Due to various scheduling issues, I have only been able to meet my patient once, however I still gained a lot from it and believe it has granted me an incredible life lesson regarding the patience, care, and kindness that goes into caring for end-of-life patients. My patient is a cancer patient at Geisinger. She … Continue reading “My Athena Experience- Understanding Grief and End-of-Life Care”
Author: A Student
The Value of Being There
Over the past four months, my time with my patient has defined my experience as a hospice volunteer. While our relationship has not been particularly deep in the traditional sense, my presence in her life, while it is fleeting in her memory, has given me an appreciation for the subtleties of patient care. My patient … Continue reading “The Value of Being There”
A Reflection on Three Women
In my experience with this volunteer program, I have had the pleasure to meet three different patients. The first was a woman with Dementia who only spoke Korean. This meant we communicated instead in smiles, laughs, and gestures. She taught me that joy and connection doesn’t have a language. The second was another woman with … Continue reading “A Reflection on Three Women”
Growth Through Connection
An old friend who I had never actually met. This is how I’d describe my hospice patient, whom I’ll call “Arthur,” from our very first meeting. I began my volunteer work with a mix of nervousness and excitement. I grasped the ideology of hospice—providing comfort, control, and safety during the end-of-life process—but translating that into … Continue reading “Growth Through Connection”
Learning to Connect
I went into this program knowing that it would be hard. While I have elderly relatives, I had very little experience working in a hospice environment. I was scared of the challenge of building a relationship with someone who was near the end of their life and knowing that there would be a time when … Continue reading “Learning to Connect”
Coming to Grips with Death Itself
Throughout my childhood and well into adolescence, death perplexed me as the most incomprehensible subject – and I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. I eschewed the thought of it whenever it wandered into my mind, which occurred more frequently than one might expect. Staring at the ceiling as I tried … Continue reading “Coming to Grips with Death Itself”
The Story of Our Lives
Over the past 8 months, I have not only grown as a student in the medical field but as a citizen of the world. The Athena Institute Pre-Med Hospice program opened my eyes in terms of viewing patients and caregivers in the real-world, not just what you hear on the news and from others. Medicine … Continue reading “The Story of Our Lives”
Being a companionship volunteer helped me further develop soft skills that are essential for my journey in medicine.
I chose to volunteer with the Athena Hospice Program because it offered a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of patient care outside of an acute clinical setting. Through this program, I’ve come to appreciate how healthcare extends beyond prescribing medication and treatments. It includes offering palliative care and companionship support as people approach … Continue reading “Being a companionship volunteer helped me further develop soft skills that are essential for my journey in medicine.”
The Secret of a Smile
After only a few visits to “Millie”, it became clear that we had much in common. We both appreciated summers on the Jersey Shore, we both adored looking at photographs of dogs, and we both wanted to spend as much time outside as possible. On a deeper level, we both shared the tendency to choose … Continue reading “The Secret of a Smile”
The Power of Presence in Patient Care
When I started my hospice volunteering experience, I worried about being bothersome to my patients and not having the right personality to provide comfort. I wanted to be a helpful part of their care team, but I doubted whether I could guide conversations or recognize when a patient preferred to talk, listen, or sit in … Continue reading “The Power of Presence in Patient Care”