A Tender Hand in the Presence of Death

Read the original story in the New Yorker here  A Tender Hand in the Presence of Death: The daily work of a hospice nurse, who treats the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of people at the most vulnerable point of their lives.

Many volunteers are involved in various forms of community support in the community. This beautifully written story from the New Yorker traces the day in the life of what we would call a palliative care community nurse, and in some ways is an illuminating insight into experiences that may be shared by community visiting volunteers.

Pic: Heather Meyerend examines Mary, a ninety-two-year-old woman, at her home, in Marine Park, Brooklyn, in September, 2015. Mary died later that month. Heather believes in caring for the whole person, body and mind. Photograph by Eugene Richards for The New Yorker.