A Hospice Aide Hummed While She Washed Someone’s Hands

The story

Dying people are still people who can be cold, bored, or embarrassed. An aide who notices soap and temperature is doing sacred-looking work without a sermon.

Families remember the humming more than the equipment. The room becomes less like a lab.

What happened next

NHPCO caregiver essays return to these minutes. They are the opposite of spectacle and they still make readers cry.

A lesson you can use this week

Visit. Ask the aide what would help. Bring lotion that does not sting. Say thank you out loud.

Sources

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization caregiver stories; JAMA Perspectives pieces on bedside care at the end of life.