Florence Wald was a kind and caring woman. I admire her for many reasons. She worked hard to study nursing. And she spent her whole life caring for others.
Wald was born in New York City in 1917. She studied nursing at Yale. Wald became dean of the nursing program there in 1958. Then she quit to learn more about hospice. That is a special kind of care for a person at the end of their life.
In 1971, Wald helped create the first hospice in the United States. In 1980, she opened a site with 44 beds. But Wald had to because people were upset. They believed nurses should not let a patient die. Wald wanted people to be comfortable before death. She did not want to give unnecessary drugs. Her mission was to help others.
Wald made this her life goal. She started working for a hospice in her 20s. And she kept going until her 80s. She worked for more than 60 years for hospices! That’s longer than some people live! Wald kept going even when her hospice closed. It amazes me how she kept going.
Wald never felt like she had done enough. Even though she’d done incredible things, she wanted to better herself. Wald wanted to do more. So, she continued to work.
Wald didn’t just help rich people. She cared for people without a home — and those in prison. She felt everyone deserved the opportunity to die without pain. Wald went to prisons. She told prison workers to have hospices for prisoners. This must have taken lots of courage. But Wald tried to help everyone pass away peacefully.
When my mother was in her 20s, her father got cancer. It was his wish to spend the last weeks of his life at home — and not the hospital. My grandfather needed a lot of care. My parents wanted to support his wishes but couldn’t see how because of his medical needs. He was in pain. This caused stress. A doctor suggested hospice. This was a turning point in his care.
When the hospice workers came, my family was no longer stressed. Even my grandfather got to relax. The hospice workers reminded my family that my grandfather could understand them. They also taught my family to care for him. Simple tasks like getting dressed became hard for him. My grandfather didn’t live that long. But he got to pass away without suffering.
Florence Wald was amazing. She was intelligent, caring, and . She did so much to make others happy.
Updated March 5, 2024, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Stella Pahlitzsch
