Fumio Yamazaki, President, Hospice Palliative Care Japan

What are the greatest crises in a person’s life? How should people deal with them? Are they able to deal with them?
If you get cancer, then that is one of the biggest crises in your life. In such a situation, you will face many problems: not only physical but also emotional, social and others. Moreover, your family will also face many problems. Left to your own devices, you may often feel at loss as to what to do.
The purpose of palliative care is to enable individuals who have a life-threatening disease such as cancer, and their families, to deal with the difficult situation in a way that is both physically and emotionally comfortable. With such care, professionals and volunteers in medical care, nursing, caregiving, social services, the arts and religion form teams to support to patients and their families.
HPCJ is a business entity composed of palliative care units, palliative care teams, home care support clinics, home nursing stations, and other entities that have joined together for purposes of assisting and providing high-quality palliative care to people who are facing a life crisis and require such care. At the same time, we are also a membership-based organization whose members – professionals and volunteers from various fields – participate in or otherwise support such activities.
Our members are committed to realizing HPCJ’s purposes and philosophy. Each of us will be provided with a membership card that testifies to membership in HPCJ. This card is meant to assure those who require palliative care that the card’s bearer can provide them with the care they need. Towards that end, all of us will aim to work continuously to improve the quality of care consistent with HPJC’s standards and mission.
I sincerely ask for your strong support for HPJC, because it is only with your generous cooperation that we can be successful in providing appropriate palliative care to all who have a life- threatening disease and are facing a life crisis.