When I first considered being a hospice volunteer, I had little experience with death. While I have lost family, much of it was when I was younger. I have experienced death within the healthcare system through shadowing in the ER. But I didn’t understand how complex death becomes within a relationship of care. Not just … Continue reading “My Time with “Joe””
The Importance of Time and Presence
Hospice volunteering introduced me to a more compassionate understanding of care, one centered not on curing illness but on honoring the final chapter of a person’s life with dignity, presence, and compassion. One patient interaction in particular shaped my perspective early in my experience. At the start of my hospice volunteering, I was especially eager … Continue reading “The Importance of Time and Presence”
The Power of Simple Moments
During my hospice volunteering experience, the patient relationship that stood out to me the most was with a man I will call “John,” who I visited in Haverford. “John” was originally from Baltimore, which is also where I am from, so from our very first conversation we were able to make meaningful connections through shared … Continue reading “The Power of Simple Moments”
Hospice: The Other Side of Medicine
When I first walked into a hospice facility, I expected something somber and static. I expected to find a place where the air felt thick and grief surrounded me. What I found instead, in the form of a 99-year-old woman named “LC”, was a profound lesson in the art of being present, and a reaffirmation … Continue reading “Hospice: The Other Side of Medicine”
Hospice and End of Life Care: Understanding Death
Going into this experience, I worried about my ability to connect with my patient, and for the first few visits I questioned whether my patient really wanted me there. She had a reputation amongst the nurses for being difficult to deal with, often lucid and aggressive if touched or provoked. After the first couple of … Continue reading “Hospice and End of Life Care: Understanding Death”
What my patient taught me
During my time volunteering in hospice, I had the opportunity to spend several weeks with a patient living with dementia. From the first time I met her, she always greeted me with a faint but warm smile. It felt as if she recognized me and was happy that I had come to see her. That … Continue reading “What my patient taught me”
The persistence of emotional awareness despite the disappearance of verbal communication
During this essay, I will refer to my patient by an alias name of “Mark,” in order to protect his privacy. Throughout my hospice volunteering, I have had the opportunity to regularly spend time with one patient, “Mark”, who is nonverbal. While “Mark” initially took some time to warm up to us, after a few … Continue reading “The persistence of emotional awareness despite the disappearance of verbal communication”
Ms. Purple
Ms.Purple was a patient for me that always made my heart warm because everytime we saw her she was happy to see us even though really she didn’t remember who we were. She was always grateful for us coming to visit. It felt like we made her day better even though we weren’t there for … Continue reading “Ms. Purple”
Sounds Crossing the Distance
My first visit with “Ross” consisted of silence. When I first met him, he was sitting in a wheelchair by the window of the nursing home common room. This was my first time meeting a patient face-to-face, and I was terrified. Steeling my nerves, I approached his wheelchair and tried to introduce myself, but “Ross” … Continue reading “Sounds Crossing the Distance”
Connecting with time
Meeting Emma has been one of the most meaningful and eye opening experiences during my time as a hospice volunteer through Athena. One of the first and biggest worries I had coming into the program was the fear that I wouldn’t be able to fully fit and respond to her needs, but after every meeting … Continue reading “Connecting with time”