hospice

[Jimmy Jazz]

I was wondering if anyone here has ever volunteered their services to Hospice, and if so what has your experience been like? Before becoming a massage therapist I was a certified rehabilitation nursing assistant and dealt with patients who were dying. I am considering becoming a volunteer with hospice possibly one day a week. I am interested in knowing what you felt were the upsides and downsides to this. Thanks.

 

[Melonie]

I haven't volunteered at a hospice. However, during my massage education, I was required to do 10 hours of outreach work [as an educational requirement] through a school approved site. I did my 10 hours at a hospice in Dayton, Ohio. It was rewarding, frustrating, uplifting, maddening, exhilirating, and very, very emotionally, spiritually, and personally educational. Patients were assigned to us, and, we were to provide palliative massage for up to 15 mins at a time for those patients. If the patient could only bear 2 mins of our touch, then that's what we did. I was blessed to be able to provide palliative massage to one client's feet when he decided to begin his transition to the other side ---- one of my most memorable massages ever. His dog Sparky came [in energetic body form] and sat by me and barked [you actually heard him bark!] for his master to transfer to the other side. It was lovely being given that opportunity by that gracious man. His wife was angry that my massage gave him the strength to leave his body, but, that was part of the learning process as well.

Other students from the school had similar experiences. The hardest part of the work in hospice is being able to be compassionate without being completely emotional.........

Blessings to you for wanting to do the work at hospice. It's very rewarding.

 

[Henry]

Hospice-and Special Needs

I have never meant to do any hospice work, but I have intentionally sought out clients with special needs. In my experience, some of those clients also happened to be dying from progressive, and quick diseases.

I am so drawn to this type of work and I encourage anyone interested to at least try it. You will probably know immediately if it is something for you.

One of the reasons I enjoy the work is because the people are so very interesting and real to work with. I have also been blessed with clients that have amazing support groups to help them with their disease.

Go for it! I always feel that as a Massage Therapist, and a person, we have a duty to offer our services in some other, not for profit way.

Good luck!