VOLUNTEER NEWS Lourdes Hospice Volume XII Issue 1 January 2014

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1 VOLUNTEER NEWS Lourdes Hospice Volume XII Issue 1 January 2014 Volunteer Profile: Diane Dobish When Diane Dobish retired after a 37-year career with NYSEG she knew she wanted to do volunteer work. At first traveling and redoing the house filled her hours, but when she acknowledged to herself that the only time she got out of her pajamas was to put on clean ones to go to bed, she knew she needed something more. Family members had been admitted to hospice, so Diane was familiar with their work. She took the training class, and for a decade has been a valuable asset in the volunteer office. In that time Diane has had two patient visits. As she says, the first traumatized her, and recounting the experience is still difficult. She was asked to fill in for another volunteer, and having just completed the training, she felt she was ready and even eager to begin. In the hospital she found a comatose woman ravaged by illness who was nearing death. Her appearance, and the fact that she was Diane s age, stunned her. The adult children were there, and the obvious friction between them was another shock. Diane sat with the woman and dealt with the children, and then having courageously done her job acknowledged that this aspect of hospice was not for her. Several years later she did accept a second assignment, and found it completely opposite to the first. She and the family had been good friends years earlier, and being able to reconnect with them while visiting the patient was an unexpected reward. Diane has kept very busy with hospice over the years. As she says, there are a lot of volunteer opportunities that are not advertised. When people tell me they couldn t be with a dying person, she says you can file, can t you? In addition to her work in the volunteer office Diane also delivers prescriptions. She enjoys that connection and tells of one visit to a woman caring for her husband. The wife was lonely, and very grateful to have someone to talk with while sharing a cup of tea. Making bunnies, corn bags and clothing protectors is another way Diane helps patients. The accomplishment she is most proud of is creating busy pads for those with Alzheimer s. She researched these pads, found the instructions online and has made several. The size of a placemat, each brightly colored pad has zippers, velcro, button slides, and pockets with a button and button hole. Handling the pad and moving the items can provide stimulus and keep a person safely occupied. Born in Johnson City, Diane has four children, all living in this area, and three grandchildren. There is also an elderly dog who has taught Diane to put on her sneakers while out of sight in the car, else the dog expects a walk. As Diane demonstrates, those unadvertised opportunities can make a tremendous difference for hospice patients and their families. Thank you, Diane, for your dedication. Diane has been the computer guru for me in the office. Her support to the office staff is tremendous. Also, not to be out done by her sewing skills by making clothing protector, corn bags and bunny bodies for our Some Bunny Loves You program. I also sometimes snag her for a medication delivery. Thank you, Diane, for you generous heart and all your support.

2 Dear Volunteers, Winter is settling in Holidays over or nearly over. For me, this is a perfect time of the year to reflect back and review the past year. There s something about winter that slows our pace a bit: staying in more from the cold; time that can encourage meditation and contemplation of the year gone by or the New Year that is about to start. Here are some tips for self-reflection and balance:! Try prayer, meditation and relaxation techniques to find inner peace.! Keep a journal or diary.! Seek out a trusted adviser, chaplain or friend. They may have insights that you are unaware of.! Read inspirational stories; or watch a Hallmark movie.! Talk to others whose spiritual lives you admire.! Enjoy a spa day, pedicure or manicure.! Vacation ANYWHERE! Take a day trip on a bus, to avoid the stress of driving. Your work as volunteers can leave you drained needing to be refreshed. I wish you a Happy Healthy New Year and thank you again for all that you do for our patients. Bettye Canestaro Happy New Year I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's." Henry Moore What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year. Vern McLellan Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. Mother Teresa Health Screens: Thank you for being tolerant and accepting of the new process for your health screen of mailing in the list of questions to Occupational Health and in a timely manner. Volunteer Happenings From the State Survey: We just finished the NY state survey and while excellent reviews there can always be improvement. Just a few reminders: We have revised the website and the hard copy, pink sheet on which you submit your hours. You will now just indicate how you spent your time with your patient. Such as, respite, homemaking tasks, respite, med delivery, etc. You will notice the comment section has been removed. Also, if you call to confirm your visit and the family declines, or if your frequency changes, you will need to submit that in the form of the pink sheet or website. There will be two mandatory in-services on the changes coming soon. I will advise when those will be and to remain active you must attend one of the dates. I want to assure you that this has no reflection on you devoted work to Hospice. We are in the process of revising procedures in all disciplines and will include the volunteer office, as well. Please remember how much Hospice appreciates your generous hearts and the time you spent with patients, their families and the support to office staff. Attendance sheet: Please remember to sign the attendance sheet in the home and nursing home. In the home, please ask for the Hospice folder and usually the attendance sheet is in the front since each staff member signs when they visit the patient. In the nursing home, ask for the patient s chart and locate the Hospice section (usually in the back). It would be a good idea to do this even before you visit the patient or patients. Hours submitted: Please submit your hours after your visit unless you have a fool proof strategy for remembering! Remember, the volunteers hours have to exceed 5% of the total patient care hours of paid staff for our Medicare reimbursement.

3 The Hospice Elves Fill Christmas Bags Our Elves were busy organizing and assembling 80 Christmas bags for our patients. There was quite an assembly line! It seems like each year the process is more effective and the elves more proficient! They were definitely on the Nice List this year from Santa! A Fun Christmas Party Thank you once again to Susie Miller who graciously opened her home to our Christmas party. As usual, I m convinced we have excellent cooks. The appetizers were delicious. And, a great time was had by all! It s always a fun way to connect with volunteers that you know and a tremendous way to form new friendships.

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5 What did the Hospice Volunteers do in September & October? Task Hours Admission Packets 37 Baskets of Love 7 Bereavement Calls 52 Bereavement Groups 29 Bereavement Office 50 Bereavement Newsletter 12 Delivery of medications 57 Miscellaneous 12 Office (main and volunteer) 150 Sewing Projects & Gowns 101 Spiritual Care 19 Support to Home Care patients 214 Support to Nursing Home patients 106 Support to Hospital patients 14 Volunteer newsletter 20 Total 895 Mileage 5,998 Priceless! Thank You! Hello from the South! Received a card from Sue and Bill McCann many of you will fondly remember them both. They still love the southern living and have recently taken a 3 week trip to Ireland. Loads of fun and many fond memories. Bill is still serving as the President of their homeowners association. Can you imagine? Who better than Bill? Sue has taken up watercolor painting crazy hard she says bet she s great at it! Their oldest grandson will graduate from high school this year! where does the time go?, says Sue! THE BLESSING In the morning when you rise, Bless the sun, bless the skies, Bless your lips, I bless your eyes, My blessing goes with you. In the night-time when you sleep Oh, I bless you while a watch I keep. As you lie in slumber sleep, My blessing goes with you. When your weary heart is tired, If the world should leave you uninspired, When nothing more of love s desired, My blessing goes with you. When the storms of life are strong, When you re wounded, when you don t belong, When you no longer hear my song, My blessing goes with you. This is my prayer for you, There for you, ever true. Each every day for you, in everything you do. I bless you and you bless me too, I bless you and you bless me too. Song by Celtic Women, A New Journey CD January Birthdays Catherine McEvilley 1/3 Denise Asher 1/5 Gail Goldberg 1/5 Fr. Al Bebel 1/9 Sue Glann 1/11 Lynda Helmer 1/14 Diane Dobish 1/16 Bob Gaska 1/24 Gloria Westgate 1/31

6 Pain at the End of Life Common Questions from the NHPCO. Q. Will pain medications cause me to be sleepy all the time? A. Opioid analgesics (morphine, codeine, etc.) can cause sedation at first but with continuing doses of medication you will feel less sleepy and be able to interact with family and friends and perform normal activity. Q. Will taking opioids make me addicted? A. Very few people who use opiates for pain relief ever become addicted or psychologically dependent. When opioids are prescribed by your physician to control pain, he/she begins with the lowest dose and increases it only if the medication is not controlling your pain consistently. As your terminal disease progresses, an increased dosage of opioid may be needed to control the pain on a continuing basis. Q. If I take morphine too early, will it control my pain even when it gets worse? A. If your pain increases over time, your morphine dose can be increase as needed. There is no reason to wait until your pain is out of control. Q. Does Morphine (opioid) have many side effects? A. All opioids can cause nausea, drowsiness, itching and constipation. However, side effects will generally stop after a few days as your body adjusts and these side effects can be easily treated by your Hospice doctor. Q. Will taking Morphine case death to happen more quickly? A. Morphine does not hasten death. Higher doses of morphine are sometimes necessary to eliminate pain in the dying individual. Morphine can aid in a more comfortable death not a quicker one. adequate pain control. The use of sedatives for symptom control in the last days of lie has NOT been associated with a change in length of patient survival. When started at a low dose and increased as needed, these medications have been proven safe and effective in the management of severe pain. READING LIST Suggested readings. The True Work of Dying by Jan Bernard and M. Schneider A practical and compassionate guide to easing the dying process. Examples of actual experiences are provided that can help the dying person and demystify the last stage of life. The Four Things that Matter Most by Ira Byock This book provides common sense ways to nurture relationships. Important chapters include ones of forgiveness, thank you, I love you and good bye. The Needs of the Dying by D. Kessler This is a guide for bringing hope, comfort and love to life s final chapter. Kessler provides a vocabulary that helps people communicate with each other at this time of life. Life Lessons by E. Kubler-Ross and D. Kessler Experts on death and dying teach about the mysteries of life and living. The stories provide examples for the themes of: the importance of play, finding one s own power, Q. Does starting morphine mean death is imminent? A. No. The stage of terminal illness does not dictate starting morphine it is the degree of pain that guides your hospice provider to recommend morphine for

7 HOLIDAY CRIME PREVENTION TIPS SHOPPING PRECAUTIONS ALWAYS lock your car and residence, even if you are away for only a few moments. Do NOT leave valuables - gifts, cell phones, purse or clothing - in open view in your car. Take valuables with you, lock them in your trunk, or cover them in an unobtrusive way. Leave lights turned on both inside and outside your residence after dark. Criminals don't like bright places. If you will be away from home for several days, make arrangements for someone to pick up your mail and newspapers. An overstuffed mailbox is a sure sign that no one is home, and burglars are tempted to check those envelopes for holiday gifts. Always park in well-lit areas and park close to the entrance of the store or mall. Don t talk on a cell phone when walking to and from your vehicle. Keep your full attention on your surroundings. Talking or texting on your phone makes you vulnerable to robbers, and your cell phone itself is a tempting target. Don t electronically unlock your vehicle until you are within door opening distance. This helps stop a thief from getting into the car and waiting to strike when you least expect it. If you are ready to leave the mall and feel uneasy about entering the parking lot or garage by yourself, stay in the mall and ask for a security escort. Do not open your car door to anyone in a parking lot or garage. If you believe you are in danger, call 911 immediately. Don't fumble for house or car keys. Have them in your hand, ready to use when you reach the door Carry a purse or shoulder bag close to your body, not dangling by straps. Don't flash large amounts of cash or offer tempting targets for theft such as expensive jewelry or clothing. Tis The Season : Beware Of Purse Snatchers Here are some things that can be done to thwart the would-be thief. Keep your purse close to your body at both work and home. If difficult at work lock inside a desk drawer or filing cabinet. If the pocketbook has long straps, shorten them. If possible, avoid carrying a large purse when shopping. A fanny pack is compact and more difficult for a thief to grab and run. Put a wallet in an inside pocket of your coat or front pants pocket. Carry only the credit cards you intend to use and leave the others behind. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use checks or check cards. Use ATMs wisely. Have the card ready before approaching the machine, and use ATMs in high traffic areas. Be aware of the environment. Don't walk or park in poorly lit areas. Don't take shortcuts through wooded areas. Don't be distracted by a cell phone conversation. Have car keys ready before leaving the office, store or mall. If you believe someone is following you, cross the street, switch directions, walk into a store or restaurant. If you are really scared, yell. Don't be embarrassed. Your safety is more important. Have a safe and happy holiday season! From: The Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Security Team.

8 Volunteer News Lourdes Hospice Volunteer Office 4102 Old Vestal Road Vestal, NY Phone: Fax: Volunteer News A monthly publication by and for Lourdes Hospice Volunteers Newsletter Committee Gail Goldberg Bettye Canestaro Maureen Darling Bill Schneider, photographs The next newsletter will be published in February. Please submit all articles and items of interest By January 15.

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10 Lourdes Hospice Volume XII Issue 1 January 2014