During my hospice volunteering experience, one patient who stood out to me was the first patient I was paired with, a woman I will call “Jane”. I was only able to meet with “Jane” twice before her passing, but those brief visits had a lasting impact on me. “Jane” had later stage dementia, which meant … Continue reading “Finding Connection at the End of Life”
Author: A Student
Grief never stops.
My journey doesn’t end here. Although I have not received a patient and didn’t have the opportunity to interact with a patient, I feel as though I learned so much and grew a lot when it came to topics surrounding death and grief. Death. When someone you’ve known dies, and that person was so close … Continue reading “Grief never stops.”
Hospice Care: An Experiential and Emotional Journey
All of the patients I have been assigned have been wonderful experiences – being able to learn more about their lives and just being in the moment with them. However, one patient that did stand out to me was “Bryan”. “Bryan” wasn’t able to talk but he showed acknowledgement of my presence through subtle body … Continue reading “Hospice Care: An Experiential and Emotional Journey”
Learning to Meet Patients Where They Are
Entering my second year of hospice volunteering, I thought I already understood what presence meant. During my first year I spent time with a patient who was almost completely silent. He was nonverbal and had significant hearing loss. At first I felt unsure about how to interact with him because so much of what we … Continue reading “Learning to Meet Patients Where They Are”
The beauty of Forgetting
Growing up, I have visited many care centers for the elderly. Not all of them have been hospice, and not all of them have been for family members. My mom trained our first dog as a therapy dog, and we would go with her on her visits as our golden retriever brightened up the days … Continue reading “The beauty of Forgetting”
The Value of Human Connection When Facing Death
Over the course of the past eight months, I have had the pleasure of growing close to an 84-year-old woman suffering from congestive heart failure. With her being hard of hearing, initially I struggled quite a bit to grow close to her using my typical communications skills. At first, I tried using whiteboards and notebooks … Continue reading “The Value of Human Connection When Facing Death”
Learning to Slow Down in a Death-Defying Culture
In the U.S., people are constantly working and moving, never stopping to accept that one day they will slow down drastically as they approach the end of their life. Overall, I think my single hospice experience has taught me to live how I want and to slow down and appreciate the small moments I have … Continue reading “Learning to Slow Down in a Death-Defying Culture”
Compassion is the Key
When I first met “Melanie,” I was an aspiring physician who viewed medicine primarily as a series of problems to be solved, and had never thought about the emotional aspect as a physician. My training had prepared me for the practicalities of volunteering, but it had not fully prepared me for the emotional weight of … Continue reading “Compassion is the Key”
Learning the Altruism of End-of-Life Care
Walking into the memory care residence for the first time, I did not know what to expect. I was nervous that I might not be emotionally strong enough to support someone in end-of-life care. As a hospice volunteer, you are involved in a very personal and vulnerable stage of a patient’s life. Through this experience, … Continue reading “Learning the Altruism of End-of-Life Care”
The True Root of Hospice Care – Social Connection
I’m leaving the last visit with my patient before spring break. I’m holding her hand, as she requests during visits. Being partially blind and deaf, she likes to feel reassured by feeling someone else’s presence by her side. “Are you coming back?” she questions me. “Yes,” I responded, “I’ll be back in another two weeks”. … Continue reading “The True Root of Hospice Care – Social Connection”