A hospital in central France is taking a non-traditional approach in an effort to make the final days of terminally ill patients a little better.
By serving alcohol, including wine, whisky and champagne to the sick and their loved ones. (Via Getty Images)
The change comes at in the palliative care unit at the Clermont-Ferrand Hospital and it’s meant for people with a serious illness. (Via Facebook / CHU de Clermont-Ferrand)
“A spokesperson said the point of the program is to improve patient’s quality of life in their final days.” (Via WTIC)
Dr. Guastella, who came up with the idea, explained to The Local's French outlet, the goal is to give people a chance to relax. "It's because life is so precious and real until the end that we decided to cultivate all that is fine and good. It's a way of rethinking the care of others, taking into account their feelings and emotions that make them a human being."
It was once believed the resveratrol and antioxidants in red wine could be good for your health — especially the heart.
But recent studies have proven otherwise, reporting a glass of wine a day doesn’t actually do much to minimize your chances of developing health problems. However, French doctors say that’s not really the point of the new offering. (Via The Local, Mayo Clinic, BBC, Medical News Today, WebMD)
Notably, the French and their wine have quite an extensive history — which make the hospital’s change not all that surprising to some outlets. (Via Getty Images)
The Telegraph calls the move, "an unprecedented but characteristically Gallic way to improve their quality of life."
Gaul, now modern day France, began cultivating and consuming wine some 2,600 years ago — eventually becoming a staple in the culture. (Via Discovery)
Case in point: according to officials, all the alcohol the bar serves was donated by local residents. The experience will be supervised by specially trained hospital staff.
