The Other Side of the Door

The Other Side of the Door

Each time  I knock on a patient’s door at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, I wonder what is happening on the other side. I never know quite what to expect. I take a deep breath, walk in, and ask if they – the family, the patient – need anything. Sometimes it’s...
A Lasting Bond

A Lasting Bond

I started working with a 72-year-old gentleman last September – we formed an amazing bond. I was privileged to play an important role in his life. He was on his own, no family, very lonely but also a very vibrant, funny, and delightful individual. He told me (and...
Flower Fairies

Flower Fairies

Every patient who comes to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House – upon arrival and every few days thereafter – is brought a fresh bouquet of flowers. Lady Bird Johnson said, “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” Flowers embody the mystery of beauty that one poet called...
February Bereavement Calendar

February Bereavement Calendar

Drop-In Grief Support Groups Please join Hospice Austin for these free Drop-In Bereavement Groups this month. Being Alone in My Grief: Solitude vs. Loneliness The experience of grief includes periods of loneliness and times of solitude. Join us to discuss the...
Hospice Austin Chaplains – Holding a Sacred Space

Hospice Austin Chaplains – Holding a Sacred Space

The end of a person’s life can so easily be consumed by chaos – pain, fear, grief, denial. Hospice Austin chaplains meet patients where they are, and, in the process of listening, bring comfort, peace, and invite patients to reflect on and define the meaning of their...

Pet Therapy

Several years ago, a patient was readmitted to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House late on a Friday afternoon. When he had been there before, he’d met Hospice Austin volunteer Rusty and her therapy dog, Faraday, a loving one-eyed white lab. As soon as this patient was...