expenses. The other 1/3 of funds comes from private contributions from the United States.
The staff at HUG is both professional and dedicated to their patients. Unfortunately, given the staffing demands necessary to provide the best possible palliative care and the limited governmental support received in Israel, it is impossible to maintain the hospice without generous private help. There is the help of the American Friends of HUG, which has no paid employees or offices. Your help would be greatly appreciated to ensure that HUG is able to continue to provide help to the patients.
As you can see, HUG is trying to help give people a chance to be more comfortable while they are going through the process of preparing to die. HUG provides them with a chance to live in their homes, surrounded by their loved ones, instead of in a hospital far away from where they live. Please help make HUG an alternative for more people so they can have a positive experience before they die.