Hospice and Me

I'm starting 2012 with a new venture. I've decided to volunteer with the Hospice organization here in Central New York. Today I had an interview with the volunteer coordinator, I guess to see if I was qualified. I was a little nervous...what are the appropriate qualifications for a hospice volunteer?  would I be found acceptable?  I figured they would ask why I was interested in doing this and had given my answer some thought. It required thought, because I wasn't exactly sure myself.  Here are the elements that went into my decision:
1. I study gerontology and the health of older people. Although I do this in a very detached, abstract way, I've become increasingly interested in "real people." Maybe because I'm getting older myself?
2. I've been deeply influenced by the stories I hear from others in my Brookdale network--about their direct care experiences and how those experiences have influenced their lifes and research.
3. My weekly lunches with my retired colleague have shown me the value, for both of us, in having someone friendly with whom to have lunch, visit, and talk.
4. I think every person has a right to be cared for and cared about. I think we owe each other that attention.
5. I feel like I am someone who is good in difficult situations, in crises. I think I have a cool head and can be a stabilizing influence in some situations.

Another reason, that I didn't mention in the interview, is that I feel I am increasingly interested in having connections with people, having meaningful relationships.  I doubt that any individual hospice experience will provide that, but over time I think the cumulation of experiences will be valuable.  I think it is part of my new spiritual sense of the connectedness of people.

I guess I passed the interview, though, because the coordinator told me that going through their regular 8 weeks of volunteer training would be a waste of my time. Instead, she and I will meet a few times and go over some of the basics and then they will turn me loose.

Some things I learned about hospice today.  Hospice is required to have volunteers. When the legislation authorizing Medicare coverage for hospice care was passed it included a provision that Hospice organizations must include volunteers. There is a certain percentage of their hours of care that must be provided by volunteers.  The other thing, that I sort of knew, but was interested to hear was that 35% of the patients admitted to hospice are in hospice care for less than a week.

So, look for regular updates...