Through my training and firsthand experience as a hospice volunteer, I have a newfound perspective on life, death, and what patients really need in their last moments. There are many aspects of end-of-life care that I have learned about, but none resonate with me more than the idea of understanding death as inevitable and necessary … Continue reading “The Inevitability of Death and the Beauty of Life”
Program Year Ending: 2020
Program Year ending 2020
Embracing Death
The time that I have spent volunteering with this program has changed my perspective on both life and death in so many ways. From the conversations I’ve had with my peers at our reflection meetings to the time I spent visiting my patients, I have learned so much about how the people around me view … Continue reading “Embracing Death”
Reminiscing on My Time With Lela
For the past few months, my partner Gavin and I spent our Sunday mornings visiting our hospice patient, Lela. She lived at home under the care of her husband. They lived in a quiet, homey neighborhood located a little over twenty minutes from campus. I vividly remember our first visit. It was early January and … Continue reading “Reminiscing on My Time With Lela”
Rethinking Death
The same beaming smile greeted me at the doorway of Room 405 every time I came to visit. Ceremonious exchanges of Honey Nut Cheerios I had bought from Wegmans’ and oatmeal raisin cookies she had received from her son marked the arrival of a new episode of our much-awaited soap opera. Commercial breaks signaled times … Continue reading “Rethinking Death”
Sometimes You Just Need to Color
In my experience as a volunteer for the Athena Institute Pre-Med Hospice Volunteer Program, I have learned valuable vocational skills that will be useful in my future career. Most importantly, I have learned how important it is for someone to have personal agency during their dying process. At the beginning of this program, my fear … Continue reading “Sometimes You Just Need to Color”
The Content Mother
I wasn’t entirely sure how much I would or would not enjoy volunteering for hospice prior to doing so this academic year. I expected to gain new experiences connecting with older patients nearing the end of life, bed-side manners, and overall ways of managing topics surrounding death. I was pleasantly surprised that there was actually … Continue reading “The Content Mother”
The Christmas Tree
Aaliyah was a patient in a lot of pain. She suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with chronic pain all over her body. Her bed was placed in the living room of a very small house, and the door that led outside was broken. For the nurse and I to get into the house, we … Continue reading “The Christmas Tree”
Intentionality and Awareness
Whenever I walk into Mary’s room, a blue notebook sits behind the armchair on the wall heater by the window. At the end of each visit, I pick up that notebook and describe the moments that I had with Mary for the past hour. I describe how Mary was feeling that day, whether she was … Continue reading “Intentionality and Awareness”
The Power of Compassion
The opportunity to visit with a centurion patient in my work as a hospice volunteer has broadened my understanding of the power of comfort care at the end of life. During our weekly visits, my patient often enjoys the companionship found in reflecting upon her life’s happiest moments. Singing along to her favorite hymns while … Continue reading “The Power of Compassion”
Training in the Beauty of Death
The first time I walked into Carol’s room, I had no idea what to expect, I was filled with nervous fear, not only of meeting someone new, but also of knowing that this person was close to the end of their life. How would I be able to build a connection with someone, knowing that … Continue reading “Training in the Beauty of Death”