【英语语言学习】安养院帮助病患度过人生最后的时光

Welcome to American Mosaic¹ from VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.

 

When people hear the word hospice, they usually link it to death and dying. But as ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Marsha James tells us, hospice is focused more about providing care, comfort and support to patients during their final days of life

 

Faye and Wayne Payne lived a rich and interesting life before settling down in rural Virginia. But their peaceful existence was crushed when they learned that Faye had lung cancer.

 

The 70-year-old retired² secretary went through a series of aggressive medical treatments that left her weak and underweight.

 

“I did the radiation, and I did the chemo, and after I had the last scan done they realized I had more cancer coming up here. And I said ‘no more.’”

 

Faye decided³ to seek hospice care after talking about the future with her family and doctors. Social worker Robin⁴ Johnson is part of the hospice team that visits Faye in her home.

 

“The nurse is looking at the medical things and the social worker at the psycho-social spiritual things, which can encompass⁵ a lot.”

 

Faye Payne explains the value of her hospice care.

 

“They helped me realize that, yes, death is coming. And they’ve helped me get ready. I now have everything lined up and ready to go.”

 

Hospice care helps for family members too, like Faye’s husband.

 

“They come along and they take her blood pressure and check her hearing and get her medication and it’s made life a whole lot easier for both of us.”

 

Melissa Mills is assistant director of patient services at Hospice of the Rapidan.

 

The organization serves terminally ill patients in several counties in the state of Virginia.

 

“We're all here for the same mission and that's to help our patients die with compassion⁶ and dignity.”

 

Seventy-four-year-old Jim Sykes learned that he had head and neck cancer two years ago. He has been receiving hospice care at home for seven months.

 

“I would advise anybody that needs help like this extra support, that hospice is what they need”

 

Lisa Stone is Jim’s social worker.

 

“A lot of my visits are providing a lot of supportive listening. Jim has his black book of photos so we do what I like to call photo therapy.”

 

Eric Lindner has been a hospice volunteer since 2009 and has written about his experiences. He believes hospice provides a support system that is largely missing in American culture.

 

“I’ve travelled a fair bit - China, Africa, other places - and the elders are embraced and taken into the family. In this country just the way it’s developed, maybe that’s the role that hospice has tried to fill a little bit.”

 

That support has helped patients like Faye Payne enjoy her quality of life today. And she says when the time comes for her to leave this earth, she is ready.

 

“I was born July 16th, in 1942, but my dad was working on the railroad and he died April 16th, 1942, so I want to get to see my dad one day, that’s the main thing. I have no regrets and I’m not afraid.”

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

5 encompass   

vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成

参考例句：

• The course will encompass physics,chemistry and biology.课程将包括物理、化学和生物学。
• The project will encompass rural and underdeveloped areas in China.这项工程将覆盖中国的农村和不发达地区。

6 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。