Death is not an easy topic to approach, nor to understand. As humans, there is so much uncertainty regarding what happens to us when we leave this life, which is perhaps why it makes us so uncomfortable. We have no answers, which is why it is important to come to terms with the idea of … Continue reading “Understanding Death”
Program Year Ending: 2017
Program Year Ending 2017
A reflection on my time with Seasons
When I first applied to become a hospice volunteer it was because of my Grandma. She became a hospice patient this summer at 97 years old. I ended up spending about a month with her just to keep her company. I was really glad that I did for three reasons. The first reason was that … Continue reading “A reflection on my time with Seasons”
hospice reflection
My experience with Seasons Hospice has broadened my worldview of the concept of end-of-life care. I’ve stepped away from my preconceived notions that hospice care is a morbid and depressing institution. Instead, my experience and training has converted my views into seeing hospice care as a comforting and relieving process. Hospice care is not necessarily … Continue reading “hospice reflection”
Cultivating Compassion in Medicine
Unconditional love is a dwindling privilege. I was blessed with a formidable support system. My grandma considered me as her “weakness,” but I always strive to be her strength as she was to me. Last year was the last time I saw her. Disheveled, emaciated, forlorn. Trying to memorize her face was futile. My mind … Continue reading “Cultivating Compassion in Medicine”
The Art of Medicine
“I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug.” – Louis Lasagna, 1964, Modern version of the Hippocratic Oath Compared to medicine as was practiced in the era of Ancient Greece, modern medicine is far more … Continue reading “The Art of Medicine”
The Little Moments
Coming into the Ascend Hospice program, I was a naïve young woman who has not had much experience in dealing with death, so I was not sure what to expect. After a year of volunteering, although I am still young, I can say that I am a little less naïve, and there are definitely a … Continue reading “The Little Moments”
A Journey of Understanding
Prior to being a part of Hospice work, I did not know anything about the background of death and dying. It was a topic that simply came and went as quickly as life itself. After the very first time of meeting my patient, tears rolled down my face when I was in the comfort of … Continue reading “A Journey of Understanding”
Health & Hospice Thoughts
I can summarize the entirety of my hospice experience by saying this: hospice is here to stay. Before the program, I read a book that estimated the number of Americans getting to that special age of 65 at about 7800 a day; the more recent estimates I’ve seen have that figure closer to 10,000. With … Continue reading “Health & Hospice Thoughts”
Silent Company
Throughout my time at hospice, there were a couple patients that really stood out to me. One of these was an elderly woman with whom I was never able to have a real conversation. She always was in a wheelchair, pedaling her way between her room and the end of the hall. Toward the beginning … Continue reading “Silent Company”
Because I could not stop for Death
“Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage help but just Ourselves – And Immortality.” -Emily Dickinson This classic Dickinson poem resonates with me and my experiences in the Pre-Med Hospice Volunteering experience this past year. Before participating in this program and being educated about death and … Continue reading “Because I could not stop for Death”