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The Trials and Trophies of Hospice
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The Trials and Trophies of Hospice
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by Cheryl L. Dunson
It wasn’t until my father was diagnosed with incurable cancer and delivered into the gentle-but-capable hands of Suncoast Hospice in St. Petersburg, Fla., that I truly understood and appreciated what this organization accomplishes on a daily basis.
I remember the day my father passed away. We made the call to hospice’s Purple Team to inform them Dad was gone. Renee, his nurse, and Steve, his social worker, arrived at my parents’ condo to prepare Dad for his journey to the funeral home. Wearing a compassionate smile, Renee tenderly bathed my father and, then, dressed him in one of his beloved Florida Gator outfits. As we waited for representatives of the funeral home to arrive, Steve sat among us, readily available to listen, to share a word of comfort, and to be a supportive presence in a time of great loss and sorrow.
Throughout the four-month ordeal leading up to my dad’s demise, Renee patiently accepted his stubborn resistance to use a walker and exchanged playful banter with him when he told her he didn’t need her medical attention. (My father was so proud and independent.) I wondered at the time, “How do these people do what they do, day in and day out, knowing the end of life is imminent?”
Two years following my father’s passing, and after much prayer and careful contemplation, I took the steps to become a hospice volunteer. I entered a world many people only see from the periphery. During my two-anda-half years as a volunteer, I met benevolent caregivers whose faces lit up when they spotted me at their loved ones’ funerals. Unaware at the time, I had the privilege of comforting a legend among Lee University’s faculty during the final weeks of her life. I delivered meals to appreciative family members and patients. I had the honor of praying with terminal patients and their roommates, and I had the pleasure of forming new friendships with hospice staff members and volunteers. And, yes, I’ve watched life slip away slowly, cruelly, and unforgivingly.
October 8th is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, a day when hospice encourages people who have the time
and believe they could be of service to sign up to train as hospice volunteers. The Hospice of Chattanooga Cleveland Team is a staff of friendly and compassionate nurses, volunteers, chaplains, and social workers. Volunteering is a great way to learn about hospice and palliative care and to accompany patients and families through the most difficult stage of life.
During a challenging time with a particular patient, I sought some Godly counsel from my pastor. He told me, “Volunteering is not for everyone, but it’s needed and it’s necessary.” Yes, you’ll be tested, but you’ll also reap some sweet and lasting rewards.
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