As many of the first prompts noted, death was never an aspect that I had considered when I decided to be a pre-med student freshman year of college. When the opportunity came to become a volunteer in a hospice, I was reluctant to apply: What if a patient brought up death during a visit? How … Continue reading “Centering the Patient: Making a Difference as a Hospice Volunteer”
Hospice Volunteer Learning Experience
This experience was very valuable in helping me learn more about the medical system and how senior care is implemented. More importantly, in my opinion, this experience taught me more about how people view death and how having relationships, however brief, are so important to a meaningful existence. Over 6 to 7 months, I met … Continue reading “Hospice Volunteer Learning Experience”
Why Everyone Should Be a Hospice Worker
As a means to respect their privacy, the patient mentioned in the following will be referred to as “Mr. Bob.” “Mr. Bob” and mine relationship was the most meaningful out of the many patient relationships I had the opportunity to develop as a part of the Athena Hospice experience. When we first met, I remember … Continue reading “Why Everyone Should Be a Hospice Worker”
Realizing what’s truly important in life
When I first signed up to volunteer with this program, I didn’t know what to fully expect as the only experience I had had with death and end of life care were my own grandparents and great-grandma. Even though my grandfather had received palliative care, I didn’t know the full scope of what caring for … Continue reading “Realizing what’s truly important in life”
Talkative Rose
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”
A Life-Changing Experience
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”
A Reflection on Meaningful Relationship in Hospice Work
Working at a hospice confronts losses, especially seeing the passage of your newly made friends. However, I firmly believe that the gains in experience far outweigh these losses. The relationships are always calm and friendly between the volunteers and patients and require input from both the patient and the volunteer. I have had many friendships … Continue reading “A Reflection on Meaningful Relationship in Hospice Work”
Seize the Moment – the Perpetual Transformation and Lessons I Learned in Hospice
As a volunteer at a local hospice center, I dedicate 2-3 hours each week to meet and interact with patients. While my encounters with some are sadly fleeting, each volunteering session has become a weekly highlight. Our activities range from coloring to watching TV shows and nature scenes on the C.A.R.E channel, and our conversations … Continue reading “Seize the Moment – the Perpetual Transformation and Lessons I Learned in Hospice”
Hospice Reflection
I volunteered at the inpatient unit at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Baltimore. The first patient that I truly connected with was “Ms. Emily”. Every time I visited her, she would tell me stories like what it was like when she was growing up, how she felt about her kids, and her experience working as an … Continue reading “Hospice Reflection”
Embracing Compassionate Connections: Insights from Hospice Volunteering
My patient, “Ms. Katherin” was a 90-year-old woman with heart disease. She was a kind-hearted soul, she was very social person and enjoyed socializing with others despite her illness. Our relationship as a Hospice volunteer and patient was built upon trust, empathy, and companionship. I visited her weekly in the residential house to provide emotional … Continue reading “Embracing Compassionate Connections: Insights from Hospice Volunteering”