My Hospice Volunteer Experience Essay -- Contribution to My Community S

My first encounter with hospice was on the receiving end and I remember asking the hospice nurse that first day, â€Å"How can you do this every day?† I will never forget her answer, â€Å"Hospice is not about dying, it’s about affirming life, helping people live their last days to the fullest.† During the next several months, I began to understand how true her words were. Today, as a volunteer, those words echo in my mind each time I’m about to meet a new patient. I was so excited to get my first assignment; I had taken all the volunteer classes, listened to countless stories from other volunteers. I was trained and eager †¦until I received my assignment. Anna was a 92 years old lady with colon cancer given only a few days to live. Anna was bedridden and mute. Mute†¦none of the stories I had heard ever mentioned their patients being mute. A thousand questions came to mind along with a mild panic attack. How would I ever know what she needed? Would I know the right words? How would I give her support and companionship if she couldn’t tell me what she needed? Would I be enough? I was a nervous wreck! Getting ready to walk into Anna’s hospice room, my anxiety level was escalating. Saying a quick prayer, I asked God to help me find the right words to comfort Anna and her family. Upon knocking on her door, a young lady in her middle 20’s answered the door. Opening the door for me, she informed me Anna was her grandmother and she would like me just to sit with her and that she would return after work. And she left. No get to know you introduction here, very formal, matter of fact, serious kind of girl. No one was going to invade her space. Oh well, I thought, I’m here to help Anna, hopefully Julie will open up later. Turning my attenti... ...slightly. The disease seemed to loosen its grip on her body with each stroke. I was rejoicing when Anna’s head finally rested on her pillow, something that hadn’t happened since I had gotten there. By the time Julie returned her grandmother was ever so lightly snoring. The look of gratification and appreciation of Julie’s previously stern face melted my heart and again my eyes welled with tears. The fence Julie had built around her heart slowly disintegrated as she observed the bond I had developed with her â€Å"mom†. With a quivering voice, Julie revealed the stress and emotional turmoil of watching this devastating disease imprison the only mother she had ever known. Volunteering for hospice has been one of the most gratifying things I have done. Every patient is different and sometimes you’re just there to support the family, but every family is so appreciative.