School: Bucknell

I have had the privilege of staying with one patient the entire program, and I’ll refer to him as HR from here onwards. HR has terminal kidney cancer and had a stroke a few years ago that led to cognitive deficits. As a result, he has memory issues and barely speaks. He currently resides at … Continue reading “Reflections on Conversations with HR”

Our hospice patient is a 68 year old woman who is diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma and brain cancer. Currently she is living at home with her loving husband who is her main caretaker. She and her husband met in Korea when he was stationed there in the military. Eventually they fell in love and moved … Continue reading “My Hospice Experience”

I was initially unsure about joining this program due to my preconceived opinions on death and avoidance in topics surrounding death. I thought all doctors were to avoid death at all cost, and if this rule wasn’t abided, a doctor would be considered a failure. As it turned out, I was not the only person … Continue reading “Thoughts from a Hospice Volunteer”

Working in hospice has transformed the way I view patient care. When I first started, I assumed my primary responsibility would be to help the patient directly, but I quickly learned that my role extended beyond that. One patient, Mr. “Bennett” (name changed for privacy), deeply impacted me and shifted my understanding of what it … Continue reading “A Lesson in Patient Care: More Than Just the Patient”

The Athena Institute Hospice Program provided me with an invaluable opportunity for me to develop a wonderful relationship with a non-verbal patient. When our program director first introduced me to the gentlemen, all of the scenarios I had played in my head of what the interaction would look like went out the window. I had … Continue reading “An important lesson learned”

Throughout my time as a hospice volunteer, my patient profoundly impacted my understanding of patient care. Once a standout college athlete in baseball and basketball and a dedicated high school biology teacher, my patient now faces the daily challenges of dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Despite these hardships, his love for sports and science remains, shining … Continue reading “Lessons from a Former Athlete: Hospice and the Power of Presence”

I was fortunate enough to be matched with a patient early on in the school year and stay with him through the time of writing this essay. My patient, who I will refer to as “John,” is a man who has lived a long, fulfilling life, and now unfortunately struggles with Parkinson’s disease and dementia. … Continue reading “The Power of Presence”

The patient who I was visiting during the fall of 2023, whom we will call “Sue”, was an elderly woman in her late seventies. She had just been diagnosed with brain cancer not too long before being put on hospice. The cancer was affecting her ability to hear and she was constantly very fatigued. She … Continue reading “Journeys of Compassion: Reflections on Hospice Volunteering”

This semester I had the privilege of making weekly visits to sweet, caring and talkative “Rose”. Vastly different from my first patient, Rose eagerly awaited seeing us every week and upon our arrival, would immediately sit straight up, turn off her television and give us her whole attention. And while Rose loved to talk about … Continue reading “Talkative Rose”

As this program comes to a close, I would like to take the time to reflect on my experiences as a hospice volunteer. The patient that I would like to talk about is named “JR” for the sake of her privacy and to ensure confidentiality. My patient and I got very close over the course … Continue reading “A Life-Changing Experience”