School: Villanova

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”

My experiences in hospice care can be characterized as challenging and rewarding. Although I have been in Ascend Hospice for a short few months, I have created deep relationships with a patient and observed others pass on. Before entering the field, my presumption of hospice ominous. Recognizing an individual is approaching death and still familiarizing … Continue reading “Accepted Deaths”

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”

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”

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”

Being a hospice volunteer has been quite the learning experience. From meeting new people to gaining insight into the medical environment that contains the geriatric to realizing the importance of social interactions, this involvement has been full of realizations – both good and bad. Another important piece of the program was the weekly meetings. While … Continue reading “Hospice Volunteer”

Dancing Around Death Death is not an easy topic to discuss. One may think doctors, whose job encircles death, would be comfortable discussing the dreaded topic. However, it is apparent that even they struggle to find the right words when addressing a dying patient or a family who has yet to be informed that they … Continue reading “Dancing Around Death”

I have grown in a significant way over the course of my Hospice experience. I came into it nervous and somewhat unconfident. A situation where I encountered dying and death has never happened to me before, but it was a challenge that I was willing to take head on. The part that was so nerve-wracking … Continue reading “No Death is the Same”

One of the earliest signs of my passion for medicine came when my grandma was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I learned to be comfortable in a hospital environment from an early age. I was quickly exposed to the fragility of life when my grandma was in hospice care and gained an appreciation for the complexity … Continue reading “Challenge and Vulnerability”

I have been lucky during my hospice experience to have the same patient since I was assigned her in November. I have been able to visit her fourteen times. The first day I was so nervous to go in her room and meet her. I wondered if she would know why I was there; I … Continue reading “How Visiting a Hospice Patient Let Me Revisit The Concept of Death”