Home visit with a sweet señora ...

Actually, I think that communication is the most important skill in doing hospice work and if I had to rely on my ability to speak and understand Spanish, we would not have accomplished what we did. Deb to the rescue. She was terrific as my interpreter as well as a great comfort to the patients we saw. It was fun to work as a team and support each other.

It's hard to imagine how attached you can get to patients, families, and staff in just 2 weeks, but we did. Elizabeta was a 7 year old admitted with terminal lung cancer. Her young mother was in the room with her other child, a 16 day old infant, when we first met. Elizabeta had been diagnosed at age 2, and now was terminal after all treatments were not effective. Deb held the infant as we explained the situation to Mom and recommended pain medication for comfort. We revisited several times over the next two days meeting extended family and friends. Elizabeta was comfortable and asleep when she died on the second day, her little hand resting on the open bible and her head covered with a bright Peruvian hat.