Through my experience as a Hospice volunteer over the past year, I have connected with my patients, grown in my understanding of what patient care truly means, and I recognize myself as a more well-rounded pre-medical student. I have been seeing my current patient since August of last year and have grown quite fond of … Continue reading “How Hospice Changed My Understanding of Patient Care”
Category: Athena Hospice Program
this is for posts in the category of Athena Hospice
Eleanor’s Melody
During my time volunteering at my hospice care site, specifically in the memory care unit, one of my most meaningful patient relationships was with a woman I will call “Eleanor” (this is a pseudonym). “Eleanor” lived in the memory care unit and had significant difficulty communicating verbally, she could only ever get a few words … Continue reading “Eleanor’s Melody”
A New Perspective: My Growth & Experience as A Hospice Volunteer
Engaging in the Athena Pre-Med Hospice Volunteering Program has been an incredibly humbling and eye-opening experience that has helped shape the way I view patient care. Working with hospice patients has both confirmed my desire to go into medicine and shown me some of the emotional challenges that come along with caring for the sick … Continue reading “A New Perspective: My Growth & Experience as A Hospice Volunteer”
The Importance of Being Present
As I reflect on my patient relationships, I can distinctly recall the first memory care patient I had the pleasure of meeting. This is a patient I still visit—for privacy reasons, I will refer to her as “Jane Doe.” Upon visiting the memory care unit for the first time, I was unsure what to expect … Continue reading “The Importance of Being Present”
Quiet Moments and Retrospection
I knew long ago that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but my initial understanding of what such a career would entail was, in retrospect, incredibly lacking. While I had a basic understanding of what end-of-life care might involve in the practical sense, I did not know what it would look like. For … Continue reading “Quiet Moments and Retrospection”
My Time with “Joe”
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”