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
rcmccutchen@earthlink.net. 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.
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.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 dale.horton@duke.edu 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!
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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, kindhearted 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 selfstudy 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.
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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 Michael.lowery@duke.edu 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) carolyn.colsher@duke.edu
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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