The event “The Family and the End of Life: A Light of Hope” brought together specialists from academic, medical and spiritual fields to examine how best to support individuals during highly vulnerable stages and to safeguard dignity throughout the ageing process. Held on 15 November at UIC Barcelona, the conference featured a series of lectures and two round tables addressing key issues such as advance directives, comprehensive care in residential homes, bereavement and the ethical implications of advanced illness.

UIC Barcelona served as the host institution and contributed several speakers recognised for their expertise in family support and palliative care. Dr Marc Grau, director of the Institute of Advanced Family Studies at UIC Barcelona, opened the event by emphasising the need to “fall in love again with the world and with life” and celebrated the growth of the Family Global Compact – an initiative promoted by Pope Francis through the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life at the Vatican.

In the round table “Comprehensive support and ethical challenges at the end of life”, Dr Natàlia de Iriarte, medical director of the Cuides UIC Barcelona Clinic, delivered the talk “Holistic care for people with advanced illnesses and their families”. Dr de Iriarte shared insights from Cuides UIC Barcelona, the first university clinic offering integrated care for patients with oncological and non-oncological conditions requiring palliative support. Dr Josep Maria Guardiola, lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Consultant in Internal Medicine at Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, also contributed with the presentation “Palliative sedation and euthanasia: a medical and ethical perspective”.

Dr. Marta Mas, Vice-Rector for Faculty and Academic Planning at UIC Barcelona, gave the institutional welcome to the event, framing the day within the University's commitment to research and training in supporting individuals and families in vulnerable situations.

The event, hosted by Family Global Compact Barcelona, underscored the importance of viewing the end of life as a stage that calls for care, closeness and holistic support that embraces both the individual and their circle of loved ones. Contributions from the experts opened up a space for reflection, encouraging a more human-centred approach to ageing and end of life.