Two to Make a Thing Go Right

Yet another unforeseen pleasure in my job has been watching our volunteers become colleagues to one another. In multiple instances over the past year, some have teamed up to be of collective service to our hospice patients. Not only do they see their patients and submit their visit notes, they also coordinate with one another to stay in-sync in the care they are offering. Two recent examples come to mind with teams Erin and Rene and Ilyse & Gretta. As a result, their respective patients frequently receive 2, 3 and 4 volunteer visits each week -- including, but not limited to, massage, Reiki, Comfort Touch, companionship and laundry (EVERY Saturday at 7:30 AM by request of the patient....). 

These are situations where the patients are intensely lonely and/or alone, young, scared -- or agitated and uncomfortable. The sense of pride and awe I regularly feel in being witness to this collaboration of goodness is extraordinary! 

Here is a recent excerpt from the note written by volunteer Ilyse:

Initially we tried the patient's massage with him semi-reclining in his bed, but he quickly became uncomfortable and breathless in that position. Roseanne, Agape Nurse, was so helpful in calming him, helping him find his "peaceful place" after we had transferred him to the rolling chair. With his afternoon meds, soft New Age music, and Roseanne's coaching, the patient relaxed with the gentle chair massage work. After about 25 minutes he asked to lie down again because, as only this patient could express so perfectly, "That would be ungodly good." So we lowered the head of the bed slightly to a 30 degree angle and used just one pillow( plus the U-shaped neck pillow) and he was able to rest comfortably while I did gentle manual lymph drainage on his legs and feet...and finally he slept.

With deep appreciation for all our volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week ~ and always....
Beth Kelley