Reignite Hospice patient's with their passions - Legacy Projects

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Connecting patients with their passions

Oftentimes, a diagnosis or medical condition will disrupt a patient’s passion. Hospice volunteers try to help patients continue doing the things that matter most to them while living with a terminal illness.

One Hospice volunteer met a 90-year-old hospice patient he would be helping, he discovered that the patient used to record a radio broadcast segment and send it off to a local station in West Virginia. Since beginning his care journey with Enhabit, he is no longer able to record and send off the segments himself due to his declining health.

"When I went with the volunteer to introduce him to the patient, the patient asked if we knew anything about radio," The Volunteer Coordinator at Enhabit, said. "The patient jumped in immediately and as soon as they got talking about radio and recording audio digitally, I knew they had a bond. They are like two peas in a pod. It is so great to watch them together."

Not only was the volunteer becoming a treasured companion to the patient, but he was determined to reignite the patient’s passion.

The volunteer started sitting with the patient two times a week to record stories from his life. Now, the volunteer is currently working on transcribing the stories to turn them into a book about the patient’s life. He is also figuring out how to record and send off the radio segments so the patient can get back on the air at his local station.

For the volunteer, it doesn’t matter that this patient is approaching the end of life. He knows that focusing on the patient’s passion with sincerity and seriousness will have a lasting impact. It will increase the patient’s quality of life and bring him joy - even if it’s only for a couple more months.

"What I like to tell my volunteers is don’t focus on the dying part," The Volunteer Coordinator said. "Focus on the living part."

It is clear that hospice volunteers can make significant impacts in the lives of patients and loved ones navigating the end-of-life journey. If you feel called to do the same, consider becoming a hospice volunteer.

Getting started as a hospice volunteer is as easy as e-mailing Enhabit and scheduling a volunteer interview. We look forward to working together to provide a better way to care for our patients and their loved ones.