Something to Think About

Hospice volunteers are at the heart of end-of-life care—but their role goes far beyond what most people understand. Let's look at what draws people to this work, why self-awareness matters,...

Those of us who work in end-of-life care walk beside people and families during one of the most intimate times of life. Because of the emotional nature of this work,...

Hospice volunteers do intimate work at the bedside.Preparing them for that role requires education and clear boundaries.

End-of-life care isn’t just clinical. It’s deeply personal. Before we can guide others through death, we must understand our own beliefs, fears, and experiences. When we face death honestly within...

Someone recently asked me, “What do Hospice volunteers do?” She was interested in becoming one. She was most interested in helping in an area most people are afraid to even...

As end of life approaches, people start looking at their life; what they’ve accomplished, not done, who they have touched, interacted with, and the relationships they have or have not built...

I am hearing stories about the lack of professional staff training for new hires, which led me to wonder about volunteer training...

Working with end of life in the medical field often leaves us feeling like outliers. The medical model is to fix people. Working with dying generally isn’t addressed in training. (It’s...

support people who are dyingBeing involved with end of life care is not something most people want to do, so what brings you? 

Grief is like an open wound. When we healthcare workers experience a personal loss, every patient scrapes open our own wound of personal grief.  

I want to clarify my thoughts about hospice in today’s environment...  

A person who wants to be of service, wants to give back to the community, has some spare time on their hands, and is not overly uncomfortable with the concept of...