Tibetan singer Sangye Tashi graduated from a Beijing conservatory of music, but has abandoned his stage career to sing for the dying in Changsha, as a social worker.

Dressed in Tibetan cloak, Sangye Tashi's job is to relieve the suffering of cancer patients with his singing and provide end-of-life care to elderly patients haunted by bodily pains, fear of death and loneliness.

At the Carnation Geriatric Hospital in a northwestern suburb of Changsha, Sangye Tashi avoids the term of "end-of-life" when asked to describe his job.

"Our job is to love and accompany", he said.

Hospices emerged in China only a few years ago and have been welcomed by the public.

More than 1,000 people have joined the Changsha Shifangyuan Elderly Hospice and Mind Care Center since it opened two years ago. Shifangyuan, now has 40 hospices in more than 20 cities, with over 10,000 volunteers working there.

Li Zan, director general of Changsha Shifangyuan, said that of 200 million Chinese aged over 60, more than 40 million are critically ill. Most of them are disabled, blind, or suffering from conditions like Alzheimer's and aphasia.

"It is a serious challenge for families and society. Something must be done," he said.

TO LOVE AND ACCOMPANY

Tang Zhuozhuo, 72, is the oldest volunteer in Changsha. For two years, she has accompanied more than 200 people, aging from 53 to over 100, to the end of their lives.

"None could care for themselves, but they were all lively in my eyes. They were my friends," she said.

Once she found an old man sitting alone in the corner of a room. Another volunteer told her she should ignore him and take care of others as he was "speechless" and "needed no companion."

Tang chatted with him and visited him often. She knew he was a retired professor and began to share her appreciation of teachers, and slowly, he turned his head and gently took her hand.

Tang feels grateful to each and every person she had accompanied. "They have shown their real lives to me and helped me overcome my own fear of death," she said.

Sangye Tashi also feels validated by the job. When he sings his classic songs, the audience often sings along.

Once, an old man who never responded to anyone, whispered in his ear after hearing a song: "You are a nice person".

"That day I realized that helping these people pass away peacefully is more worthy of my time than singing for fans," he said.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING NEEDED

Most patients in Changsha hospices have a life expectancy of 10 months to three years. Currently, only a small proportion of patients can access hospice care, as the waiting list comes mainly from nursing homes and community health centers, while experienced hospice workers are hard to come by. A top priority is to train more social workers and carers.

Luo Chun, a Changsha local in her 20's, came to the hospice as her first job after graduation and encountered opposition from her parents who expected her to get a better job.

"After seeing what I do here, my mom stands by me," she said.

Proud of her occupation, Luo has enthusiastically recruited quite a number of her former classmates to the service.

"We have summarized ten big skills, including listening, eye contact, and reading aloud, but it is best just to start with a caring heart," she said.

Source: Xinhua Agency