beginnings
how I got started | I was working on a dual diagnosis detox
hospital unit as a Nursing Mental Health Worker, when one of my
co-workers asked if I would like to help him open a hospice "facility". I
had no idea what a hospice was. Boy was I in for a huge surprise. But
it turned out to be right up my alley in terms of what my passions in
life are.
inspiration
why this job?| There are several inspirations. I was a funeral
directors assistant in my early 20s. Then, in my late 20s I was on my
death bed from a heart problem, which made me want to work in the
medical field. I am a natural born caregiver. I love working with
people, especially people who are in need of a compassionate caring word
or hand during difficult times.
love
why I love this job!| why I love this job!| Working with amazing
and wonderful volunteers, from every walk of life and every background,
who give of themselves freely and are compassionate like I am. Secondly,
working with the patients and their loved ones is very fulfilling. They
usually are very grateful for the help and assistance. And lastly, the
freedom to be very creative with the volunteer programs. I have created
programs such as but not limited to: No One Dies Alone for patients who
don't have family or friends to be with them at their time of death,
Therapy dog volunteers, Crochet lap blankets, Art and Crafts for
patients holidays & birthdays etc, Alternative therapy volunteers
such as Reiki, Massage, Aroma therapy, Music therapy, Art therapy, Life
story recordings & Visitor volunteers who visit isolated patients in
their own homes or convalescent homes...Just to name a few.
work
my typical day| A typical day| There's no such thing as "typical"
but some examples of things I do during my day include: documenting
volunteer visits to patients, coordinate, manage and run volunteer
orientations, solve problems as they come up, check to find out if a
patient has died, notify the volunteer and do bereavement counseling as
necessary, write ads to recruit volunteers. Its part desk job, part
visiting patients and their loved ones on supervisory visits with
volunteers. Every day is different.
challenges
what they are | Sometimes it is a challenge getting enough
volunteers to fill all the different requests and having enough
volunteer "hours" to cover the 5% cost saving analysis. Another
challenge is having enough volunteers to cover all the many different
cities and languages that we serve.
upside
all about growth | It's a fulfilling job with lots of potential
for growth, expansion and personal development, and I get to do it while
doing the things that Iā€™m passionate about, like spirituality,
teaching, creating, meeting and working with new people all the time.
More Info
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