Last night I completed hospice volunteer training for the second time. The first time I did the training was a few years ago, for a hospice that was not connected with a hospital. My Wednesday evenings were spent in that location for just over two years, but then I needed to take a break.
The class I completed last night is for hospice in a clinical, hospital setting. It's going to be different. While many of the rules and regulations are the same, there are a few requirements that really gave me pause to reconsider the idea of volunteering in this new setting. Just a for instance-- yesterday I had to get a PPD shot, and had to sign a waiver declining flu and hepatitis vaccinations. While I understand the reasoning behind the shots and vaccines, the idea of them is not a comfortable one for me. It IS a hospital, so I get the need to have everyone disease free, but we weren't required to have any shots at the other hospice.
Dementia was the final topic discussed in training last night, with an introduction to Validation Theory and the work of Naomi Feil. After watching a video of Mrs. Feil sharing an INCREDIBLE interaction with a woman with dementia, tears filled my eyes and I was left speechless. By using her method of validation, Mrs. Feil was able to reach deep and make contact with a woman who had basically shut down to the world around her. By the end of their encounter the woman was keeping time to the song being sung to her, making eye contact, and even speaking the words to the song. Wow. I want to learn more.
I am anxious to get back into the swing of things. And yet...also a little trepidatious about the more clinical surroundings of the hospital. I also think about how there are necessary barriers to put in place that I didnt give the proper respect to before. This training has put a lot more emphasis on boundaries, and I am thankful for that. The next session I'm signed up for is Eleventh Hour Volunteer Training on August 18th. Something that is really awesome about working with a huge hospital is that they are very organized and are always offering continued education classes. And there is always more to learn.
