Reply to Any experience you can share with volunteering at a Hospice care provider?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't have specific recommendations for you but I can tell you that this kind of volunteer work is HARD. Very rewarding, but very difficult emotionally.

I've done volunteer work with elderly nursing homes for different organizations and many people were on hospice.

I would say that you need to be strong emotionally and mentally, and be able to compartmentalize (most) of what you see and experience. There can be beautiful, heartwarming moments and there can be moments of distress and horror.

There can be family members who are lovingly helpful in the person's transition, and family members who refuse to be involved at all - despite the wishes of the dying person.

It is hard work but good work. I wish you all the best in finding out if it will fit for you, and thank you for being willing to spend your free time doing hard things. [/quote]

Building on the quoted post, I’d suggest that while looking for opportunities to help, you also assess your resources to “fill back up” when your internal reserves get depleted. The program itself may provide these; the other volunteers and the professional staff may help; you may  need to rely on trusted friends to listen; some people find help in religious community and observances. The point is that if you go in alone and try to do it alone without interior/spiritual backup, you are less likely to have a successful experience. [/quote]

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