When I first began my hospice volunteering experience I did not expect myself to be vulnerable and learn how death is also part of the light in our lives. My whole life death to me seemed like something horrible and painful. Yet, through my volunteering with my patient and the constant discussions with Reverend R. … Continue reading “Let the light touch what is dark through faith and compassion”
A New Perspective on Death
Death. A word typically tinged with sadness and heartache. Tears follow the remembrance of the loved one you have lost, and comforting words fail to make a change. Yet, what if death was not a process to mourn, but instead a process of final peace and hope? A family coming together to decide the most … Continue reading “A New Perspective on Death”
An Account of My Experiences
Volunteering at a hospice has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. And this is beyond the fact that it is time on a Saturday that I could otherwise be studying or exercising or hanging out with friends and that it takes nearly 40 minutes to drive to the … Continue reading “An Account of My Experiences”
Changing Perspectives
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”
Caring for the Dying
Caring for the Dying An excerpt from my untitled poem about my hospice experience: You are dying But you are still living Que sera sera All this time, we lived parallel lives. But for the past 8 months, our lives intersected every Saturday. Since the start of the Pre-med Hospice Program, I have visited one … Continue reading “Caring for the Dying”
Hallelujah
One Saturday afternoon, I was sitting with a group of patients in the cafeteria. Suddenly, the oldest patient, a 90-year-old woman with poor sight, fumbles for my hand, raises it high, and tells me to shout after her, “Hallelujah!” I awkwardly follow but she squeals in delight, “I did that!” Still ecstatic, she points to … Continue reading “Hallelujah”
Discoveries
Participating in the Holisticare Hospice program this year has been a wonderful experience. I have never been part of a community devoted to the art of dying and death and it has given me a new perspective on how the dying are cared for not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. My preconceptions about … Continue reading “Discoveries”
A Work in Progress
I am not unfamiliar with death. It stole, into my house and my life, when I was just six years old, with my mother’s passing from ovarian cancer. I can recall that day clearly–it was summer, the sky was unfairly blue, and light shown into the bedroom where once she lay in darkness, tubes in … Continue reading “A Work in Progress”
Hospice Strengths and Weaknesses
There are a lot of things that people do that are controversial. Go to wars, debate about the choice a woman should have about her body, sending a family member to hospice. I know that sometimes there (at hospice) it would be really hard to maintain a safe environment that has the appropriate care that … Continue reading “Hospice Strengths and Weaknesses”
A Glimpse into The Unknown
I applied to the hospice program in the hopes that I would gain a better understanding into the world of death and dying. Interestingly enough, I have actually learned another valuable lesson. I have learned how to ignore the stereotypes surrounding those who may look ill from the outside, and instead focus on their soul … Continue reading “A Glimpse into The Unknown”