Biophysical Medical Model

In the article ‘Hospice Care and Theology for Patients at the End of Life’, by Tara Flanagan, it discusses hospice, hospitality, and different models of care popular today. Included in the article is the comparison of the Biosocial model of care and the Biomedical model of care, for patients near or expecting death. According to the work of Kearney and Dorothee, it is suggested that demonstrating hospitality in the sense of interpreting pain is less successful than ‘hosting’ pain. Hospitality in this case is portrayed in Christianity; it is said to be an attribute of God, and can be defined as the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm friendly generous way. (Sharp) The author used several different disciplines to study religion in this article, such as Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology. “Hospitality is a virtue that id both commanded and commended through scripture, in the Old Testament it was specifically commanded by God, “When an Alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your …show more content…
It is basically explained by Saunders, that not all pain has a physical source and spiritual care is crucial for patients at the end of life. The Biophysical model, “in contrast recognizes that personhood consists of the body and mind, but that it is also formed by relationships, and for some even by a sense of the Sacred.” (Page 261) This model unlike the Biomedical model addresses the patient’s needs in a more in depth relationship. The patient is dependent on the care givers for social, medical, and spiritual stimulation. Here is where hospitality and hospice complement each other besides their many differences. In the hospice model the care givers develop a first-hand relationship with the patient, whereas in the hospital setting the hospitality comes into play because the care givers are