The Conversation of End of Life

My patient, whom I will refer to as George, is a 92 year old man with Alzheimer’s disease along with other medical diagnoses that impair everyday functioning. Due to his deteriorating mental and physical state, he resides in a locked unit. From the beginning of the hospice program, my volunteer partner and I learned about … Continue reading “The Conversation of End of Life”


At A Loss For Words

For most of my life, I have believed in the power of words—that if the right words were said in the right order at the right time, they could fix any problem that I encountered. Being a shy person by nature, whenever it was my turn to speak in a conversation, I would stammer and … Continue reading “At A Loss For Words”


Learning From Stories

I spent all of my time during the hospice program with one patient, Mrs. M. Some days she was mobile, and we would walk around the nursing home together. We would sit and rest when she needed to, but I was often amazed by how much she could walk. She spent other days laying in … Continue reading “Learning From Stories”


My Existential Quest

Brenda was dying, and she knew it. Her eyes were sad, and she only spoke in sighs and repeated the phrase “don’t worry about it.” She wasn’t despondent, but willing to smile and cheer up. Despite being admitted into a hospice for Parkinson’s, Brenda retained her individuality and creativity through the puzzles and toys, but … Continue reading “My Existential Quest”



One Year Older

In the beginning of my hospice volunteer experience, my sole aim was to develop connections with patients. As my time as a volunteer concludes, I realized that I never want to stop doing just that—giving all of myself to the patients I care for. My very first patient was an older woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. … Continue reading “One Year Older”


Hospice Love

Every patient that I have met so far has been amazingly sweet to me, though one patient was particularly memorable. I hadn’t met actually met her in person, but instead made a phone call because I was sick that week. She appreciated our simple, five minute conversation so much that she asked for my name … Continue reading “Hospice Love”


Kim

When I attended the information session on becoming a hospice volunteer, I was unsure if this type of work would be right for me. I wasn’t even confident I knew what hospice meant. However, after consideration, I took a leap of faith and went through the onboarding process. A few months later, I finally saw … Continue reading “Kim”


The Value of Healing

Hospice volunteering has no doubt shaped my future aspirations as a physician. I have experienced first-hand the value of emotional care at the end of life. We will not be able to physically cure every patient, but we can always provide them with comfort and support. During my volunteer experience, one of the biggest challenges … Continue reading “The Value of Healing”


Being Present

When I first saw Sue, she was wrapped up in a purple blanket, sitting in a wheelchair in front of the television. On the screen, dancers glided across a stage. I approached Sue cautiously, not wanting to disturb her. She looked so peaceful sitting there. Cozy, even. I patted her on the shoulder. “Hi Sue,” … Continue reading “Being Present”