Too many Americans die in nursing homes or hospitals after receiving care that is not aligned with their wishes. For the very sick, curative, life-prolonging measures may cause more symptoms and strip people of their autonomy and dignity in their last months of life.

Since the 1970s, the hospice movement has been striving to give dying people an alternative, where their wishes are heard, and their comfort is prioritized. The goal of hospice is to give dying people the highest possible quality of life through a holistic approach that attends to the patient’s physical, spiritual, social, and emotional needs. Patients can receive hospice care in their homes or in assisted living facilities.

Hospice care is more affordable than hospital stays. Medicare and most HMOs cover six months of hospice care. If the patient is showing signs of decline at the six-month mark, coverage may be renewed.

Even so, there are social inequities in access to and utilization of hospice, stemming from inequities in health insurance coverage, distrust of the medical system due to histories of abuse, uneven access to pain medication, and physician bias (Reimer-Kirkham et. al, 2016; Morrison et. al, 2000).

Accentcare-Fairview hospice serves 15 counties in the Twin Cities metro area. They provide palliative care, medication management, visits from religious/spiritual care providers, counseling from social workers, and bereavement support to caregivers.

Medicare-certified hospice programs such as Accentcare Fairview are federally mandated to give hospice patients the option to request volunteers. Volunteers usually spend time with the patient and give the caregiver a break. Some bring their pets to visits. Others play music and give hand massages.

I began volunteering in hospice with Ron Barrett’s Death and Dying class in the spring of 2019. I enjoyed it so much that I continued until I left for study abroad in the fall. Most of what I did was keep patients company. We took walks, did crossword puzzles, and sang and napped together. Occasionally, I helped the attending nurses with basic medical care. I also took shifts with patients in the active dying phase, through Fairview’s 11th hour program.

When I returned from study abroad, coronavirus made in-person volunteering impossible. I resumed my involvement as a check-in caller. In my current role, I contact patients or their caregivers to discuss how they are feeling about their care and ensure they have all the medication and supplies they need for the week ahead. As soon as I get my second vaccine I will return to in-person visits.