Approaches to end-of-life care: a comparison between the UK and Albania

The charity Sue Ryder has been delivering hospice- and community-based palliative care in the UK since the mid-1950s and prides itself in its approach to person-centred care. Shared care and support for self-management are the norm, with each patient having their own person-centred care plan, which deals with the whole person and enables any carer/professional to 'see' the person and not just the condition. The culture in the UK around dealing with life-limiting illnesses is in sharp contrast to that seen in some other parts of the world. This article compares these cultural differences by looking at the approach to end-of-life care in Albania, where Sue Ryder has provided significant financial and managerial support aimed at improving and developing modern approaches towards palliative care.