Volunteering at a hospice - what treatments do you offer?

[Giacomo]

I start as a volunteer holistic therapist today at my local hospice- slightly anxious i guess as not used to work in that kind of enviroment and of course working in a hospice you don't get the patients to sign consultation forms. i know its like starting any job the first days are the worst. At the time of my interview about Sept last year I shawdowed another HT for a couple of hours, I know she was there to show me the ropes, but she was quite over powering at times. I wasn't able to start on my planned date due to a family death. If you are working at a hospice what treatments do you offer the patients? Do you work in a day centre or on a ward or a mixture of both? When I had my interview the hospice were keen for me to do IHM treatments, although I am keen to do Reiki too. Since having the interview I have since got another qualification in Thai Foot and Hand Massage (when i was there the ht was a reflexlogist, but she literally gave the patients a quick 10 minutes general foot massage), i will of course discuss it when at the hospice, but thought that some patients might like a light hand massage....

I will be working both in the day centre and on the ward. What treatments do you offer and how long do you do the treatments for? ie if I am doing Reiki I would plan about 20 mins.

 

[BOB ARYAN]

Hi there, can't really help with any of your professional questions, but I wanted to wish you luck. That sounds so rewarding. I'm sure I know the hospice you mean and I have personal experience of a relative staying there. The staff and volunteers were all so helpful and caring, I'm sure they will make you really welcome and help you to settle in. I always donate to them at Christmas

Just from personal opinion, I definitely think hand massages would be appreciated. I hate anyone touching my feet and I know a few people who are the same. But I get RSI so a hand massage is lovely. I am sure patients with conditions like arthritis would really appreciate a gentle hand massage. Also it might be preferred by people who are more reserved, or as an introduction to massage for patients who have never had any treatment like that before.

Have a great day, look forward to hearing how it went!

 

[Kat W]

Hi Nijiiro

Thank you for your thoughts, I will let you know how it goes. i think it will be very rewarding, my dad was at the hospice a few days before he died and their care was really good (can't believe he has been gone almost 5 years) hence when i trained in to Holistic Therapies besides setting up my own business I decided it would be nice to give something back to the community as well. Yes the hospice is the one that you are thinking about. I will be volunteering there twice a month

thanks again, will post later on how it went.

 

[wall]

Each place must have its own rules/regulations as the hospice I volunteered at would not allow me to do IHM only Reiki. Have they not provided you with a set of guidelines? I had a pile of paperwork.

Nevertheless, once you get started it is rewarding and I'm sure you will enjoy it - good luck.

Blessings

Helen

 

[Noibousia]

Hi Helen

the only paperwork i have had is on health and safety and what you must wear/not wear, ie flat shoes, sandals not allowed. the shadowing experience and a brief walk around the day centre and ward.

do you still volunteer at the hospice, if not did you do it for long? did you enjoy it and find it rewarding?

best wishes
Sarah-Jane

 

[Jetta]

That's such a lovely thing to do in your father's memory. And volunteering is so good for all involved. I was a volunteer youth worker in Medway for 4 years and now I volunteer for a charity helping the brightest children from the slums of Kenya to receive a secondary education. I'm sure I get far more out of it than they do!

By the way, we have even more in common than location - I didn't realise you were a Sarah-Jane. I'm a Sara Jayne!

 

[Charlie A]

And I'm Helen Jane! Yes Sarah-Jane I did enjoy it, although the charity I was volunteering for did have a number of restrictions e.g. I couldn't actually treat areas where there was a known issue (e.g. site of a tumour etc.), I could not take on the patient or any of their friends or family members as a client until at least 18 months after they had been discharged. (I could understand the reasoning behind this) and I had to provide evidence of training in my therapies and current insurance.

I am taking a break from it at the moment as my other job has become more demanding, bit I hope I can return to it later in the year.

I'm sure you will find it very rewarding. I found it made me appreciate my own health & well-being much more and I was completely in awe of some of the people I met & how they handled their illness.

 

[Faith4jesus]

Hiya
I've been volunteering at my local hospice for four years. I'm mostly on the day unit but do go through to the wards when needed. The only treatment i'm not allowed to do is hot stones. During a morning I can do anything from reflexology and head massage right through to people sometimes just wanting their nails painted and a hand massage. The staff say I don't have to paint nails if I don't want to but often that's what people want and it gives them the chance to have a chat and get to know you. I then find they'll have a different treatment the following week.

Hope your day went well.

 

[bloggingtothebank]

thats such a nice thing to do Atlantic pearl I hope your day went well. It is always a bit strange to start something new but I am sure you will enjoy it as will those who recieve your treatments, whatever they will be. I spent some time working in a nursing home, and with people with m.s./strokes etc and terminally ill children, not as a therapist because i only qualified last year but what i found with most people i worked with that 1. they are happy to have someone spend quality time with them, 2. they just want to be treated the same and not pitied, 3. touch is very powerful and sometimes just holding someones hand for 10 mins can be more benefical and have much more healing qualities than other interventions. The best of luck with it i am sure you will be great.

 

[OttDanuaie]

Just an update. I spent 5 hours at the hospice working in their day centre did treatments on 4 people.. Mostly I did back, shoulder and neck massage, also hand massages & one foot massage. The ladies were more keen then the men to have a treatment! I was the only HT there so have a room to work in which is nice. The therapy room has an electric couch, shiny ball, a water tube which changes colour and something else for colour. everyone enjoyed their treatments which is good. the day centre is not open Good Friday so I won't be back again until May as I will be there twice a month.

 

[Bovril]

Atlanticpearl I am pleased to hear the room was set up suitably. 5 or so years ago I did some Reflexology in a cottage type hospital, the room was utterley awful, just any old general Doctors treatment room, medical instruments lying around, piles of reminders that this was a hospital. I wish people would realise giving Holistic Therapies IMO comes as a whole package, if the ambience is not right I don't feel things flow the way they should. I wish hospitals/hospices could all have a dedicated room, soft lighting, lovely pictures on the walls, basically a room that is a zillion miles physically and psychologically away from anything medical.

 

[jeebs]

Couldn't agree more Jeannie - people can get so much more out of a treatment if the room it takes place in is nice. We're lucky because the hospice i'm at has just rebuilt the day unit so we have two purpose built rooms. I'm seeing them for the first time next week and can't wait.

 

[Duke]

I volunteer at a hospice, I love it, day services and not IPU, I am allowed to do Aromatherapy, Massage, Feet and Hands Massage and Reflexology, there are hospice guidelines in place and I have a particular Reflex routine to follow, and also can only use the EO's they provide, there is a therapy room to use, but most of them want to stay and chat to the others while being treated, obviously massage is done upstairs in the therapy room.

P.S am not allowed to do Indian Head Massage, too powerful

 

[USAF0314]

Jeannie

That sounded an awful environment that you had to work in - the last thing people want to see i would think is hospital related things. In the therapy room it has a lovely ambience, the water tube I really like, as its water bubbles changing colours and its very relaxing, I don't personally like the tiny lights that reflect on the ceiling as they go roudn they make one feel a bit off! but everything can be controlled individually which is great.

 

[Gigi the teeth]

JoJo

Thanks for your reply. creams and lotions are provided or i can use my own, it its in a pump its fine if its in a jar then you have to scoop out with something and put in a little container for use. I did notice in the cupboard that they have some EO's, remember seeing grape.

Can I ask how you cope with the "smell" or maybe you are lucky and everyone is ok. not everyone has the smell, but one person is really bad and when you get near you think you are going to throw up...which doesn't help!

best wishes

 

[Pitbull]

Hi Doolin

Thanks for your reply. It was a hard day in some respects but enjoyable in many. Yes it felt very strange, the first person I offered a treatment too refused and gave me his views about HT being no good, etc! I moved quickly on. the other people enjoyed their treatment and its good to help make them feel special, have a treatment chat if they like or just relax. I agree its very important to treat them as a person and not different, I learnt this a few years ago when my partner was ill he used to say "I have Cancer but apart from it eating me away, I am no different to you or anyone and pleae don't treat me different".

 

[Girl of the Wolves]

I've enjoyed reading this thread because I've been thinking of volunteering at a hospice too.

When my Dad was terminally ill I could do very little for him in hospital except be there. One day he told me that his feet were aching from being in bed. I offered to rub them for him and was totally shocked when he agreed because although he was a lovely Dad he was not a tactile person.

I asked a nurse if it was OK and then massaged his feet and popped to the hospital shop & bought him a couple of pairs of soft sport socks and popped a pair on. I could not believe how relaxed he became and he just flopped back on his pillows and let me do it.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, this made me decide to go off and do a course on Massage some time later, and then a shorter course in IHM.

There are 2 hospices in our county but both are approx 2 hours round trip driving.

I also remember a few years ago I was in a small cottage hospital for a small op and a Red Cross Volunteer came round and offered me a relaxing hand massage and manicure. Very nice it was too.

 

[jenineschatz]

Hi Twohoots

For me volunteering in the hospice is early days, I have only been there once so far (I will be volunteering twice a month), I don't drive so for me to get there its a taxi journey of around £13 (20 mins) or two buses £5 (around 75 mins with the walk as well). A friend will pick me up afterwards when they finish work around 5.30...I do have the option of working both in the day centre and on the ward and I wouuld like to do both in time.

I did approach also McMillian as they had opened a new centre at the local hospital (this was last year, I had a brief meeting and they asked me to send leaflets...the meeting was just as I happened to be at the hospital I called into that unit to enquire about volunteering), well I sent the info and did a follow up letter and to this day no one has bothered to contact me...at the hospice a therapist that i shadowed, she said contacted them and never heard from them...

Touch for people in hospital/hospices I believe is very important...some maybe don't get any visitors and I am sure others in the hospital would have loved their feet massaged.

Do you have a local hospital where they might be able to use your services, just a suggestion?

 

[JonasSupaFan15]

Have they offered you training in how to adapt the treatments for your patients? As has been mentioned, most places have their own Operational Policies which explain which treatments you can use, how to adapt them and when they are appropriate (when they can be treated around chemo and radio and operations will vary greatly and also the therapy you can use). Most hospices will give you specific training on this, as it can dispel a lot of the questions and uncertainties when working in this area. The Policy is important as it will cover you and how you work, so if they don't have one, they can ask other Hospices to view theirs and write one based on that. It is red tape but very important.

Wards are hard work, in my experience, it can be more demanding simply because you have to slop in between mealtimes, administration of drugs, rounds and visitors. But very rewarding indeed. You also need to have support in how to treat people in beds and things like that, it's easy to wriggle into a funny position to work only to regret it later..


Hope that you enjoy it, it's probably the thing I had the most enjoyment from as a therapist, it's so rewarding and you meet some incredible and inspiring people.