I was assigned to one patient throughout my experience volunteering with a hospice program. Unfortunately, my time was cut short based on a slightly late start and an early ending due to the coronavirus. However, the time I was able to spend with my patient was truly eye opening. First, one of the most interesting parts for me was being able to actually attend the hospice care center. My patient really enjoyed being in the living room at the center, so not only did I get to form a connection with her, but I got to continuously see some of the same residents in the center, which was an added bonus for me.
Each week that I visited, I got to know a little more about my patient, and I was truly inspired by her joy and optimism about life, despite her circumstances. I also was incredibly happy to know that her family visited her every single day, and I got to hear different stories about how happy her family made her and what they did before I came. I got to see how a family connection can last a lifetime, as she often discussed her daughters and what they were up to. One of my wishes in the time I had left was to meet her family and gain an ever deeper connection.
At the beginning of the program, I remember the director mentioning that the work is sometimes “thankless.” In the literal sense, that might be the case. However, I’ve found that seeing my patient smile and helping to bring a little more joy to her day was rewarding enough. I also enjoyed being able to visit my patient with a partner from the hospice program. It was nice to know that the two of us could be bonded over our relationship with the patient.
Because the program was cut short, I found a different sort of appreciation for the hospice work outside of visits. We were assigned prompts every week which involved watching or reading something that would aid in our discussion of death. I, personally, really enjoyed these prompts because if I wasn’t able to see my patient, I was still able to explore the topic of hospice, palliative care, and death more. These ideas were very new and perspective-shifting for someone like me, who has such a desire to help and “save” people. One of the things I learned most throughout my experience with the hospice program is being able to see the beauty in just comforting. I loved being able to comfort my patient; I loved learning about how comfort can be the best medicine for patients. Exploring death was not something that I had planned to “tackle” during my sophomore year of college. Yet, I am so grateful for my experience to both take in so much information about a side of medicine that many young people do not get to see and to form a connection with an inspiring and uplifting woman.