Willingness is all that matters...

One of the services our hospice company provides is a compassionate care team.  This team is made up of volunteers that are willing to be contacted on very short notice to spend time with a person that is actively dying.

We had a request for just such a sitter late last week.  The request was for someone to sit with a dying patient and read him scriptures.  I had the perfect volunteer in mind so I sent her an e-mail and ask if she would be able to spend some time with this man the following evening.  She replied back that she would be happy to help out in this matter.

As it turned out, the man died later the same day the request came in so there was no need for the volunteer to make her visit.  Following is the volunteers response to the e-mail I sent her telling her our patient had passed.

I am so sorry to hear that.  My prayers will be with the family. I have to confess I was a little nervous, but I felt like it was something that I could definately help with and I wanted to.  Thank you for considering me for the job.

 

This would have been this volunteers first time sitting as a member of the compassionate care team.  Of course she would be a bit nervous.  The important part was that she didn't let it stop her from doing something that she felt was important and knew that she could assist in. 

 

I am a big believer in the theory that if we simply show up we will be used in exactly the right way.  We don't have to worry about how things will go or if we will goof up.  If we show up, everything else will fall into place.

 

We are all on this Earth to help one another and make the world a better place.  It is much easier to complete this task if we don't let doubt or worry creep into our thought patterns.  As I put it, "I just need to stay out of my way," and not let self-doubt talk interfer in doing what I am being lead to do.

 

So big Kudos volunteer for your willngness to be used by God to bring comfort and peace to another.  May he reward you greatly and bring you your hearts desires.

An Alarming Exit...

Just as we form different levels of friendships in our lives, in hospice work we sometimes develop special attachments to certain patients.  Earlier today we lost one of these extra special patients.

To say this patient could be feisty is putting it mildly, and the staff had to come up with very creative ways to provide her basic care at times.  Resistive one moment, the switch would flip and she would be sweet and loving the very next moment. 

Having dementia she lived at a facility so she could get the required 24/7 care, and her favorite activity was to walk, for hours on end, round and around the hallways.  For her safety she wore an ankle alarm to alert the staff if she wandered somewhere she shouldn't.

After someone passes it is customary to clean the body, dress them in clean clothes, and arrange to appear comfortable.  The nurse completed these tasks and assisted the person removing the body in getting her loaded and ready for transport. 

As the patient was making her last trip down the hall there was more than one tear being shed by the staff that had loved and cared for this woman.  A very serious, respectful quiet and then the mortuary worker pushed her through the first of a series of doors and set off the alarm.  They had forgotten to remove the ankle alarm!  Of course the sounding of the alarm brought a huge number of staff running and once they realized who was setting off the alarm the somber tone turned to one of great humor.  Not a lot to be done now except keep going through the remaining series of doors, each time setting off not only the alarm but another round of laughter from the staff.

What a perfect exit.  Sort of one last parting gift from the patient if you will.  This "gift" not only left smiles on the staff's faces but leaves them with a great story to remember the patient by.

Can you think of a better exit???

A day in the life...

Yesterday was the crazy, busy kind of day I thrive on.

After spending the morning taking care of my OPs, I took lunch to one of the facilities we service and helped the activities director sign up on a couple of web sites to advertise for volunteers.  Some people might think this would be a conflict of interest, that I would want all the volunteers to join our organization, but I disagree.  I really believe that we live in an abundant Universe and there is enough of everything for everyone.  I also feel that not every volunteer gig is meant for every individual and the ones that are suppose to be volunteering for me will be directed to find me.

After we finished, I drove around the corner to offer my condolences to one of our families ("our" being the hospice company) that were celebrating the life and memory of their mother.  She was only our patient for a short time but she and her family are just one of those families that you get close to right away.  I had been visiting her to give her massages and at the memorial her daughters shared with me that, "Mom just loved you!  She looked so forward to your massages.  Too bad she didn't remember them (insert laughter here :).  She would say, 'When am I getting my massage' and when we told her you had just left she would reply, 'Darn! I slept through another one!""  It is always nice to be appreciated, but it is especially nice to hear how you enriched someones final days and hours.  That is why I volunteer...

From the memorial I drove a couple of miles away to drop off some supplies to one of my volunteers at the facility where she was making a visit, chatted with her for a couple of minutes and then raced to another part of town to introduce the daughter of a patient that passed away last Tuesday to one of our volunteer massage therapist.  This daughter had been sitting vigil with her father the prior week and was stressed beyond belief.  Our wonderful volunteer massage therapist was going to help relieve some of her stress before she went back to the task of planning her father's memorial and cleaning out his room at the facility where he had been living.  The fifty or so minutes that this daughter would spend on the therapist's table would be the Godsend she needed to help her make it through the next several days.  One can't put a price on that, but it sure is another great reason to volunteer!

After that intro I flew (well under the speed limit of course) to another town to meet with a volunteer and introduce her to her new assignment.  If I haven't explained this before I go with the volunteers to their first visit just to make sure things flow smoothly, they know the different protocols for the different facilities, and they don't feel overwhelmed by the circumstances of the situation. 

When we got to the patient's room our Chaplain was in visiting with her.  The Chaplain shared with us that she had just broken off a tooth and needed to go so she could get something for her pain.  Fortunately for her I carry one of those suitcase type purses that house everything one could possibly ever want or need so after introductions I left the volunteer to chat with the patient and went out to my car to get the Chaplain some Aleve.  When I returned the volunteer and patient were already comfortably chatting so I knew that this was indeed a good match.

After that visit, and going over paperwork with the volunteer, I drove back to the facility I had started my hospice day at four hours earlier to make one more introduction - volunteer to patient.  This volunteer is one of our seasoned veterans so it was nice to take a few minutes and chat with her on a personal level as we walked to the patient's room.  This patient is a real "live wire," with a great sense of humor and VERY colorful language so I already knew that the visit would be plenty of fun for both the patient and the volunteer.  This patient wanted someone to come read the paper to her, and the volunteer not only enjoys that kind of interaction but is very good at it!

After that visit I drove home changed my clothes and ended my work day with a nice, slow, four mile run.  Warm though it was, it was a great way to unwind and relax into the evening.

Life is indeed good!

First Visit...

The other day I took a brand new volunteer out for what I refer to as a "Meet and Greet," meaning an introduction of the volunteer to the patient along with a first visit.  To get the true beauty of this post you need to remember I said brand new volunteer.  This was her first ever visit as a volunteer with our company.

The plan was for the two of us to meet outside the facility and she arrived right on time.  Just as we were saying hello to one another a resident came out of the facility, came over to the two of us, and proceeded to share with us that she had "some really wonderful meat " (all wrapped up neatly in a napkin).  "Some really wonderful meat and I brought it out here to leave for the animals."  My first thought was that would be a great way to invite unwanted critters to the front of the facility.  Before I could think this thought through fully the woman proceeded to ask us if we would like to see the "really wonderful piece of meat" that she had with her.  What could we say besides, "Sure," so she proceeded to carefully unwrap the napkin and show us her bounty.

After the viewing she ask our opinion regarding where she should leave her (say it with me now) "really wonderful piece of meat."  Buying some time I told her I wasn't sure where the best place would be, but if she wanted I would take the meat and find the perfect spot for it.  Fortunately she thought this was a great idea so she handed over the napkin and it's contents.  As she did she said, "Just don't tell anyone you got it from ********."  I didn't think it necessary to tell her that since I had no idea who she was there was no way I could have told anyone the meat came from her dinner plate UNTIL she told me her name.

Content that she had done her part to provide for visiting wildlife she returned back inside the facility with us following behind.  Now, to figure out what to do with the meat?  My first thought was to return it to the dining room (I didn't want to put it in a regular trash can for the same reason I didn't think it very sanitary to throw it on the lawn), but the resident was still in front of us and I didn't want to upset her.  Then I recalled that the facility had a coffee area with a heavy duty trash can, not to mention a sink with soap, water, and paper towels.  We lost the meat and washed out hands; the (normal) first thing one does upon entering a facility and/or home.

Before I finish my recap of this visit I need to take a moment to give my volunteer HUGE kudos for how she handled this encounter.  Some people would have been shocked, grossed out, and/or disgusted.  My amazing volunteer not only covered any negative feelings she may have been having she actually showed interest in the contents of the resident's napkin, just like she had these experiences on a daily basis!

After we washed our hands I explained the sign in procedure for the facility and we headed down the hall our patient lived in.  Before we were even close to the hallway a great BIG belch vibrated through the room we were standing in.  First the meat lady, now this!  "Nice first impression," came out of my mouth but the volunteer just smiled and reassured me that it was all fine.  What a trouper!

As we approached the owner of the belch I realized that the owner was also our patient.  Imagine that!  I said hello and made the introductions and our patient proceeded to tell us that she had eaten something that didn't agree with her at dinner and her belly was hurting.  While my volunteer stayed with the patient I went to inform the nurse and see if there was anything that should be done for the patient.  The nurse thought it would be okay to wait and see if the resident felt better in a few minutes and this was indeed the case.  In a short time our patient was able to stand up and escort us to her apartment.

After being at the facility for about twenty minutes we were finally ready to start our visit.

The number one (maybe even  two and three as well) thing a volunteer needs to be is flexible.  One can plan a visit in their mind down to the smallest detail but that doesn't guarentee things will go as planned.  If a volunteer can't set their plans/ideas down on the spot, and address the immediate needs of the patient they will end up being frustrated more often than not.  The volunteer I was with on this visit instinctively gets this; it is part of her and it will serve her well on her future visits. 

She is an amazing assest to our team!  I am looking forward to getting to know her better, and supporting her as she in turns supports our patient through her volunteer visits.

Text messages

As with most new change in my life, there was a time when I was resistant to text messaging.  Just because I have opposable thumbs doesn't mean I need to learn to type with them!  I am here to say that my job as V.C. has completely changed my mind, and is a huge assist in getting our patients cared for in the best, most efficient way possible.  For example...

Last Saturday morning my youngest and I planned our long run (13.1 miles this date) to end at a restaurant.  We had just sat down to order and I got this text: "Hi Patty, was wondering if my mom was having a visit from her volunteer this morning."  I knew she was scheduled to have one but wasn't 100% sure that something didn't come up to change the volunteer's schedule, so I sent a text to the volunteer and a follow-up text to the daughter.  The daughter and I texted back and forth regarding her mom and dad for a few minutes and then I got a text from my volunteer saying that she had visited with the patient and in fact had just left her home.  I was able to send the daughter a reassuring text, didn't have to worry about my volunteer, and had this all accomplished before my omelet and hash browns were delivered to the table.

My volunteers are not suppose to do hands on care for our patients especially in regards to transferring and dressing because of the training/regulation requirements.  One morning I received this text: "Hi Patty.  I am here to visit Mrs. ****** and she wants to get up.  I can't remember if it is okay if I get her dressed."  My reply, "R we talking helping with her sweater or shoes, or r we talking full on dressing?"  My volunteer texted back a few minutes later, "Full on dressing, but I didn't feel comfortable with that so I got someone in the facility to help her."  I was able to text back that she made exactly the right call, NEVER do anything you feel uncomfortable with, and thank her for reaching out to me when she was unsure what to do.  After all, that is what I am here for!

The most important thing I try and convey to my volunteers is that when they are in the field making visits they are fully supported and they should never feel something is too trivial to call (or text) about.  If they can't get hold of me in a timely manner, then they are instructed to call the office number and talk to the clinical services director.  Our C.S.D. knows every detail about each and every patient (and this is only one of her many gifts and talents) and will be able to help them.  If it is after regular business hours they can still call the office number to speak with the on call nurse. 

The job that our volunteers do for us is so important to our patients.  Finding ways to support them in doing their jobs is one of the most rewarding part of mine.

Job Discription Part Two...

So I told you in my last post about my job description, and thought I would spend this post talking about the volunteer's job description.

There are basically two categories of volunteer; direct care and in-direct care.  The in-direct care volunteer does office work such as filing and making copies.  They don't have direct contact with any of our patients.  Our direct care volunteers do have contact with our patients, and provide a variety of services for them.

The bulk of our volunteers are "friendly visitors" and pretty much do the same things you would do if you went to visit with an aunt/uncle or grandmother/grandfather.  They might chat about whatever the patient is interested in that visit, or play cards or a board game.  They might read to the patient or assist them in writing a letter.   The specific activity isn't anywhere near as important as simply showing up and being a listening, compassionate presence in the patients life.

Besides friendly visitors we have volunteers that work with our patients to complete what we refer to as "A Life Review."  They meet with the patient over weeks and/or months and record the patients memories and reminiscences and put them into story form complete with pictures.

We have massage therapist  and Reiki volunteers to provide body/energy work to aid in relaxation and stress relief, and we have music volunteers to bring the joy of music to our patients.

I am working to develop programs for aromatherapy and art services and hope to have these up and running by fall.

Regardless of what area a person is lead to volunteer in they all end up getting more out of the experience that they feel they give.  It is an honor and a privilege when a dying person invites you in to share in the end of their lives.  Occasionally people struggle to find their balance in their last days but for the most part all of our patients are gracious and grateful for the time our volunteers spend with them.  What could be more rewarding than that?

Job Discription...

So what exactly does a volunteer coordinator do?  A lot more than one might think.

As with any company who's services are paid for by a government agency, there are certain rules and regulations that the company must follow.  In order for a hospice company to meet the set guidelines they MUST have volunteers services reflective of five percent of the total number of all the patient care hours provided by paid staff members. 

Volunteers must be recruited, trained, and retained.  Once a volunteer is signed on, the second and third conditions require team building between the volunteers and staff.  Each groups needs to understand the very important roles each other fulfill (This is done most successfully when there is both food and fun involved).  In order for the powers that be to stay in the loop about the day to day operations of the volunteer program there are reports to be written, and numbers to crunch on a monthly basis (Lucky for me I only need to impute the numbers and the computer does the crunching for me).  

The first few weeks of my job I spent learning the paperwork part of the job from a very patient person.  I wrote up several ads regarding the type of volunteers I was looking for and placed them on Craig's List, then figured out how to sign up for volunteermatch.com.  Then I tackled the training manual.   It is one thing to have the information you are suppose to impart to new volunteers, it is quite another to figure out the style in which you want to present it.

Fortunately for me, the training has been streamlined extensively over the months that I have held this position so now I can complete a full training with a new volunteer in about two hours.  I felt bad before about the thirteen tests and fifty-seven (just a guess) signatures required by our volunteers before they ever laid eyes on an assignment.  Early on, one volunteer mentioned she didn't have to do as much paperwork to apply to grad school!  Yes, but in grad school you are not dealing with the sick and dying.  We are responsible to our patients needs first and foremost after all.  That being said, I am very grateful for all the effort our family support services manager put into making the training less complicated for our volunteers.

After a month on the job there were only two things that I was struggling with; my time sheet and finding my car at the end of the day.  Our building was not that big, nor is the parking lot, but it is bigger than my two car garage.  If I would need to make a visit to a patient during the day I wouldn't always be able to park in the same spot and I never paid enough attention to where I did park to be able to find my car the next time I wanted it without wandering around for several minutes feeling like an idiot! 

I solved this problem by asking my angels to hold a spot open for me.  That was three months ago and no matter how much I come and go in a day one in a group of six spots has ALWAYS been open for me and I have never misplaced my car since.  Pretty cool hu?

As for the time card, that continues to be a work in progress.  I need to put codes down for my activities which isn't hard, but paying attention to the times that I am doing which item is sometimes a little too detailed for this big picture gal.  But is that is the only thing I stuggle with at work I have to say I am pretty blessed.  Wouldn't you agree?

My return to the blog world

It has been just over a year since I posted in my original blog, Patty's Perspective ( http://neoblast.blogspot.com/ ) and so many wonderful things have happen to me in that time.  The new job that I was blessed with in January of this year is the reason I have decided to begin blogging once again.

For those of you that followed my other blog, I still take care of the OPs, though with a whole lot more help from hired staff.  I am still married (how my Mister continues to put up with me is a daily mystery), and my children continue to prosper in their adult lives.  My cat Fred is still the coolest cat in the world, and my Yorkie Bekeeni gave birth to four adorable puppies in late February.  We had so much fun with them for twelve weeks and then they all went to wonderful homes to bring the same joy to their families that their mommy brings to me. 

Life is indeed good!

You may recall that one of the things most important to me was helping those in my care have a positive end of life experience.  You may also recall that several years ago I began working with a very special hospice company when my residents were nearing end of life and loved this company so much that I began to volunteer for them in order to be a part of the team.

In January of this year I was offered and accepted a position with company as their volunteer coordinator.  Let me tell you how this came about...

I was making a volunteer visit one afternoon at the same time as the chaplain was visiting the patient.  We were chatting and while I don't recall the details something about my volunteering in order to be a part of the company came up and she said to me, "So I guess you are going to be applying for the new position that just opened up for a volunteer coordinator?"  This was news to me, and I told the chaplain that I had not been informed of the position, to which she replied, "You didn't hear about it from me then!"  Of course not...

If you are not a new reader you already know that everything is all about me, and all the way home I was saddened to think that my job (After all, I had been manifesting this exact position for the past five years!) was passing right before my eyes and they didn't want me (see, ALL about poor me)!

When I got home that evening I called my youngest (daughter) (remember she is a CENA for the company) to cry on her shoulder about not even being offered the position.  Her reply, "But mom, I sent you a text two days ago telling you that ***** (clinical services director) said to tell you that they were hiring for the position if you wanted to apply for it.  Didn't you read the text?"  Apparently not... Wait...There it is... THEY DO WANT ME!  Yippee!

So, long story short, I applied and interviewed for the job and landed it.  What a great start to 2011!

Now here I am, six months into the job and having the time of my life.  So many wonderful things are happening to me, and I am meeting so many wonderful people that I decided I wanted to put some of those things down in print in order to look back on them from time to time in the future.  Putting them down in blog format allows me to invite all of you to take this journey with me.  I welcome your comments, thoughts, and ideas about the things I share, and look forward to growing into the best volunteer coordinator that I can be.