Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the comfort of a terminally ill patient's symptoms. These symptoms can be physical, emotional, spiritual or social in nature. The concept of hospice as a place to treat the incurably ill has been evolving since the 11th century. The modern hospice began to emerge in the 17th century, but many of the foundational principles by which modern hospices operate were pioneered in the 1950s by Dame Cicely Saunders. Although the movement has met with some resistance, hospice has rapidly expanded through the United Kingdom, the United States and elsewhere.