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Before this experience, I honestly never thought about hospice care or the role its operational and nursing staff would play in someone’s end-of-life journey. I always just assumed someone goes to the hospital and slowly fades away into their afterlife.

What never crossed my mind is how slowly that process can sometimes go, taking days, weeks, or even months, and how both the “patient” and, equally importantly, their families need to be supported during that time.

​When I think back to my Mom’s end-of-life journey, and her time at hospice, it is a beautiful memory; which seems like an oxymoron, given the circumstances. In truth, it was the nursing staff and volunteers that made the experience so memorable and “enjoyable”. I watched as they quickly bonded with my Mom, my young daughters, and our other family and friends (even if they were sitting outside for a window visit). They were more than healthcare professionals and volunteers, they were counselors, companions, waiters and waitresses, and also magicians.