Requirements of Volunteers
Criteria - Men and women who have time,
patience, compassion, warmth, understanding and non-judgmental
attitudes
Health - A volunteer needs to be in good
physical condition. If you have some physical limitation (ie:
a bad back) please make that known.
Transportation - The volunteer should be able
to provide his/her own transportation, as well as be willing
to drive others.
Training - All volunteers must have completed
the entire CARITAS Team Training.
Time Involvement - Generally two to three
hours per week can be expected when assigned to a
patient/family (per case). During a time of terminal crisis
more hours may be required.
Meetings - When assigned to a patient/family,
volunteers are expected to attend each team meeting.
COMMUNICATION - WE REQUEST THAT VOLUNTEERS
COMMUNICATE WITH THE CARITAS OFFICE OUTSIDE
OF TEAM MEETINGS.
Gifts and Gratuities - Patients and families
often wish to show their appreciation with gifts. If these are
small, please feel free to accept them. However, should money
or value become an issue, the director should be advised. It
is very acceptable to take a small gift or flowers to the
patient. Donations to CARITAS are welcome.
Role of the Volunteer
The first visit is always hard. "Will they like me?" "Will
I be able to help?" "What will I do?" These questions are
natural. Just remember at these times that you have been
selected to serve as a CARITAS team member because people
experienced in the field have confidence in you. Just "plunge
in" taking with you an attitude of openness and receptivity to
the needs of the patient/family to whom you have been
assigned. They will let you know what they need and you, in
turn, will let them know what you can offer. The relationship
unfolds step by step in a very natural way.
Here are some guidelines that may help:
Genuineness - Be yourself. Aside from
modifications in behavior to assure the comfort of the
patient, ie: quietness, less talking and more listening,
conscious attentiveness, etc., the volunteer should relate
with the same "personality" he/she displays in any other
situation. People who are ill appreciate being treated
naturally and in this way are reassured that their illness has
not set them apart any more than in the obvious ways. Relate
to the patient, not the illness.
This holds true for family members as well. The volunteer
role is that of a friend and supporter, not expert or
authority. You are not expected to know all the answers. It
does not take long to clarify for the family that medical and
technical questions can be best answered by the nurse and
physician and that you are there to facilitate this
communication and to provide other, less technical support.
This role definition comes about most easily when the
volunteer feels comfortable from the beginning just being
him/herself.
Dependability - To people in crisis, whose
lives are subject to so much unpredictability, it is essential
to know that they can count on someone or something. Never
offer more than you know you can deliver. The life of a
seriously ill person has little variety and few distractions
and therefore each outside contact assumes larger than usual
proportions and importance. What may be a minor part of your
week may be the single event that the patient has been eagerly
awaiting for days. It may also be an opportunity for the
primary caregiver to have some private time away from the
responsibilities of patient care.
Listening - Always remember that your
function as a volunteer is to first meet the needs of your
patient/family, rather than your own. In most instances this
means listening more than talking. It may mean listening to
the same stories over and over again - stories that for
whatever reason satisfy a need of the patient or the family
member in the telling. It may mean listening non-judgmentally
to outbursts of anger, frustration and resentment, which
serves to release tension. You may even be the target for some
of these negative feelings. Don't take it personally. People
under severe stress often act inappropriately.
Confidentiality - As a CARITAS volunteer you
take an oath of confidentiality. It is extremely crucial and
necessary to maintain trust with your patient and their
families. You will be asked to sign a confidentiality
statement before you begin your work as a CARITAS volunteer.
Any breaches (that you become aware of) in the confidentiality
policy should be reported to the Executive Director. The
information you are entrusted with is to be discussed only
with CARITAS members. Any breach of your oath will result in
specific actions.
Support - The volunteer taking on this new
role will also have a need for support. Meetings are held
regularly. Don't be afraid to speak up. Chances are, other
volunteers are having or have had the same problems.
Frustrations - Becoming involved as a CARITAS
volunteer may present unexpected frustrations for some people.
Perhaps the patient does not see the need for a volunteer or
is unwilling to share their personal life. Start slow, stay
consistent, tread lightly, but hang in there. Please share
your concerns with the CARITAS office and/or in team meetings.
Training
Each volunteer is required to attend twenty hours of
training, provided free of charge by Caritas. Training
sessions are held twice each year and attempt to meet the
following objectives:
- To understand the philosophy of CARITAS and how the
programs work.
- To prepare you for your role as a volunteer
- To develop communication skills including active
listening, supportive techniques, outreach and bereavement
follow-up.
- To explore your own attitudes about yourself, others,
loss, death and illness.
- To become aware of the social, physical and emotional
dynamics of patients and families during illness.
- To identify feelings and behavior associated with the
dying or grieving process.
- To learn about community resources for the patient and
family.
- To provide the opportunity to become a part of a "team
approach" to caring for people in our communities.
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