My experience interning at Infinity Hospice Care was wonderful to say the least. From start to the very end, I was treated with nothing but kindness and respect from the IHC staff as well as patients and their families. I chose to intern here because I wanted to explore the environment of a geriatric-based setting and see how everything was done. I had the positions of "Administrative Angel" and "Social Butterfly," which means I helped with any administrative duties that my supervisors gave me and I also visited a patient weekly. I'd say this internship was a step in the right direction and benefitted me because it allowed me to visit a patient and see first hand how an older adult thinks, behaves, and acts during their end-of-life process. This internship also tied into my major of study. My major in school is Psychology, so again I was given the opportunity to be around an older adult and see how their mind functions while also giving them the socialization they desire. I do not think there are much educational requirements needed beforehand in order to be successful in this internship, however, it is important to come in with an open mind and an open heart. I would definitely be open to having a career at IHC, however, I do not think I would want a position continuing what I was doing as an intern. I was mainly an intern for the Volunteer Department, however, since I want to become a social worker in the future, I just think that I can benefit being an intern for specifically the social worker at IHC in order to get a better feel as to what they do every day. I still loved my supervisors Casey and Stacy though, they were extremely helpful and nice throughout my whole internship! In order to secure a full-time position at Infinity Hospice, it is important that you follow their core values, which are being dependable, working well with a team, and you must have a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Compassion, good listening skills, empathy, and good communication skills are all needed if you want to work in this field. One piece of advice that I have for incoming interns is to be open to learning new skills, even if it is not in your field of expertise. Even though the things I did at this internship were not specific to my future career, I still think I was able to gain a lot of knowledge and even create a meaningful relationship with a patient. Overall, I definitely recommend becoming an intern at Infinity Hospice Care!
