When I first decided to join the volunteer program with Seasons Hospice Care, I had a very different idea of hospice than I do now. Through working with multiple patients, I have seen real life examples of how hospice is not accepting defeat; it is celebrating life and making the end of life as comfortable as possible.
Before becoming a hospice volunteer, I previously had an experience with hospice that made me especially interested in joining Seasons. My grandfather was 97 when he passed away in his home, alongside many of his family members who loved him dearly. A hospice program made this possible, as he was able to stay in the home where he raised his children and built his very successful life. Although this was a very difficult, sad, and trying time for our family, the hospice program made him comfortable and allowed our family to be there for him at all times. Originally, this is why I decided to join a hospice program as a volunteer, because I wanted to give back. Although I was excited to embark on my new journey, I will admit that I did not entirely understand everything that hospice can entail. After developing relationships with a few different patients, I came to realize that hospice is much more than accepting defeat.
My most meaningful patient relationship was with my patient Greta. Though she was not the easiest patient, I learned so much from working with her. In the beginning, it was evident that Greta was very sweet, but also very quiet. She was a woman of few words but was always pleasant to work with. I loved to see that she always had a smile on her face despite her condition. I really wanted to get to know her better, so I brainstormed ways to engage with her. I had some information about her earlier years and tried asking questions to spark her memory. She would keep her answers very brief and stick to “yes” or “no.” While I am glad I was talking with her, I wanted to converse in more depth, so I decided that it might be a good idea to bring her a physical object in order to elicit a better response.
Around Valentine’s Day, I brought her a homemade Valentine’s Day card and a small stuffed animal. Immediately, I noticed a change in her demeanor. Her face lit up and she began talking right away. She continued to read the card over and over again, and it was clear she was very excited. She kept telling me how neat it was. I realized that she needed a physical object in order to engage her. From then on, I would bring her things like newspapers and crossword puzzles, and it was much easier to get her to talk. My experience with her was trying at first because I felt like I may not have been doing my job well since I wasn’t getting the responses I hoped for. But I learned that hospice is not always an easy job, and it is different for every patient. It is necessary to tailor your approach to each individual patient, and it may not always work on the first time. It will most definitely be rewarding when you do finally form that bond with your patient.
Not only did I learn a lot about the hospice program, but I also learned a lot about myself. I learned how to approach each individual patient in a different manner and how to deal with difficult times with patients. I will never forget how hospice can offer support to both the patient and their family. Before becoming a volunteer, I felt that sometimes the word ‘hospice’ could have a negative connotation. Many people equate hospice to giving up. However, after having first-hand experience with both my own family, and then volunteering, I learned that hospice is actually far from giving up. It is celebrating the end of a beautiful life and making the end of life as comfortable as possible. It is acknowledging that fighting death at all costs isn’t the sole purpose of medicine. Hospice is truly invaluable to so many people in this world, including patients and families who need relief and support, and volunteers who have so much to learn from and grow.