School: Swarthmore

The experience that Ascend Hospice has offered me is irreplaceable. Throughout my year here, I have been formally assigned to three different patients but have seen a lot more. Every single one got me thinking about life in one way, shape or form. The experience has forced me to be vulnerable, to dig deep within … Continue reading “Accepting Death While Remaining Human”

“Medical professionals concentrate on repair of health, not sustenance of the soul.” Upon encountering this line in Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, I became filled with regret. My grandmother had succumbed to leukemia only months prior, and her battle was harrowing. She, a healthy, able-bodied, gardening enthusiast with no signs of aging other than mild … Continue reading “On compassion in the face of death”

This year, I heard death’s knock on my door more than I ever had before. I experienced the fragility of life both personally and professionally. It became real to me in a way it wasn’t in the past. My first patient through Ascend was sad in a way I was not used to. I have … Continue reading “You’re not alone”

As Janet and Carl were in the back of the car on their way to meet a patient, Kate, that we had been told could be quite hostile and angry when visitors arrived, there was certainly an air of uneasiness. I do not think either Janet or Carl were necessarily scared, just anxious about the … Continue reading “Understanding Death and Dying”

Before I started volunteering with Ascend Hospice this year, death was an unfamiliar and scary topic for me to consider. I have not had a close family member or friend pass away in my lifetime, so I did not have the experience of dealing with my own emotions concerning death. I always thought of it … Continue reading “Death and Dying: A Topic I can now cope with”

Growing up, death was something that never really crossed my mind. Due to my youth, it felt like an abstract concept and not something I would ever see. However, as someone who plans on entering the medical profession, I knew that I would come face to face with it sooner or later. Thanks to the … Continue reading “The Finish Line”

Over the past year, I have been visiting a man facing seemingly insurmountable physical and emotional traumas (for the sake of this paper, he will be referred to as George). George is paralyzed from the neck down due to multiple sclerosis and was admitted to hospice at far too young of an age. I was … Continue reading “Ebbs, Flows, and Game Shows”

Working as an Ascend Health Hospice Volunteer has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. It has not only given me first-hand knowledge in patient care and interaction, but encouraged me to answer thought provoking questions that have changed the way I view healthcare and hospice. I have had three patients in … Continue reading “Changing Perspectives”

For this paper, I decided to write about my most important experience I had during the program. When I first started off volunteering, my patient was not very talkative but she would respond when I asked her questions and she would look at me, greet me, and smile while I was there. Our conversations pretty … Continue reading “The Experience that Confirmed My Helpfulness”

Before I began volunteering, I did not have a clear idea of what to expect from the hospice volunteer program. I knew that I wanted to form meaningful relationships and gain exposure to patients and the struggles that occur during this stage of life. Through volunteering, I gained new perspectives about comforting someone through their … Continue reading “The Power of Presence”