Help raise awareness of hospice services so those in need benefit earlier from great care that focuses on living.
Go to the Regency Hospice - Hiawassee Face Book page and click on "Like".
Easy, free, and helpful. You can't beat that combination!
I think after you see the pictures of the dream come true for an 84 year old lady, you can't help but "Like" this page.
Go to this page and click "LIKE"
There have been times when the hospice volunteer training program took a back seat to my other responsibilities. I sat down tonight to grade the final essays of some recent trainees and the most amazing thing happened.
The tiredness of the day took a turn. I was almost in tears just trying to decide on what to cook for dinner and then I read the essays.
"I wish I had know all this when my mother was dying"
"I will be a better communicator"
"I am a nurse but also a volunteer"
"I am a street preacher and want to do as much as I can to help others".
Service, Service, Service!
All around my are people doing everything they can to learn about hospice care, enthusiastically wanting to be of service....and I complain of being tired???
I developed the course with many intentions but the results have surprised me many times over. I am continually blessed to read the heart felt statements and authenticity of intention that pours from those who take the course, digest the meaning and deliver a true desire to serve.
I hope I can grow up to take the right path just as they have done. I am truly blessed.
Another point for using hospice. Social workers and case managers can help us as caregivers come to terms with the feelings that we can't deal with the death of a loved one at home.
A social worker once spent time with the wife of a patient who said she did not want her husband to die at home. "Please make sure it happens in a hospital".
The husband said he wanted to be at home but knew his wife could not handle it.
I wonder when we will be able to accept the death of a loved one at home? I certainly don't want to experience it but if my husband wants to be at home when he passes, that is where he will be and I hope he can do the same for me. Fortunately, we are not having to make that decision at this time of our lives so it is a perfect time to discuss it.
What's your thoughts about someone you love dying in their own home?
Hospice Volunteer Training Online - VC FAQ on Prezi
A quick demo for hospice volunteer coordinators.
Anyone in hospice service will tell you they have been asked by a family or a patient the question "how long?" and we all have our own personalized responses which most often include?
No one knows without a doubt how long they will live. I could leave this room and be in an accident and lose my life long before you lose yours.
Once familiar with their nurse, a family may here that the time is drawing near. "Better call in the family".
I am completely filled with gratitude and awe for the words spoken by a physician's assistant recently to a patient and his family when confronted with the "how long?" question.
The patient, male, middle aged, and not ready to hear the harsh answer asked the P.A. after a lengthy discussion about his cancer how long it would be (before he dies). The family sat still and the patient waited knowingly and yet also displayed reserve and lack of knowing.
"When you were born, your mother carried you for 9 months before you came into this world. It's time now, son, for you to begin the journey back to the source. It is what it is and you need to prepare to go back there."
While the trajectory of the illness gives the doctor a great clue to how long someone will live, it does not address the appropriate communication to family and the patient at different intervals of the intial news.
Whatever your opinion of this response, I believe there will come a time when a family and patients would find great comfort in such sentiments.
After all, we are all returning to the source; plant, animal, or human we are in that wonderful cycle of life and I am grateful for those who hold our hands on this journey.
Celebrations occur at a variety of milestones; birth, graduation, weddings, life remembrances.
Attending the 50th wedding anniversary of my husband's sister and her husband, it was easy to
realize what causes a golden wedding anniversary to be so special. 
Like hospice patients, celebrations in life culminate from the relationships formed during
the years. The people who cry, laugh and support you and place judgment anywhere but
on you remain permanently etched in your heart.
their impressions of how you have added value to their lives through your relationship.
same panel where she will be discussing her book. If you have read this piece, it drastically
defines the hospice nurse as cold hearted. I know that there was a dual lens of perception in this encounter.
The sweetest hospice nurse on earth is still an icon of impending death. I wonder if all that
might change if we treated each hospice patient the same way my family celebrated the
50 golden years of marriage of our loved ones. There was story telling, hugging and laughter,
and lots of "Do you remember when we....?"
I am sure a lot of hospice staff work diligently to make this happen with their patients but
if not, I would ask that we look closely at life celebrations. Let's learn to hug, laugh, and value
more the person with whom we are blessed to be in their presence.
If death is really a part of living, then celebrating can occur anytime along the way. It's up
to us to invite ourselve to the party.
Learn to celebrate the life of hospice patients by becoming a hospice volunteer. Start training now.
Create a stamp to promote hospice awareness.
November 2011 is Hospice Awareness month. Too soon to talk about it?
As 2010 drew to a close, this video with representation from many people
regarding what hospice means gave me time to think about other
creative ways to promote hospice awareness.
Is it possible to have hospices and communities create their
own products to promote awareness of this wonderful, life
affirming benefit called hospice?
So here's the contest:
Create a stamp to promote hospice awareness.
Promote it everywhere including in a reply back to
this post. The best stamp submitted wins.
If we can get a decent collection of possibilities then
I will post the stamps on a web page with a poll to vote.
No prize but lots of rewards for getting the word out.
Okay - what is your design? Post your link here
in a reply to this post. I can't wait to see what
folks can come up with.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
Volunteers choose to serve and I believe that following this wonderful verse, the volunteer can only increase the satisfaction of patients, families, and themselves.
Hospice Volunteer Training Online
http://volunteertrainingonline.com/courses
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