Hospice Volunteer Training

On Saturday, Rozanne, Antoinette and I attended the first of two training sessions for hospice volunteers. We're learning about the role of the volunteer as part of an interdisciplinary hospice team that includes the doctor, nurse, social worker, and spiritual counselors as well as home health aides.

We did several exercises, first to break the ice by speaking with our neighbors and then introducing them to the group. Another exercise involved verbal versus nonverbal communication. A nurse spoke to us about her role in the hospice team, and a social worker spoke about what he does. We also heard testimonials from two young women who have already been volunteering with the hospice patients.

It sounds challenging but, I hope, rewarding also. We are joining in with this effort as part of the BHC's commitment to work with veterans, and we expressed a particular interest in the Visiting Nurse's "A Few Good Men" program for veterans in hospice.

At the conclusion of the training we watched the Nightline interves with Ted Koppel and Morrie Schwartz, the subject of Mitch Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie. Morrie was a remarkable man, able to reach out of his terminal illness and tell millions of people his version of the most important things in life. He stressed over and over again that we need to talk about death and not hide from it or prevent the dying person from talking about his or her impending death. He stressed the central importance of love, and of being open. All this, at a time when the dying person is often withdrawing from the world, getting ready to die.

We'd all love to walk into the home of a person in hospice, and find a Morrie to connect with, to learn from, and to be inspired by. That's not likely to happen, but we do hope for some connection. I'd have to say my preconceived notion is that the veteran might ask me to record his memoirs, and I would sit at the bedside and type away on my little Neo, creating a record of his life for his family to cherish. But that might be just as unlikely as walking into another Morrie's bedroom, and I will do what's needed where I am sent.

Next week is the final segment of the training. We received a looseleaf binder with information to read up on, and an application to fill out and hand back to the volunteer coordinator. After that, I'm expecting we will receive assignments. We've been invited to attend a volunteer support group and the monthly interdisciplinary team meetings. And next week at the training, we'll be eating lunch the BHC way: potluck!

Three and possibly four more BHC members could not make it to the January training but are planning to attend it in February instead. So we should have several people involved in this work who can share what we are doing with the rest of the group.