In honor of National Hospice Month, Libby Jones tells her personal story of hospice, and how a wonderful experience turned into a meaningful career.

As my father lay on the bed, eyes closed, breathing shallowly, we decided to call his hospice nurse. She said the end was near, that his time was coming, and all the signs pointed to that. Many of the family arrived quickly and gathered around. Holding his hand, we prayed and watched him cross over into the next life.

A few days later, I found myself at my dad's funeral. The church was packed, but his home health aide sought us out. She hugged my mom and whispered words of comfort.

Comfort

Comfort is what hospice brought to my dad and my family in those last weeks. The nurses had gentle explanations of what was happening as his health rapidly declined. The home health aide tenderly cared for Dad's physical needs and bonded with my mom in words of understanding. I felt - and still feel - admiration and appreciation toward the hospice staff that visited both before and after he died.

During that intense time of grief, I became aware of my own aspiration to work with hospice in order to assist others through the dying and grief process. The desire to enable an end-of-life patient to stay in his/her beloved home, in familiar surroundings, with family as the primary means of care - just as my father had been able to do - was of great interest to me.

After several years of contemplating a change in my profession, the pull of hospice did not relent. When an opportunity to work for hospice was presented to me, I jumped at the chance. So, four years after the death of my father, I walked into a hospice office for the first time and immediately felt a connection. The more I learned about the mission of hospice, the more assured I became. I also discovered that other hospice employees and volunteers have their own personal hospice story, too.

It has been eleven years since my father died. For six of those years I have worked in hospice. I do understand that working with the dying is not for everybody. When I meet someone for the first time, I often hear statements like "Oh, I couldn’t do that." Or, "You must be very special."

And, then there is the question, "Isn't it depressing?"

Well, to me, hospice work is not depressing. It is often bittersweet, but it is always a privilege to be let in to a person's life when he or she is the most vulnerable, most fragile. Plus, as a volunteer coordinator, I work with the most wonderful people in the world. Some volunteers with hospice have their own hospice story, too, discovering hospice to be a godsend while their loved one was in the midst of dying. Also, there are those spiritually and emotionally mature people, who are at ease with their own mortality and able to just be with the dying.

Other volunteers want to share their office skills and give back to hospice, but are not ready to visit patients. They assist staff with office duties or participate in special projects. Whatever their motive, volunteers with hospice are caring folks.

For the most part, volunteers set their own schedules and visit patients in their own community's nursing home or in a nearby house. Some choose to stay with a patient for short periods while the care-giver runs errands or rests, providing the care-giver with a much needed respite. Recently, I implemented a program where volunteers keep the vigil with dying patients, who would otherwise be alone at the time of death. Although all volunteers receive an orientation and ongoing support, the vigil volunteers called "Angel Watch Volunteers," receive additional training to be prepared for this type of volunteer service.

Many tell me the rewards they receive from helping others are much greater than what they feel they give. For me, working with our patients and their families is one way I can give back a portion of what was so graciously shared with my family and me through my father's hospice.

Working in hospice is truly a precious experience.

About the Author:

Libby Jones lives in Birmingham, Alabama and is the Volunteer Coordinator for Community Hospices of America. You can learn more by visiting CHAHospice.com or by calling toll free 1-888-296-6043.

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