School: Swarthmore

There is a difference between healthspan and lifespan, and at some point, one has to ask oneself when to stop trying new treatments if it comes at the cost of their overall happiness and well-being. What does it mean to aspire to live as long as possible if such days, weeks, months, or years are … Continue reading “In the Common Room”

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”

During this past year, my experience as a hospice volunteer has allowed me to meet many patients and to reflect on my feelings about the process of death. While I was aware that I would be faced with death more than usual as a hospice volunteer, I did not expect it to affect me as … Continue reading “How My Hospice Volunteer Experience Influenced My Perspective on Death”

I first applied to the Ascend Hospice volunteer program to expand my understanding of death. I felt that I had a solid stance on death from my religious and philosophical views. Nonetheless, I had very little experience dealing with death firsthand, and I had no experience with the dying process. Deeming such experiences necessary to … Continue reading “Lessons Learned From Hospice”

From my very first visit with Sally and Mark in the hospice facility last October, the married couple has never not made me smile. Sally was a stay-at-home mom, who raised not only her children with Mark, but also her nieces and nephews whose parents passed away when they were young. Despite her dementia, her … Continue reading “The Healing Power of Conversation”

My hospice journey began with a patient in the late stages of neurodegenerative disease. Even though she was awake, she could not speak or show conscious awareness of her surroundings. It was frustrating at first because I did not know how to interact with her. I tried asking questions, showing her pictures, and reading to … Continue reading “What Death Has Taught Me About Life”

Donna and Joey met in high school at the diner where Donna worked. Joey often recounts the delicious milkshakes and burgers they shared. They have been together since they met and never left their hometown, except for when Joey served in the navy during World War II. Their small hospice room is filled with medals … Continue reading “Storytelling with Donna and Joey”

When I first began as a hospice volunteer, I was largely unaware what hospice entailed. My own experience with death was limited; my grandfather passed away when I was young, but no one close to me since then had passed. I only thought about death in an abstract way, but mostly ignored the topic as … Continue reading “Becoming Comfortable with Death”

When I first applied and began my volunteer experience with the volunteer hospice program through Swarthmore, I admit that I thought of it as a resume booster. It was just something that I had to do if I wanted to get into medical school eventually. I never thought that it would be something I genuinely … Continue reading “Coming to Terms with Myself”

When I visited Mr. A for the first time, we found out that we were born on the same day. We both agreed that people who share a birthday should become best friends, and twenty minutes into the conversation, we did. I am awful at starting conversations but Mr. A always has something to say. … Continue reading “Patients: Not Just Ill Ones”