There was one patient in particular that stood out to me, F. Our relationship grew over the time of my visits, and it got to the point where he remembered me and remembered things about me. This helped me gain a stronger bond because I felt connected to him.
Visiting him quickly became the highlight of my visits because he was always so welcoming and enjoyed our company. Every week, when we would leave and ask if we could visit again the next week, he would make it very clear that we could visit any time we wanted. Later in our visits, he also expressed how truly grateful he was that we visited him and said he looked forward to it every week. F was super involved within the community, participating in fitness classes each week and any other mixers the home provided. But even on the slower days where he didn’t have much to do, he would always say his day was good because he was able to get out of bed. F also shared about his life, saying that college was the best time in his life, second only to the day he married his wife. This helped me connect with him further as I am a romantic myself, and this absolutely melted my heart.
Through all of our conversations, F revealed how positive of a person he truly was. He has taught me to live life a day at a time and be grateful for everything I have experienced. When it comes to patient care, F taught me to always approach it with a silver lining. Things may seem bad or may actually be bad, but F has shown me that there is always and will always be a silver lining.
Throughout my time working closely with my patients, I have also been able to reflect on my life. These patients have taught me to be more grateful in daily life. F was so happy to be alive that it gave me another perspective I hadn’t thought about before. Throughout my experience, many patients expressed gratitude for my company, and it taught me that, specifically when thinking about healthcare, I don’t need to be actively doing something ‘medical’ to help. However, just my company and talking to patients can be exactly what they need. Sometimes, people get too caught up in procedures and medications when people can help by just being there and giving their time.
Personally, this taught me to take time to step away, reflect, and be grateful for time. Time is very valuable, and helping someone out can mean a lot; even just being there and listening may be all someone needs. The first prompt’s documentary, Being Mortal, identified how many doctors fear death and dying because they feel it is a failure. Volunteering in hospice has taught me that death is not a failure if you are able to support your patient all the way through the process. Supporting them by just being there and being human doesn’t always include the necessity of a certain “treatment.”