Woman who launched first hospice dies
Florence Wald, a former Yale nursing dean whose interest in compassionate care led her to launch the first U.S. hospice program, has died, according to the Associated Press (AP). She was 91.
She died Nov. 8 of natural causes, and a hospice volunteer was by her side to the end, according to AP.
When Wald was dean of the Yale University School of Nursing in the 1960s, she updated its curriculum to include a stronger focus on comfort for the dying and their families, AP said.
Wald's passion for hospice began when she heard a lecture by the founder of St. Christopher's Hospice in London, the story said. She later left Yale to study at that center, according to AP.
She returned to organize Connecticut Hospice in 1974 in Branford, which AP says is widely accepted to be the first U.S. hospice program. Her husband and children also became heavily involved in the hospice movement, according to the AP. One daughter, quoted in the article, is a nurse and trained hospice worker.
Wald's recent work included efforts to bring more hospice care to U.S. prisons and train inmates as hospice volunteers.
Florence Wald, a former Yale nursing dean whose interest in compassionate care led her to launch the first U.S. hospice program, has died, according to the Associated Press (AP). She was 91.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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