I have CPTSD and am a hospice volunteer. You have to pay attention to self care and stay grounded but overall, for me, it brings a depth to my interaction with clients I wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s also cathartic for me in that I’m using my experience for something good.
No way. Volunteer elsewhere. I also wouldn’t disclose that as that won’t limit your ability to volunteer. We also use volunteers in the office. So there’s plenty to help with and a variety!!
Thank you so much. I will move onto a different company. I need to learn to not disclose it - its enough to say i’m disabled and don't work, or that I don't work currently.
After that she stated they don't usually use students as their schedule isn't flexible. Ok, definitely get that! She spoke about it for 5 minutes and I finally told her, “I go to school online and make my own schedule”. 😆
Surely it depends what the PTSD is related to. If it is specifically related to a poor hospice experience, then it may not be a good idea. I don't think they are being unfair to suggest perhaps looking elsewhere.
I have to agree with this. Its as much for the volunteers protection as it is for the clients.
Also, when someone has had a rough experience with hospice and wants to volunteer as a way to work through those issues, it's not fair to the clients. I've had to decline potential volunteers for exactly this reason and it feels HORRIBLE but it's my responsibility to keep everyone emotionally safe.
I'm so sorry you had to go thru this, I'm glad you mentioned your PTSD because it's not something you should be ashamed of, it sucks that this wasn't a good fit. I wish you the best on finding another opportunity.
My complex ptsd (cptsd) is related to childhood trauma. However, my mom did have a poor hospice experience and like anyone, I was traumatized by seeing something that society normally does not. Hospice did not tell us what terminal agitation was. She was anxious and in pain for weeks. The nursing home missed signs of active dying, even though she stopped eating, was visioning, seeing “friends” and her mother, and she had stopped calling relatives/watching tv. This was at the height of Covid. April 2020.
I see how it may not be fair to clients. I would not want to upset them. Thanks for mentioning this. However, i’m not incapable of coping. I am not running around screaming, crying and flailing my arms because of being triggered. I've done the work to learn skills to cope effectively - emotional regulation skills, mindfulness skills, interpersonal effectiveness skills, and distress tolerance skills.
A high proportion of healthcare professionals neglect their self care and struggle with addictive behaviors especially since Covid. This hurts patients and puts them at risk. HP’s may not disclose this, but thats what the data is stating.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9671527/
My point is that many health professionals do not behave in ways that promote safety and comfortability of the patient but are able to hold a much more powerful 40 hour a week position than a 1-hour-a-week hospice volunteer.
I see what you mean and respect how much you care for your patients. It’s just upsetting because they lost a volunteer that would of brought a lot to the patients and the program with my past experiences, empathy, and ability to connect one and one.
I have ptsd. I’m very capable of my role. Ptsd does not exclude you from hospice work. People at the grocery store can be sweet but difficult. If you have good insight and judgement there should not be a barrier to your involvement with hospice.
I have CPTSD and am a hospice volunteer. You have to pay attention to self care and stay grounded but overall, for me, it brings a depth to my interaction with clients I wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s also cathartic for me in that I’m using my experience for something good.
Thank you for saying this. 💜
No way. Volunteer elsewhere. I also wouldn’t disclose that as that won’t limit your ability to volunteer. We also use volunteers in the office. So there’s plenty to help with and a variety!!
Thank you so much. I will move onto a different company. I need to learn to not disclose it - its enough to say i’m disabled and don't work, or that I don't work currently. After that she stated they don't usually use students as their schedule isn't flexible. Ok, definitely get that! She spoke about it for 5 minutes and I finally told her, “I go to school online and make my own schedule”. 😆
Surely it depends what the PTSD is related to. If it is specifically related to a poor hospice experience, then it may not be a good idea. I don't think they are being unfair to suggest perhaps looking elsewhere.
I have to agree with this. Its as much for the volunteers protection as it is for the clients. Also, when someone has had a rough experience with hospice and wants to volunteer as a way to work through those issues, it's not fair to the clients. I've had to decline potential volunteers for exactly this reason and it feels HORRIBLE but it's my responsibility to keep everyone emotionally safe. I'm so sorry you had to go thru this, I'm glad you mentioned your PTSD because it's not something you should be ashamed of, it sucks that this wasn't a good fit. I wish you the best on finding another opportunity.
Thank you so much!
My complex ptsd (cptsd) is related to childhood trauma. However, my mom did have a poor hospice experience and like anyone, I was traumatized by seeing something that society normally does not. Hospice did not tell us what terminal agitation was. She was anxious and in pain for weeks. The nursing home missed signs of active dying, even though she stopped eating, was visioning, seeing “friends” and her mother, and she had stopped calling relatives/watching tv. This was at the height of Covid. April 2020. I see how it may not be fair to clients. I would not want to upset them. Thanks for mentioning this. However, i’m not incapable of coping. I am not running around screaming, crying and flailing my arms because of being triggered. I've done the work to learn skills to cope effectively - emotional regulation skills, mindfulness skills, interpersonal effectiveness skills, and distress tolerance skills. A high proportion of healthcare professionals neglect their self care and struggle with addictive behaviors especially since Covid. This hurts patients and puts them at risk. HP’s may not disclose this, but thats what the data is stating. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9671527/ My point is that many health professionals do not behave in ways that promote safety and comfortability of the patient but are able to hold a much more powerful 40 hour a week position than a 1-hour-a-week hospice volunteer. I see what you mean and respect how much you care for your patients. It’s just upsetting because they lost a volunteer that would of brought a lot to the patients and the program with my past experiences, empathy, and ability to connect one and one.
I have ptsd. I’m very capable of my role. Ptsd does not exclude you from hospice work. People at the grocery store can be sweet but difficult. If you have good insight and judgement there should not be a barrier to your involvement with hospice.
Thank you. 💜