TIME AND TALENTS
The Personal Touch
For nearly 40 years, Hope staff and volunteers have served as doulas to support people throughout their endof-life journey.now,as this role becomes more recognized, Hope's doula program has significantly expanded in size and scope to offer even more support to families during the final days and hours of life.
More than 30 Hope volunteers have completed a specialized hospice doula educational program, where they learned about creating and maintaining a sacred space by using sound, touch, color, and other sensory experiences to alleviate pain and anxiety. Doulas can also offer legacy projects that serve as emotional touchstones and family keepsakes.
“Much in the same way a doula helps a new mother navigate childbirth, endof-life doulas help enhance Hope's holistic, personalized approach by facilitating a gentle, tranquil and meaningful passing whether in a hospice house, the hospital or home,” said Hope Healthcare President and CEO Samira K. Beckwith. 2019
Hope Hospice honors each person's beliefs about life, death or the afterlife. Doulas are non-denominational and work with all faith traditions, as well as with those who are not religious.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization recognizes the value of endof-life doulas, who enrich the experience for patients, family members and friends and strengthen the relationship between medical and nonmedical end-of-life support.
Volunteer Shelly Goldenberg has been visiting Hope patients for more than six years. She was happy when Hope offered the specialized doula training program and immediately realized the importance of the skills they were teaching.
“When I worked for the IRS, part of my job included management training. I taught active listening, but until I took the doula class, I never really got it,” Shelly said. “It's hard to have silence, but it's so important to not try to fill that gap.you need to be able to listen and keep quiet. It's about what they want, not what you want to tell them.”
Shelly explained that at this stage of their journey, people want to be acknowledged as more than just a person in a bed.they often want to tell someone what's on their mind. The doula class gave her the tools to do it even better.
“We often focus on what they did, what were they proud of,” she said. “I get a glimpse of not just who they are now, but what and who they loved, and what was important to them.”
She said every patient is different, and some apologize for venting. But she doesn't mind. She remembers a time when she had a patient who told her he was ready. Although their faiths were different, they had a conversation about what they imagined heaven to be like.
“To me, it feels like an honor and a privilege to spend time with them,” she said. “What you're giving to them, you're getting back so much more.”
There are hundreds of ways to make a difference in the lives of people in Hope's care. Become a Hope Volunteer by visiting: Hopehcs.org/volunteer and complete an application or call 239-482-HOPE and ask to speak with a volunteer coordinator.