US doctor comforts patients in last days

Refuge for the weary

The word hospice comes from the Latin "hospitium", or guesthouse. It originally described a place of shelter for sick and weary travelers. Nowadays, it means supporting people in the final phase of life.

The idea is to address the patient's social, spiritual and emotional needs, controlling pain so that every day can be lived as fully as possible. It's a way of treating the whole person.

The hospital where Miller works as a counselor and board member, Yangquan You'ai Hospital in Yangquan, Shanxi, has a team of social workers led by his wife, and offers hospice care to terminally ill patients who have been admitted.

More than 120, ranging in age from 9 to 89, have completed their life's journey with Miller and Li helping make the final steps as pain-free as possible.

Eldercare has been recognized as a major weakness in China's social development over the past several decades. With the numbers of elderly people rising, nursing models for them have become a more prominent topic in the nation's effort to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects－especially in rural villages.

Miller's own past work sheds light on the progress of eldercare in China. In 1997, he conducted field research in Zouping, Shandong province, focused on family support for the elderly in rural areas.

Many seniors strive to be independent to minimize the burden on their families.