America’s First Hospice
Founded in 1974, The Connecticut Hospice introduced the hospice movement to the United States.
Today, more than 50 years later, the guiding principles of compassionate, comfort-focused care remain at the heart of everything we do.
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TODAY
A New Vision for End-of-Life Care
The Connecticut Hospice was founded in 1974 by nurse Florence Wald, along with a group of nurses, physicians, and clergy who believed that care for people facing serious illness could—and should—be different.
Wald’s vision emerged several years earlier when she attended a lecture by Dr. Cicely Saunders, founder of St. Christopher’s Hospice and the modern hospice movement. At the time, Wald was an associate professor and dean of the Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing Program at Yale University.
That lecture introduced a model of care centered on comfort, dignity, and family involvement, rather than repeated medical interventions when a cure was no longer possible. It stood in contrast to the prevailing approach to end-of-life care, which often excluded families and focused almost entirely on curative procedures.
“In those days, terminally ill patients went through hell, and the family was never involved,” Wald later said.
Deeply inspired by Dr. Saunders’s lecture, Wald was moved to challenge the realities of end-of-life care in the United States. That conviction stayed with her for more than a decade, ultimately leading to the establishment of The Connecticut Hospice in 1974.
The foundation Wald and her colleagues built continues to guide a model of care rooted in comfort, interdisciplinary coordination, and support for both patients and their loved ones.
Care that Continues to Lead
From its earliest days, The Connecticut Hospice has helped shape how compassionate care is delivered. It was not only the first hospice in the United States, but also the first in the world to provide hospice care in patients’ homes.
This commitment to leadership continued with the opening of The Connecticut Hospice’s first inpatient facility in 1980 and the move to its current waterfront location in Branford, CT in 2001, expanding care options while remaining rooted in comfort, dignity, and holistic support.
A Mission That Endures
Fifty years later, The Connecticut Hospice remains a leader in the hospice movement in Connecticut, the United States, and around the world.
Throughout its history, The Connecticut Hospice has remained true to its founding mission. Its care model includes both home-based and inpatient services for individuals with serious or life-limiting illness.
Central to this approach is the belief that patients should be supported in living as fully and comfortably as possible, and that families should be cared for as an essential part of the experience.
DID YOU KNOW?
The word “hospice” dates back to medieval times, when it referred to a place of rest and sanctuary for weary travelers. Often maintained by religious orders, early hospices offered shelter, food, and care.
Over time, the term evolved to describe places dedicated to caring for people who were ill and nearing the end of life, extending compassion not only to patients, but to the families and friends who walked alongside them.
More About The Connecticut Hospice
We Are America's First Hospice
In 1974, The Connecticut Hospice became America’s first hospice. Since then we have continued to set the national standard for home and inpatient hospice care and have become a leader in palliative care.
We currently employ over 200 people and collaborate with over 50 Connecticut hospitals, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and home care providers.
Our Mission
We honor patients and families affected by advanced or life-limiting illnesses with integrity, support, and compassion.
Joint Commission’s Advanced Palliative Certification
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization
Member of the National Alliance for Care at Home
Edward R. Loveland Memorial Award from The American College of Physicians
National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation
Patient- and Family-Centered Care
Every Patient at The Connecticut Hospice Receives:
- Customized plans of care prepared by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, art and music therapy specialists, and volunteers
- Flexible care that enables patients to transition from our home care to our inpatient programs
- Pain management and symptom control with fewer emergency room and hospital admissions
- Registered nurse visits and 24/7 on-call support by specially trained physicians
- Social work, pastoral care, arts therapy, and bereavement support for patients and their families at no extra cost
How Can We Help?
Make a Donation
As a local not-for-profit, The Connecticut Hospice relies on donor support to provide individualized services and therapies not fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.
Your generosity helps ensure that every patient and family receives the care, comfort, and support they need, regardless of circumstances.