School: Bryn Mawr

In my experience with this volunteer program, I have had the pleasure to meet three different patients. The first was a woman with Dementia who only spoke Korean. This meant we communicated instead in smiles, laughs, and gestures. She taught me that joy and connection doesn’t have a language. The second was another woman with … Continue reading “A Reflection on Three Women”

An old friend who I had never actually met. This is how I’d describe my hospice patient, whom I’ll call “Arthur,” from our very first meeting. I began my volunteer work with a mix of nervousness and excitement. I grasped the ideology of hospice—providing comfort, control, and safety during the end-of-life process—but translating that into … Continue reading “Growth Through Connection”

I chose to volunteer with the Athena Hospice Program because it offered a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of patient care outside of an acute clinical setting. Through this program, I’ve come to appreciate how healthcare extends beyond prescribing medication and treatments. It includes offering palliative care and companionship support as people approach … Continue reading “Being a companionship volunteer helped me further develop soft skills that are essential for my journey in medicine.”

Through this wonderful journey as a Hospice volunteer, I have cultivated a memorable bond with my patient, “Michelle”. While visiting her over fifteen times in these past two semesters, I have developed a deep bond with “Michelle”. Whenever I visit her, I am constantly amazed by her passion and determination to talk, make friends, and … Continue reading “The Life-Changing Impact of Hospice Volunteering”

Hospice care is a branch of healthcare that focuses on providing comfort to individuals nearing the end of their lives. During my time volunteering this school year, I had the privilege of spending time with a man who had dementia. This experience profoundly changed my perspective on life and what hospice care can be like. … Continue reading “Laughter is the Best Medicine”

My first patient in the program was the most meaningful relationship, we will call her “Sally Great”. Our relationship grew gradually, marked by small, meaningful moments that left a lasting impression. Although we could not use words to communicate with each other, we understood each other’s hearts most importantly. She taught me how to love … Continue reading “The Power of Compassionate Patient Care”

For the duration of my hospice volunteer experience, I’ve had two patients – my experiences with both were drastically different. While both of them expressed their dissatisfaction with being placed in hospice care, my first patient wanted to avoid as many reminders of her situation as possible, eventually asking for me to not return. On … Continue reading “Decentering Myself in Medicine”

My patient was a beautiful soul. Her room was fully decorated with pieces of art, lamps, little glass trinkets and it really made the place feel like it was her home. You could imagine the entirety of her home based on the decorations at hand. Her hair was always so well maintained, thoroughly brushed and … Continue reading “The Journey of Hospice”

My patient, “P”, was an elderly woman with highly advanced dementia, a high level of hearing loss and limited mobility. She was well loved by her children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren, most of whom lived nearby and were able to visit on a regular basis. When I first met her, her daughter in law … Continue reading “The choosing when there are no options.”

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”