School: Villanova

During my time as a hospice volunteer, one of the most meaningful relationships I formed was with a patient I will call “Flower.” Over several months at Daylesford Crossing, our visits became something I looked forward to. One moment that stood out to me was when “Flower” asked us to bring her back to her … Continue reading “From Fixing To Caring”

One of the most meaningful relationships I formed during my hospice experience was with a resident in the memory care unit. Each time I entered his room, he would sit up to greet me, offering a level of kindness and respect that immediately stood out. Despite living with significant memory loss, he enjoyed talking about … Continue reading “How My Hospice Experience Changed the Way I See Patient Care”

Over the course of this hospice program, I have found that hospice care offers a unique perspective on life and the importance of human connection. While hospice is often associated with death and grief, I have found that it is also a space full of love and hope. Through spending time with those nearing the … Continue reading “The Profound Impacts of Hospice Volunteering”

The spark of a thousand neurons interconnected creates what we know as “love.” Although it’s rooted in biology, love often transcends time itself, enduring hardship, illness and fading memory. To love and be loved is an essential part of being human. Through circumstances where is most appearance and words matter less, emotion becomes most valued. … Continue reading “Presence of LOVE in care”

I began volunteering in hospice to become more comfortable with a topic that once felt distant to me: death. As a pre-medical student, I knew caring for patients at the end of life would be part of medicine, yet I had never experienced the death of someone close to me. What began as an effort … Continue reading “Meeting Patients Where They Are”

My experiences as a hospice volunteer have helped me understand the vocation of a doctor. The Athena training impacted how I think about medicine and a doctor’s role, especially for patients nearing death. In particular, I appreciated the lessons in listening well, paying attention to patients’ behavior, and practicing self-care as a medical professional. Through … Continue reading “Honoring Every Patient”

During my time volunteering at my hospice care site, specifically in the memory care unit, one of my most meaningful patient relationships was with a woman I will call “Eleanor” (this is a pseudonym). “Eleanor” lived in the memory care unit and had significant difficulty communicating verbally, she could only ever get a few words … Continue reading “Eleanor’s Melody”

As I reflect on my patient relationships, I can distinctly recall the first memory care patient I had the pleasure of meeting. This is a patient I still visit—for privacy reasons, I will refer to her as “Jane Doe.” Upon visiting the memory care unit for the first time, I was unsure what to expect … Continue reading “The Importance of Being Present”

During my hospice volunteering experience, the patient relationship that stood out to me the most was with a man I will call “John,” who I visited in Haverford. “John” was originally from Baltimore, which is also where I am from, so from our very first conversation we were able to make meaningful connections through shared … Continue reading “The Power of Simple Moments”

During my time volunteering with hospice, I formed a particularly meaningful relationship with one of the patients that I got the pleasure of spending time with, an older man with progressive Parkinson’s disease. One of the most profound moments I shared with this patient was when he finally opened up to me after not seeming … Continue reading “Finding Meaning in the Final Moments: Lessons from Hospice Care”