Serendipity brought me to
Casa de la Luz as a volunteer. After having searched listings online for
appealing, available volunteer positions, Casa was put on my list of
possibilities. A few days later, an article about Casa appeared in our
local newspaper, and, after reading it, I decided that it must be a sign that
this was the one for me.
Having worked as a K-12 educator
and librarian my entire professional life, I really felt the need to do
something with an older population. Also, my mother had spent the last
few weeks of her life in a hospice-like facility for terminal cancer patients,
so choosing hospice work just seemed to be the perfect way to pay tribute to
her.
Going through the Casa training
program was enlightening, challenging, and extremely informative, with no sugar
coating of what we would be dealing with. In that sense, one really gets a good
idea of whether this volunteer work is something they truly want to be involved
in. I finished my training in November of 2009, excited yet a bit unsure of
whether or not I would be able to rise to the challenge.
My time with Casa over the past two
years has included visiting patients in their home or facility as well as the
Inpatient Unit, bereavement volunteering, and being available at the memorial services and
conferences.
Most of my time with in-home
patients has been long-term, spanning several months. Listening to the
stories of their lives and loves, sharing in their past and helping them face
the future have been unforgettable and deeply moving experiences. I
recall one of my mother’s nurses sharing that she had learned so much from my
mother as she was dying and now, I truly understand what she meant by
that. Each visit with a patient is a unique experience and as long as we
keep ourselves open to receiving from them whatever they have to offer, without
judgment and with unconditional acceptance, the rewards are immeasurable.
With my in-home, coherent patients,
I try to focus on their likes, interests, and strengths, steering the conversation
toward those things, bringing magazines about their interests, playing music
that they enjoy, and maybe putting together a memoir of their life. With
patients who are unable to communicate fully, I often read to them or play
music and sometimes even sing along. Somehow, music seems to awaken
something deep within them, often eliciting a smile even from those not fully
awake.
Another rewarding part of
volunteering is getting to know the caregivers who often rely on the volunteers
for their own healing journey and respite from day to day care. I often
spend a bit of time chatting with them as well when I visit. They truly
need the companionship as much as the patients.
At the IPU, I really find peace in
sitting with those close to death, focusing very hard on just being in the
moment with them. I find it to be a very personal, spiritual, and deeply
gratifying experience.
Of course, the volunteer experience
would not be as rewarding without the support of the volunteer coordinator and
her assistant. They go above and beyond to assure that our needs and
concerns are addressed and dealt with, always in a timely manner. They are an
amazing team.
I feel so grateful
for having found something that is truly fulfilling, offers so much in terms of
teachable moments, and helps in the understanding and acceptance of death in a
positive, affirming way.
by Kathy Little, Volunteer
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