Duke Hospice Volunteers
Caring for our patients, their loved ones, and each other
Duke Hospice Volunteer Newsletter
December 2011
This month we highlight Excellence, one of the five supporting values of the core value statement of Duke University Health System, as it relates to the Duke Hospice volunteer program. If you look around the living room of one of our hospice patients at this time of year, you would see scores of photographs of the patient with her husband and Santa Claus. Their tradition of making a trip to Santa for their annual photo has included in the last few years the paid caregiver who attends our patient’s personal needs. This year, however, would be different. The patient is no longer able to venture out to meet Santa on his turf at a local mall. Enter Robin Tilley, DHCH CNA, and Duke Hospice volunteers. With a few phone calls, Carolyn Colsher was able to contact a VERY CLOSE friend of Santa’s (volunteer Bryce Bates), who arranged for a visit from the jolly old elf the next day with a photographer during the caregiver’s shift so that the photos could go on. Was this expected or necessary? Absolutely not. But it went a long way in helping the patient live fully as long as she lives and making one more happy Christmas memory for her husband. Thank you to all of our outstanding volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty everyday for our patients and our staff! Ho, ho, ho!
Congratulations to our very own Leanne Joyce, recently named 2011 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy by the NC Triangle Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Leanne is a student at Culbreth Middle School and has raised funds to purchase material for the Care Blanket project that provides cuddly fleece blankets to children suffering a loss in their family as well as funds for our Gifts of Words program. “Sometimes people just want to know that there are people out there who care,” she says. And it’s nice to know that Duke Hospice volunteers come in all ages.
Duke Hospice Volunteer Continuing Education Opportunities:
The Duke Hospice Book Group has picked its next reading project: Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die by David Kessler. This book was previewed in the December 2010 Continuing Education essay on “Near-Death and Shared Death Experiences” and many of Kessler’s anecdotes resonate with anyone who has spent much time with people who are actively dying. Come join in the conversation Thursday, December 8, 6 p.m., at the Durham office. If you are interested in participating, please contact Rana McCutchen Davis at (919) 943-6604 or . The Book Group has a great deal of fun and learns a lot from these gathering. . Check it out. We are also looking for suggestions for books to read in 2012.
.The Playmakers Repertory company’s Spotlight on Service 2011-2012 season moves on with the “relentlessly intense” (Variety), “abundant alarming humor” (New York Times) of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” from November 30 – December 18. If you are a Playmakers regular, you’ll be pleased to hear that Julie Fishell and Ray Dooley will play the leads in this Tony and Drama Critics award-winning play. So how do you get a pair of free tickets to the show? We are notified late Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning if tickets are available for selected performances during the week and you must contact the Playmakers box office by Wednesday at 5 to reserve them. If you want to be notified when tickets become available and do not already receive our e-mail, please contact Carolyn to add your name for this season. The Spotlight on Service program is a gift to our volunteers and is limited by the last-minute availability of unsold tickets. Please keep in mind that tickets are available on an irregular basis and may not be available at times that are convenient for you. If you would like to attend one of these performances on a specific date, you are advised to purchase tickets for those occasions to guarantee a ticket.
The Norovirus is no longer a hypothetical threat; it has struck our volunteer staff. Norovirus is a highly contagious illness characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, fatigue, muscle and headache. Because it can spread rapidly in closed environments, nursing homes are especially at risk. As with flu, hand hygiene is particularly important in preventing the spread of this virus. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers may be helpful, but are not a substitute for washing your hands with soap and water. If you become infected, do not do any food preparation; clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces using bleach-based household cleaners; and wash contaminated laundry thoroughly. And stay home until you are well (from 24-60 hours).
The Duke HomeCare & Hospice Annual Lights of Remembrance will be held on the Meadowlands campus the evening of Tuesday, December 13, 2011. This event provides a unique opportunity for each of us to remember and celebrate those who have died, but remain forever in our hearts. Luminaries, honoring those who have gone before us, will be lit in celebration of the love and light that these folks brought into our lives. Memorial placards inscribed with a tribute authored by family and friends will be placed with the luminaries, and can be taken home as a keepsake of this beautiful evening. Please contact Dale Horton at or (919) 479-0318 if you would like more information or wish to purchase one or more luminaries.
It may seem like the seasonal holidays go on forever, but take out your brand-new 2012 calendar and pencil in The January Admission Packet Assembly (aka PAPER SLAM!) workday. It is coming up Saturday, January 7 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Durham office. Call Carolyn if you would like to participate. This is a low investment / high impact project we undertake almost every month to keep the paper flow in the agency running smoothly. In addition to the good time we have, this monthly chore is critical to the functioning of Duke HomeCare & Hospice, and our clinicians thank you profoundly. Please grab a friend or two and join us. Snacks are on us!
All of the programs at DHCH have continuing needs for administrative volunteers to help them process the flood of paperwork that accompanies their work with patients in the community. Many of these tasks can be accomplished with very little training by men and women over the age of 16 who have a little time to contribute. Carolyn will be happy to hook you up with a task that suits your skills and interests.
On-going need: Follow-up calls to discharged patients to offer support and get information on patient / family perception of care. Through all of its programs, Duke HomeCare & Hospice strives to give extraordinary care to our patients and families. One of the ways we evaluate our efforts is through the Press Ganey Satisfaction Survey that each family is asked to complete when their patient goes off service (for whatever reason). In conjunction with this we are exploring a pilot program to have volunteers call everyone discharged from our hospice and home health programs. These calls can be made evenings and weekends from your home or weekdays from our office. If you have some time to give to this project, the agency could certainly use your help.
If you are interested in participating in Care Shawl meetings in 2012, please let Carolyn know. We are looking for input on the best days and times for meetings in the coming year. As you may know, this is one of our most popular volunteer activities. Some patient is waiting for your gift of love to lift his or her spirits.
New volunteer opportunities:
Volunteer pianists are needed to share their music by playing the grand piano located in the library at Hock Family Pavilion. This generous gift from MaryAnn and Herb Fuchs will allow music to float through the building and brighten the lives of all it touches. If you have the skill to bring this lovely instrument to life, please give Carolyn a call. We are so grateful that Helen Wolfson continues to share her talents on the hammered dulcimer and chimes by providing music at the bedside. Our patients and their families rave about her. Other volunteers who would like to complete patient / family support volunteer training and share their musical talents (voice or instrument) are also being sought. Keep your ears open for a talented, kind-hearted person who could give a couple of hours of playing time to our patients.
Additional credentialed touch therapy (Healing Touch and REIKI) practitioners for both Hock Family Pavilion and Meadowlands and massage therapy volunteers (a new therapy we would like to offer) for HFP are being sought. The pilot complementary therapy program has truly made a positive difference for our patients, families and staff and we are excited about continuing to grow the program. Jean Bollinger, a nurse clinician at Hock Family Pavilion and a former hospice volunteer, has a passion for the benefits of complementary therapy and is dedicated to providing leadership for this program. If you have questions or want to find out how to get involved, please contact Carolyn Colsher.
We are continuing to update our Compliance and Confidentiality certifications during December, as well as updating our personal information files. If you have not received your self-study guides and forms, please check with Carolyn. Packets will be available at the volunteer gathering Sunday, December 4 or can be mailed or e-mailed to you.
News from the DHCH development department:
The 2011 Duke Hospice Annual Report has been sent to our donors. And in addition to the news about the good work of Duke Hospice and its supporters in the community, much to our delight, it features David Kennedy for his volunteer work with Camp ReLEAF and our other family support programs.
The 10th annual “Oh, What a Night!” Gala will be held June 2, 2012 at the Washington Duke Inn with entertainment provided by the Craig Woolard Band (Craig was the 2010 Carolina Beach Music Male Vocalist of the Year). This annual event raises funds to support hospice services and we need your help to make it possible! By becoming a committee member, you can help us secure sponsorships, solicit both silent and live auction items and goodies for the gift bags, or help with decorations / layout of the venue. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Michael Lowery at or (919) 479-0319.
If you are going to be out of town or become ill and cannot visit your patient, please give Carolyn a heads up. She can sometimes arrange for another volunteer to check in on your patient during your time away from your normal routine. Always take time to refresh your energies when you need to and come back to us and your hospice work with vigor.
Please join us Sunday, December 4, 1-5 p.m., at the home of Carolyn Colsher for our Annual Duke Hospice Holiday Open House and Meet ‘n’ Greet Reception for Janine Cacciatore, the new director of Duke Hospice. We will network with other volunteers, have a chance to meet Janine, and eat some tasty snacks. Please RSVP to Carolyn if you would like to join us.
A RESOURCE FOR YOU Continuing Education for December: “How to Help a Grieving Loved One during the Holidays” from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and Six Simple Steps to a Stress Free Holiday Season: Proven Expert Advice from Duke Integrative Medicine.
For more information contact:
Carolyn Colsher, DHCH Volunteer Services Supervisor
(919) 479-0385 (phone) (919) 970-0227 (pager)
Website: dhch.duhs.duke.edu
Compassion is not religious business, it is human business. It is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability; it is essential for human survival. --The 14th Dalai Lama
And thank you, as always, for everything you do for our patients and families. Carolyn
Mission Statement: Duke HomeCare & Hospice will provide innovative, thoughtful care, using an interdisciplinary team approach, to achieve the best possible outcomes for the patients, families and communities we serve.
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