Dear Judy,
I am a hospice volunteer (novice). When I sit with some of the terminally ill, I sometimes read them the poem about a ship sailing from one shore to another shore: on the second shore there are a lot of people greeting this ship. It seems to be a source of comfort to them.
My question: are there any other books or poems you might recommend that I could read to the terminally ill?
Thanks.
Doug
Dear Doug,
The poem about the ship sailing to a new shore is very lovely. I know it well, since reading it was part of my early hospice training too.
In almost every instance the terminally ill patients I’ve known prefer short bouts of literary solace. A few pages at a time, in other words. There isn’t a lot of concentration when people are dying. Sometimes there’s almost none.
In my experiences, a few pages from “Charlotte’s Web” are often appreciated — and not simply because it’s often a work that harkens back to a person’s youth. Its main appeal, I think, is that it’s a book about an industrious life well-lived; and it’s also about the salvation of a friend.
And finally it finds resonance because it concerns a heroine — okay, a spider but a really smart spider — who knows death must come, and who accepts the inevitable without much fuss.
I also had one patients who wanted to hear passages from “Alice in Wonderland.” And many more who prefer to hear bits from the Bible. Salvation seems to be an important part of their thoughts.
Thanks so much for writing, and keep up the good work
Judy
Another option: books on tape (or CDs). Any caregiver can get these recorded books from public libraries. They turn off automatically.
When I am dying, for gods sakes, please do not read me anything about the ship or the bible or any other thing you think I might like to hear.
Ask me what I want to hear. Maybe I want to talk about sports. Maybe I want to hear something super funny, like a George Carlin book. maybe I want to watch some old sitcoms on DVD.
If I have reached a point where I can’t tell you what I want to hear, then ask my family or friends what would make me happy. Dont assume, ok?