My name is Christiane Kralovec and for me Hospitality has a great deal to do with spontaneity and flexibility. What is important is to welcome and accept the other person, no matter when, where or how.   The important thing is to do it with an open heart, which at times may mean putting aside one’s own ideas and convictions. Hospitality means understanding the needs of the other person and acting in such a way as to bring benefit to him or her. This means dedicating your time, listening with your ears totally open, but also developing a capacity for silence and, why not, the ability to prepare the guest’s favorite dish. 

In my work at the hospice, along with advanced methods of care, I am constantly relying on this spirit of Hospitality. The word “hospice”, after all, comes from the Latin word, hospitium, which means a place where Hospitality is practiced. It is tremendously gratifying to be able to satisfy the needs of our guests in a concrete way, even when using non-conventional methods.

One must always have the courage to think creatively. We had one patient who really enjoyed drinking a real espresso after his meals and he did not like the hospice’s normal coffee. Fortunately, we soon discovered that the espresso machine in the doctors’ lounge produced exactly the kind of coffee he liked. So every day we made sure to bring him a coffee from there, naturally in an authentic espresso cup, thus making him quite happy during the final days of his life. At other times, we were able to bring an additional bed into a room so that couples would be able to be together and of course we always take the time to play with relatives’ children.

These small gestures are not part of the usual activities of a clinic. They certainly cannot replace the traditional medical and professional methods that are used but can represent an additional type of support, one which should be seen as an expression of our respect for the wishes and the individual needs of our guests; that is, as an expression of Hospitality.