School: Princeton

Throughout my hospice volunteering experience, one of the most memorable patients I met was someone I’ll call “Andrew.” I met him during my very first visit to the Maple Wood nursing home, and even though I only saw him that one time, the interaction stayed with me in a way I didn’t expect. “Andrew” lived … Continue reading “When Doing Less Means Caring More”

When I first met “Jane,” she was sitting in her chair watching television with the door open. A fellow volunteer who I will refer to as “TheBestesto1” and I introduced ourselves, and she gestured for us to sit on the couch next to her. The conversation that ensued was slow, peaceful. A dog appeared on … Continue reading “The Dignity of Mundane Conversation”

As I reflect on my experiences thus far in hospice volunteering, one of my more meaningful Hospice patient relationships was with a patient, who I’ll refer to as “John”, a middle aged man who had a very joyful disposition on life. As a New Yorker, I attended high school in Tribeca, near the World Trade … Continue reading “Care Beyond Intervention”

All of the patients I have been assigned have been wonderful experiences – being able to learn more about their lives and just being in the moment with them. However, one patient that did stand out to me was “Bryan”. “Bryan” wasn’t able to talk but he showed acknowledgement of my presence through subtle body … Continue reading “Hospice Care: An Experiential and Emotional Journey”

It quickly became clear that hospice work is incredibly intimate and vulnerable. It was intimidating, and letting that intimidation color my actions led to an experience of personal disappointment. At the same time, overcoming that intimidation and opening myself up to genuine connection has been intensely rewarding. About four months ago, I chose to delay … Continue reading “Learning to Listen”

One of the most meaningful relationships I formed during my hospice volunteering was with a patient I will call “Mrs. Thompson.” When I first started visiting patients, I was not sure what my role would be. I did not want to bother patients and was scared that my presence was a source of annoyance instead … Continue reading “Moments that Matter”

During this essay, I will refer to my patient by an alias name of “Mark,” in order to protect his privacy. Throughout my hospice volunteering, I have had the opportunity to regularly spend time with one patient, “Mark”, who is nonverbal. While “Mark” initially took some time to warm up to us, after a few … Continue reading “The persistence of emotional awareness despite the disappearance of verbal communication”

My first visit with “Ross” consisted of silence. When I first met him, he was sitting in a wheelchair by the window of the nursing home common room. This was my first time meeting a patient face-to-face, and I was terrified. Steeling my nerves, I approached his wheelchair and tried to introduce myself, but “Ross” … Continue reading “Sounds Crossing the Distance”

This past semester, I had the privilege of meeting KS, a new patient I visited each week as part of my hospice care volunteering. From our very first conversation, she shared stories from her childhood filled with warmth, humor, and deep family connections. As we laughed together about our fathers’ reluctance to replace worn-out clothes, … Continue reading “Presence over Cure: Lessons from Hospice Care”