Hospice workers face unique challenges as they interact regularly with terminally ill patients and their families. How do workers in the various hospice disciplines rate their job satisfaction? Researchers at the Center for Bioethics at the Universi
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"Everyone succumbs to finitude. I suspect I am not the only one who reaches this pluperfect state. Most ambitions are either achieved or abandoned; either way, they belong to the past. The future, instead of the ladder toward the goals of life, flatt
I am currently closing up the 2011 year and planning for 2012... Being that we are a small hospice in a big city with big hospices, I have a hard time recruiting volunteers... The other day I had a brainstorm idea and I wanted to see if anyone else d
Read more…“Some nights they kill me before I wake up.” (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- PTSD)
The number of veterans receiving hospice and palliative care continues to become a major area of expansion for the Veterans Health Administration. You can find mo
Read more…Replacing fear with empowerment, "Dying Without Crying" is a beautiful concise guide providing useful, actionable tips for caregivers and care-receivers on setting boundaries, having a voice and making decisions .. along with sharing the exper
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The PBS Frontline documentary on Dr. Atul Gawande's book Being Mortal is now available. This is a touching and compassionate discussion about life and death. It stresses the importance of not waiting too long to make certain important decisions abou
Hello everyone! I have a question, does any regulatory body require a volunteer to have a health physical, or is it more of a policy and procedure that a company may tailor to fit it's needs. Thanks for the help!
Read more…Hi,
I am wondering what is the best way to go about finding and getting volunteers for our hospice organization? I am actively trying to find ways to obtain volunteers for hospice, but nothing seems to be working. We only have a few and could reall
Read more…Hospice-palliative volunteers bring a unique perspective to the debate about physician-assisted suicide. Already legal in several states (Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico), the law requires that the terminally ill must be of sou
Read more…Managing volunteers can be a consuming job with many issues to be considered. What do healthcare volunteer managers think are their greatest challenges and opportunities? A research study with volunteer managers from 105 hospitals in five states had
Read more…I recently was promoted to Volunteer Coordinator for a small hospice in Colorado. For the past 2 years I have worked in the office and also as a volunteer. What I have noticed, is that most patients say they don't want a volunteer and if we cannot
Read more…Someone just sent me a great YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehlw-9PJkIE
It measures the effects of words and energy sent to beakers of rice and water. So often as a hospice volunteer, I see a person bounce back to a better quality of li
We require our CCP's to submit their progress notes within 48 hours of the visit. Does anyone know if there is a specific regulation about complementary care practioners?
Thank you.
Read more…Does anyone know of a video that could be used for an inservice for visitor volunteers who struggle a bit with ways to interact with a dementia patient who is non-verbal?
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Ten Steps to Being a Great Hospice Volunteer
By Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes
1) Remember why you serve.
There’s a reason you feel compelled to enhance lives of th
Read more…by Rashani Rea & Kathy Douglas
Those who companion suffering daily, such as hospice nurses and volunteers, will surely appreciate this beautiful work. With 62 original art collages by Rashani Réa, five beautiful chapters by Kathy Douglas, and a foreword by Jean Watson, this exquisite book is a peaceful refuge for contemplation, inquiry, reflection and inspiration for those who traverse the joys and sorrows of nursing.
Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA is a nationally recognized nurse leader, filmmaker and entrepreneur.
Rashani Réa is a prolific artist and musician, a creatrice of sanctuaries and a respected spiritual mentor.
“This is a beloved book and beyond a book. It is an evocative, poetic, ecstatic, and inspirited sacred, experiential calling. A calling to you--YES, YOU.”
— Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, Living Legend (AAN)
“Those who companion suffering daily need to turn inward to metabolize what they have witnessed. This exquisite book, filled with beautiful images and poetic wise words, is the inspiration and support needed to grow a wise heart.”
— Frank Ostaseski, founder and director of the Metta Institute and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
“In this unique time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book should be considered a tribute to the tremendous courage being displayed by nurses around the world. There is much wisdom conveyed throughout by those who have been there serving others with such grace.”
— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care
