Meet Bessie, a hospice patient who has been in the care of Carolina Caring since February 2022.
At the time she was admitted to hospice, Bessie lived in her home with her son and daughter-in-law. Her son moved to the basement, while Bessie lived on the first floor with her dog Coco. She rarely interacted with any visitors except her hospice team.
When Bessie’s social worker asked her about having a volunteer—someone who could visit and spend time with her at home—Bessie was elated.
That’s where she met volunteer and now dear friend, Kim Frankel.
For Kim, the importance of compassionate support was made clear when her father and father-in-law entered hospice care within a few months of each other. They were both given the opportunity to work with a full Hospice team, including a Hospice volunteer. While neither Kim’s father nor her father-in-law needed the companionship of a volunteer, Kim recognized the impact that volunteering left on patients who did need it.
At the time of her family’s hospice care, Kim had retired from working as a Radiologic Technologist and was looking for service opportunities. She became an active supporter of compassionate care and decided to become a Carolina Caring volunteer.
Bessie had some mobility challenges because of her illness, and though she was in an electric wheelchair, she needed assistance to get around the house or transfer from one place to another. Kim was ready to help; as the two began working together, Bessie shared that she had also retired from medical work, and that she and Kim had a lot in common. In addition to her healthcare career, Bessie was a writer. She had written many poems and stories which she often shared with Kim. As their friendship grew stronger, Bessie even gave Kim some of her poems to keep.
Eventually, Bessie heard the news that her son was ready to sell the house, which meant that Bessie would need another place to live. When her social worker asked about the possibility of moving into an assisted living facility, Bessie wasn’t sure whether she wanted to go—after all, she didn’t want to give up her sweet dog Coco.
When Kim heard the news about the move, and that Coco would have to be rehomed, she immediately offered to adopt him. Coco fit right in with the Frankel’s other dogs, and Bessie was able to move into a living facility where she could still receive hospice care from Carolina Caring.
Most importantly, Kim and Bessie did not let these life changes hinder their friendship. Kim brings Coco to visit with Bessie in the living facility almost every week.
“In my 92 years of living,” Bessie says, “the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me is getting a hospice volunteer. Kim is so kind, she visits me, and she even brings my precious Coco to see me. She is my family.”
One of Bessie’s most precious writings is this poem, “Why be A Volunteer”.
Why Be A Volunteer?
“It’s not for money nor the fame;
It’s for the enrichment in life you gain.
And in enriching your life, you enhance the life of others;
Perhaps those with no children, no sisters or brothers.
To be a volunteer you need not show your face;
Those who are behind the scene, we cannot replace.
If you choose to work, with the people who live here;
Your smiles will brighten their days and your touch
will calm their fears.
You are rest to the weary and strength for the weak;
You hold the power of the gentle guidance they seek.
For it is your time that is precious to you;
That you give freely to others which will pull them through.
A life may appear to be far from grand;
Yet may find solace with the touch of your hand.
You bring friendship to the lonely and smiles to the sad;
You enrich the laughter of those who are glad.
Your time is the most precious gift you can give;
It is with your time you help others to live.
May God bless you for all your good deeds;
For everything you do for those who are in need.”
Bessie A. Carter
Carolina Caring Hospice patient
