One of my most meaningful relationships with a patient was with one I was visiting for about two months before his passing in the beginning of December. He was a businessman all his life, and after my first visit with him, it seemed as though we would have nothing in common. He only really spoke … Continue reading “Connection Through Compassion and Listening”
Honoring Every Patient
My experiences as a hospice volunteer have helped me understand the vocation of a doctor. The Athena training impacted how I think about medicine and a doctor’s role, especially for patients nearing death. In particular, I appreciated the lessons in listening well, paying attention to patients’ behavior, and practicing self-care as a medical professional. Through … Continue reading “Honoring Every Patient”
Learning to Navigate End of Life Care as a Hospice Volunteer
As a pre-med hospice volunteer I have had the opportunity to gain an experience that has shaped me into the person I am now and the person I will be going into med school. When I first started volunteering for Hospice, I had just started taking a course in medical anthropology in which we discussed … Continue reading “Learning to Navigate End of Life Care as a Hospice Volunteer”
Death does not only accompany sorrow but also reminiscence.
The patient who stood out the most to me was this lady who had heart disease. Our conversations were never in a good logical flow, nor did they deepen our liaisons since she forgot who I am the moment I left the room. However, I personally found our interactions to be clear hints of her … Continue reading “Death does not only accompany sorrow but also reminiscence.”
The Privilege of Presence
I have thus far only been seeing one patient throughout my time as a hospice care volunteer—we’ll call her “C.” On the surface, our relationship is straightforward: she is a patient, and I am her volunteer. There is a kind of professional boundary that exists between us, and she does not know my name or … Continue reading “The Privilege of Presence”
Connecting without words
For my volunteer experience in the Athena program, I was partnered up with a woman we’ll call “Lisa.” At this point in her life, “Lisa” has been in hospice care for almost two years living under her daughter’s care. While “Lisa” is responsive and can form short words, she is mostly nonverbal which initially provided … Continue reading “Connecting without words”
Hospice Volunteer–A Reflection of The Patient and The Self
I have spent my time as a hospice volunteer learning and reflecting on what it means to care for someone in their last stages of life. My understanding of death and what it means for the person experiencing it has completely shifted over the last few months. As acknowledged in many of our prompts, death … Continue reading “Hospice Volunteer–A Reflection of The Patient and The Self”
Learning to Listen
It quickly became clear that hospice work is incredibly intimate and vulnerable. It was intimidating, and letting that intimidation color my actions led to an experience of personal disappointment. At the same time, overcoming that intimidation and opening myself up to genuine connection has been intensely rewarding. About four months ago, I chose to delay … Continue reading “Learning to Listen”
Presence Beyond Words
During my time in the hospice volunteer program, I developed a meaningful relationship with a patient I will call “Mary.” “Mary” lived with severe dementia that significantly affected her ability to communicate. Her speech often came out as a stream of disconnected words and phrases that did not form clear sentences. When I first met … Continue reading “Presence Beyond Words”
The Privilege of Presence
My experience in working in hospice care has been nothing short of meaningful and eye-opening. Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to get to know my patient that I will refer to as “Jane.” From the first moment I met her, she was the sweetest and most friendly woman I have … Continue reading “The Privilege of Presence”