Someone to listen in the final stages

After witnessing the lonely death of one of their palliative care residents, a residential facility in Beerwah, Queensland has identified the need for more volunteers to assist people at the end of their lives.

Embracia in Glasshouse Country offer palliative care as part of a comprehensive ageing-in-place program. Each of their five households offer the full suite of care, meaning residents can avoid upheaval and maintain the special relationships they forged at the beginning of their stay.

Embracia in Glasshouse Country diversional therapist Trina Haylock says placing residents in a sterile hospital environment can be detrimental to their wellbeing.

“We have five communities with twenty residents in each. That community becomes their family,” Ms Haylock says.

“Staff rotations are minimal, so there are always familiar faces around.”

But while Glasshouse Country has a multi-disciplinary team to provide dedicated medical support, the majority of residents crave some form of personal, mental or spiritual guidance at the end of their lives.

It may be someone to chat with, to read their favourite poetry, play music or share their prayers.

Most people have immediate family, relatives or close friends to fulfil these roles, but some people have no one.

“We did have a resident recently who had no family around during the end of her life. The staff then recognised the need for something to happen,” Ms Haylock says.

In response, Embracia in Glasshouse Country has sought the assistance of local volunteers using their associated network, Friends of Eden.

Through Friends of Eden, Embracia has put the call out for compassionate, communicative volunteers to spend time with people facing an end-of-life journey.

So far, the interest has been encouraging, with six new locals putting their hand up for the job.

But it’s not a role that suits everybody, says Ms Haylock.

The facility has already turned down one volunteer who did not present the emotional capacity to deal with imminent death.

Ms Haylock says someone in palliative care might be hooked to a syringe driver and unable to leave their bed, which can be confronting for a number of people.

“It has to be something the volunteer is comfortable with,” Ms Haylock says.

Friends of Eden founder Rob Haese says once you build up a rapport with the resident, the situation becomes more natural.

“We acknowledge that there are residents that have a limited life capacity, but you don’t withdraw from them because of that,” Mr Haese says.

“Sometimes it’s enough for someone in that situation to have someone there,” adds Joy Haese, Rob’s wife and secretary.

“Just because people are old it doesn’t mean they’re not interesting.”

To help channel more volunteers down this avenue, Embracia is offering two four hour sessions of preparation training with their resident psychologist.

Volunteers also have the ongoing support of the staff should any issues arise.

Ms Haylock says the program will benefit staff as much as it will the residents.

Carers and nurses may lack the freedom to be able to stop what they’re doing to hold a person’s hand, but feel anxious knowing they have left them alone.

“When a staff member sees that there is someone there with the resident, they feel better.

“It reflects an impression of what a good death might be.”