THE APCC DEFINITION OF PALLIATIVE CARE
Palliative care is the physical, psychological, social and spiritual care provided by an inter-disciplinary team of experts to anyone with a life-threatening illness and their loved ones. Care is offered from the point of diagnosis and extends to bereavement support if needed. Over 90% of the care that APCC members provide is home-based with a focus on promoting quality of life.
Palliative Care Milestones
Since 1979, the APCC have championed inter-disciplinary palliative care for adults and children and celebrated the resilience, excellence, and unwavering dedication of our members. Visit this page to explore the milestones and achievements that highlight our combined passion and commitment to providing this essential service in South Africa.
THE PATH TO EXCELLENCE
The Path to Excellence pages are a tribute to the unwavering dedication of palliative care providers and medical professionals. With consistent mentorship and learning, these heroes make a profound difference in the lives of individuals and their families navigating the challenges of life-threatening illnesses. They are all accredited against the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services.
Read about our members’ mentorship and accreditation journey
Position Statement on Palliative Care and End-of-Life Decisions
The Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC) of South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to the core values of palliative care: alleviating suffering, preserving dignity, and enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families.
Discussions surrounding medically assisted dying should be considered within the broader framework of palliative and hospice care. These specialised services focus on symptom management, compassionate communication, and advance care planning to ensure patients receive holistic support.
While we recognise the complexity of end-of-life decisions, medically assisted dying falls outside the scope of palliative and hospice care. As such, APCC members do not currently take a position on these matters. Our priority remains advocating for equitable access to comprehensive, high-quality palliative care, ensuring that all patients facing life-threatening illnesses receive the dignity, comfort, and support they deserve.
About the association of palliative care centres (APCC)
The Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC)Ā was founded in 1987 and is a registered Not-for-Profit Company (Reg. no. 1986/001887/08) in South Africa.
The APCC is an Association of accredited palliative care service providers, many of whom are known as hospices. All APCC members are accredited against the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services that have been approved by the Council for Health Service Accreditation of South Africa (COHSASA) and the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua).
Palliative care is the physical, psychological, social and spiritual care provided by an interdisciplinary team of experts to anyone with a life-threatening illness and their loved ones. Care is offered from the point of diagnosis and extends to bereavement support if needed. Over 90% of the care that APCC members provide is home-based with a focus on promoting quality of life.ā
Patient care services
The APCC currently has 91 members providing palliative care services throughout South Africa. Care is provided by an Inter-Disciplinary Team (IDT) that typically includes palliative care trained Medical Doctors, Nurses, Social Workers and Home-Based Carers.
Our impact in 2024
Based on data from 38 APCC members reporting on the APCC Patient Care Data Management System (PCDMS)
Find a hospice or palliative care centre
Click the green dot within your province on the map to find a hospice or palliative care centre near you.
