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Hospice Volunteer Stories
Started by Violagirl
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I didn't volunteer with Hospice, but I did volunteer at a nursing home. Memory care patients can be so sweet. There are other times where it can be heartbreaking. I had a patient who would sit on the bench by the door (it was a secured unit as most of them were still mobile) and when I would go sit to talk with them, they would tell me they were waiting on the train to bring their husband back from the war.
Very rewarding experience and countless stories to go with.
Very rewarding experience and countless stories to go with.
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I did home hospice volunteering. I loved it! I was afraid it would be gloomy but there were lots of joyous moments and I really connected with my patients and families. I found the home setting was great because I could coordinate the time with my patients' families directly and I felt like I got to know them as people more than as patients. (Two of my patients were memory care patients.)
I'm a hospice volunteer but not nearly as active as I wish I was. Life gets in the way far too often.
One patient I was with for about 2 hours was a WWII veteran who was developing dementia. Some things he could remember very easily and others not so much. I listened to his stories multiple times in that 2 hours but what stood out the most to me was when I talked about my current service in the USAF. After he was thinking out loud for 30 minutes about what he remembers about the air force, he finally remembered that while serving in WWII, he would spin the rudders for the aircraft just before starting the engines and taking off. It was an amazing feeling having this man remember something from so long ago. I believe he remembered our interaction up until he passed about a month after first sitting with him. I was elated for having someone remember such a significant part of his life.
One patient I was with for about 2 hours was a WWII veteran who was developing dementia. Some things he could remember very easily and others not so much. I listened to his stories multiple times in that 2 hours but what stood out the most to me was when I talked about my current service in the USAF. After he was thinking out loud for 30 minutes about what he remembers about the air force, he finally remembered that while serving in WWII, he would spin the rudders for the aircraft just before starting the engines and taking off. It was an amazing feeling having this man remember something from so long ago. I believe he remembered our interaction up until he passed about a month after first sitting with him. I was elated for having someone remember such a significant part of his life.
