Family In Need of Care

When I heard about this volunteer position, I was excited at the prospect of finally getting patient care volunteer hours, since that’s an important aspect of my future application to medical school. I applied hoping to get those requirements, help some hospice patients, and learn something along the way, but I was not prepared for the impact that volunteering weekly at hospice care would have on me. I was put face-to-face with death and the process of dying, and one thing that surprised me was how much easier the process became once the death was accepted. In the back of our heads, we always know that life is fleeting, yet once confronted with our own mortality, we can become apprehensive. I found that often, the patients I spoke to had come to terms with the fact that their journey on earth was almost done, and were hoping for a peaceful exit surrounded by family. The hard emotions were often felt most harshly by families, who had not accepted that their loved one’s time was almost up. Yet, some of the families I interacted with were some of the most kind and grateful out there. Hospice of the Valley has shown me how graceful the end of one’s life can be as well as the beauty of accepting the inevitable.