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 the terminally ill. Cherish that motivation. Move forward committed to an amazing and rewarding healthcare adventure.
2) Believe it’s all win-win.
Providing end-of-life service is a privilege, not a calling to be a savior. You and those you support come together in relationships of mutual healing and growth. Honor your win-win journey.
3) Be present.
By all means, show up. But be present with patients after you arrive. Evaluate appearances, behaviors, surroundings, and interactions with others. Listen with your heart. Even silence can speak. Really try to understand living from their perspectives. Focus on advocacy for improving their quality of life.
4) Try other doors.
Patients will have challenges such as dementia that may not respond to your usual front-door communication. Try other doors and even windows. Obstacles are enrichment opportunities in your partnerships with patients. Touch, music, pictures, stories, and fantasies are a few entry points. Let patients help you navigate your way into their world.
5) Know your piece in the puzzle. Adherence to rules of protocol and professional ethics should be routine. Be aware of boundaries such as confidentiality regarding yourself, your patients, their families, and their loved ones. Follow guidelines of your hospice organization, and seek help when needed.
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http://hospiceandnursinghomes.blogspot.com/2011/08/ten-steps-to-being-great-hospice.html
Replies
Frances, thanks for offering these important points of consideration and observation about being a volunteer. Even with training, hospice volunteering requires us to be conscious of the way we live life and interact with others at all times. At the bedside it is even more important to be aware of who you are what you are experiencing because it can directly affect the person you are serving.
Greg Schneider
HCF Creator
President, HVA