VOLUNTEER NEWS Lourdes Hospice Volume XI Issue 6 August 2013

Transcription

1 VOLUNTEER NEWS Lourdes Hospice Volume XI Issue 6 Volunteer Profile: Suzanne Geoghegan Though I grew up in New York City, I was born in Vichy France to parents who, through courage, ingenuity and luck, survived the Holocaust. Family was all the more precious to us because of this experience. When my mother died, at the age of 95, Hospice helped me cope with an intense sense of loss. I just had to return that kindness. Five years later I signed up, and am so glad I did. As often happens with volunteer activities, I get far more from Hospice than I give. I love doing home visits. They give me an insight into how people live, how families relate. The conversations offer lessons in kindness and despair, in courage and fear. From elderly people I learn the history of their neighborhoods, their families, times they have known, like the wonderful woman who shared with me what it was like to As often happens with volunteer be poor in pre-war activities, I get far more from Italy and then grow Hospice than I give. up in a hard scrabble PA mining town. There's humor. (Which picture do you think I should use for my obituary? The cute one with that huge pink bow in my hair from when I was eight, or me wearing my favorite Yankees baseball cap?). Sometimes there's anger (like the patient trapped in a body devastated by Parkinson s). Or anxiety, like a mother worrying how her daughter will manage financially. Or the devotion of a grandfather hanging on just long enough to witness the bar mitzvah of a beloved grandson. So many emotions. I've walked dogs, sat with multiple cats, done the shopping, watched many hours of the cooking channel, and (almost) always been appreciated as a welcome break from the tedium of lying in bed day after day. The thing about home visits is that you never know to whom you'll be offering comfort. One of my most unusual assignments involved an elderly woman with advanced dementia, her caregiver daughter who herself was partially paralyzed from a stroke, and a teenage granddaughter trapped in the house helping mother care for grandmother. I could do little for the two older women but taught the granddaughter how to knit. In no time she'd graduated from scarves to gloves, thrilled to be creating something with her hands, to have an outlet for her energy and creativity. It was huge fun for both of us. In a society where families are so often fragmented by distance, Hospice fills a void, being there when needed, helping with the 'messy' part, offering care givers respite and a compassionate ear, guiding them through a wrenching, scary and often unfamiliar process. I love being part of this amazing program.

2 2 Dear Volunteers, I came across this story and wanted to share it with you. It s a wonderful example of how one person can make a difference in the life of another. And, that s exactly what each of you does by volunteering. THE CAB RIDE I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes, I walked to the door and knocked Just a minute, answered an elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a pause, the door opened and a small woman in her 90 s stood before me. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if nobody had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets; no clocks on the walls, no kickknacks. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. Would you carry my bag to the car?, she asked. I took the suitcase and then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly to the cab. She kept thanking me for my kindness. It s nothing, I told her. I just try to treat my passenger the way I would want my mother treated. Oh, you re such a good boy, she said. We got in the cab and she gave me an address, then asked, Could you drive through downtown? It s not the shortest way, I answered. Oh, I don t mind, she said. I m in no hurry. I m on my way to a Hospice. I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. I don t have any family left, she continued. The doctor says I don t have very long. I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. What route would you like me to take? For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived, a building that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes we d slow in front of a building and would sit staring and saying nothing. Then, she said, I m tired. Let s go. We drove in silence to the address she d given me. When we arrived, two staff came out to the cab. They were kind and caring and watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened (Continued on page 3) Volunteer Happenings Mark your Calendars Annual Volunteer Picnic Highland Park August 28 th 6pm Shelter #6 Near the tennis courts. Bring a dish to pass and enjoy a night with your fellow volunteers. It s always a fun evening. Volunteer Retreat Sky Lake Retreat Center September 24 th - 8:30-3pm Speaker this year is Ann Symanick a local motivational speaker in the area that will help you fill your toolbox for taking care of yourself as you take care of our Hospice patients and families. New Health Assessment Process I m sure you are aware by now, that there is a new process for Staff and Volunteer health assessments. With this process, there is no appointment at Lourdes Occupational Health. You will be sent a three-page assessment form to be completed and returned to Occupational Health within a week (a self addressed envelope will be included for you). Occupational Health will review and call you for an appointment if needed for follow up. They will then notify me that your assessment has been done. PPD and flu vaccines will be done for all from 9/16/13 to 10/18/13. I will notify you of the location. Thank you for your support and patience during this process. Hospital News: A new parking Garage/Ramp has been approved and construction will begin early Fall. Also, in addition to the work going on at the hospital, construction continues on the NEW LOURDES LOCATION in Vestal on Shippers Road located behind Lowe s. This building is scheduled to be completed before the end of It will be home to Primary Care physicians, Specialists, including Dermatology and Women s Health, a Walk-In Clinic, Outpatient Lab, Physical Therapy, Occupation Health and a Retail Pharmacy. (Continued on page 3)

3 Continued from page 2) (Continued from page 2) 3 the trunk and took out her suitcase. She was already seated in a wheelchair. How much do I owe you, she asked reaching into her purse. Nothing, I replied. You have to make a living, she answered. There are other passengers, I responded. Almost without thinking, I gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. You gave an old woman a moment of joy, she said. Thank you. I squeezed her hand and behind me a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver or an impatient driver? On quick review, I don t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We re conditioned to think our lives revolve around great moments. But, great moments catch us unaware beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL Thank you for all that you do for our patients and their families. Bettye Canestaro Sad news As you might know by now, Marty Palka died in July of complications after a heart attack. Marty had been a Hospice volunteer for 15+ years. During that time she was a Jack of all Trades in Hospice from home care, inpatient. Office and, of course, the Angel sales in the Mall. Her spirit and infectious positive attitude will be missed. Another volunteer who will be missed is Kathy Gardner who died in May from cancer. Her positive attitude and strong faith carried her through her journey. Whether you knew Kathy or not, her letter on page 6 offers a glimpse of what Hospice meant to her. Hospice News: It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that Daniele Wagstaff will be leaving Hospice effective July 1, Daniele has been with hospice for 9 years working as a staff nurse, quality manager and lastly nurse manager. She is joining the Occupational Health Department as their Coordinator of Services. Please join me in wishing her well in her new role and also thanking her for all she has done for hospice in her time here! A Visit from a Friend! For those of you that have been in Hospice awhile, you will remember Alvie Bronson. Alvie has been a volunteer at Lourdes for about 10 years. He and his lovely wife, Eileen, moved to Texas in July of last year to be closer to their son. I was very pleasantly surprised when they both dropped by the office last week. Alvie says the volunteering in a little different there. The training is one day. And, the area is quite large that the Hospice covers. They don t deliver medications (Alvie was one of our drug runners! ) They were in town visiting friends and headed to the Rochester area and taking a leisurely trip back home. It was great to see Alvie. He had a lot of areas that he was interested in to visit he did home, inpatient, nursing home visits and was valuable in the Sacred Watch program. He made Bereavement calls and enjoyed Camp Hope. Did you know? After English, the top 6 languages spoken by patients receiving services at Lourdes are: Spanish Kurdish Russian Italian Vietnamese Bosnian

4 Education Corner: Ways to connect with patients 4 June Birthdays Adriana Rollo 6/3 Doris Roth 6/11 Kit Hartman 6/20 Dan Murphy 6/20 Nicole Newborn 6/28 Rev. Tim Dodd 6/29 July Birthdays Marian Tewksbury 7/3 Jan Fiore 7/13 Laville Williams 7/17 Sr. Mary Catherine Cooney 7/19 Delores Sinchak 7/23 Margit Roder-Walters 7/25 Mary Olshefski 7/26 Jean Schneider 7/28 Gail Abbott 7/31 August Birthdays Val Kelly 8/2 Tricia Titman 8/4 Beth Holden 8/6 Tricia Clowers 8/6 Diane Olivet 8/23 Carmen Mills 8/31 I was asked to include this again in our newsletter. While I don t think any of you lack communication skills, these are a few helpful hints: ASK, DON T TELL Monitor Your airtime. Remember, it s their story. ASK TO LOOK AT PHOTOS If asking to see photos of people seems forward, ask for photos of things the family has mentioned. For example, Do you have any pictures of your garden/cabin/ boat? The patient will likely show you family photos, as well, once you ve seen photos of some of their possessions. ASK FOR THEIR HISTORY An example of questions you might ask to learn more about their personal history would be: Tell me about when you and your husband/wife met. Or What was your first job or Are you a native of this area. ASK ABOUT PRIZED PSSESSIONS Ask about examples of their hobbies that may be on display, or collections and/or books that are displayed on shelves or in bookcases. Also, family photos may be found in bookcases or shelves, as well. ASK ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES As them to talk about their favorite relative. ASK ABOUT THEIR TRADITIONS Ask them if their family celebrates birthdays or how they celebrate the Holidays. ASK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES Ask them if they liked school, if they had any pets or what their happiest memories were of beings a parent, etc.

5 5 Hospice Facts and Figures for May June 2013 May June Inpatient Census 3 2 Nursing Home Census 5 11 Home Census Deaths/Discharges Died in 7 days after admission Died in 30 days after admission Average length of stay % of admits w/cancer diagnosis 32.6% 38% RN visits Home Health Aide visits Social Work visits % of volunteer hours to staff hours 8.8% 8% Death at Home Death at Hospital 12 9 Death at other facility 5 9 What did the Hospice Volunteers do in April, May and June? Task Hours Admission Packets 19 Baskets of Love 30 Bereavement Calls 110 Bereavement Group 50 Bereavement Office 70 Newsletters 60 Delivery of Medications 40 Miscellaneous(meetings, in-services, etc.) 33 Main Office 407 Sewing Gowns 23 Spiritual Care 26 Support to Home Care Patients 315 Support to Hospital Patients 235 Support to Nursing Home Patients 140 Volunteer Office 125 Round Table 30 Sacred Watch 8 Admission Packets 90 Spiritual Care 26 Total 1804 Awesome!!! Priceless!!! Thank you for all that you do for our patients and their families. You are the Foundation of Hospice at Lourdes.

6 6 The Hospice Crossroads Dedication: To Bettye, Gail, Dorothy, and Cheryl for such a rich Hospice training experience and for their friendship Life is a change, which is what I was told years ago in college by one of my professors. Her words have traveled with me throughout life. There have been many crossroads along the way, and one that I took led to Hospice training and eventually the volunteer work that has become so rewarding and meaningful. The volunteer training program was intense, yet heartwarming. Each person looked forward to seeing the others and we were forming new friendships. It was a time of change, and it allowed each of us to develop and share our gifts with those around us. Volunteering at Hospice gave each of us a common thread in our bond of friendship. We shared something that was not tangible, but it knit us together. Because of this experience, we have met many new people in their own crossroads of life. Some of these people walk with us and others we help with gentleness, compassion and dignity to cross the bridge to new roads. Hospice volunteering has been a life changing experience. I know we look forward to the newness of the morning as we consider it a joy to be alive and able to serve. K.A. Gardner Volunteer News Lourdes Hospice Volunteer Office 4102 Old Vestal Road Vestal, NY Phone: Fax: Bcanestaro@lourdes.com 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 September. Please submit all articles and items of interest By August 15.