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re U4 4- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, Oct. 18, 1994 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" THE POSITIVE CHOICE FOR SCUGOG YVONNE 'Scugog REGIONAL COUNCILLOR November 14 Vale l\'])']3 CHRISTIE % 985-2254 Authorized by CFO for Yvonne Christie Campaign 3 Hospice Uxbridge-Scugog Volunteers ease pain of terminal illness By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star A DEDICATED GROUP of volunteers are working to aid residents of Scugog Township during the most diffi- cult times of their lives. Hospice Uxbridge-Scugog provides emotional support, advice and respite to the termi- nally ill, and their loved ones. It was five years ago this month that the organization officially started its operations here, after more than a year of discussion and organization. Seeds for the group were sown by a local woman who had expe- rienced first-hand the lingering death of a loved one, and other concerned people agreed there was a need for a network of support for those undergoing the trials of living and dying, said executive director Betty Bignell. And it occurred at a time when community-based pallia- tive care was relatively rare. "In 1987 the concept was really quite new for a commu- nity, even in Canada," said Mrs. Bignell. "We waited a while for refer- rals, because nobody knew who we are, or what we do." "I wish people understood better," she said. "We can offer such practical assistance to families, as well as emotional support." The Durham Board of Education will nominate two representatives to the Scugog Public Library Board for a three year term, effective December 1, 1994. Interested applicants should reply in writing, stating qualifications to: Mary Brown, Communications Manager, Durham Board of Education, 400 Taunton Road East, R.R. #2, Whitby, Ontario LIN 5R5 Applications must be received no later than Friday, October 28, 1994. N OW IT HAS grown to the point where more than a dozen volunteers are giving of their time to help families that are often drawn near the brink of crisis by impending death. "We originally thought we were going to be angels of mercy, sitting beside a dying patient," said Mrs. Bignell. "we learned very quickly that family dynam- ics are very important." One of those dynamics 1s denial. Mrs. Bignell said that while the dying patient has most often reached the point of - accepting death by the time Hospice workers become involved, family members are apt to deny the absolute cer- tainty accompanying terminal illness. . It is often the job of volun- teers not just to comfort the ill, but to prepare loved ones for the inevitable, said Anne Wanninkhof, a Scugog resident and volunteer with the group. "They're quite often terri- fied," she said. "They have many questions." One of the duties of the vol- unteer, therefore, is to "ease" relatives and friends toward acceptance, and prepare them for death and the grieving that will follow, she said. "I think the families are more afraid of it than the patients are," agreed Mrs. Bignell. She said survivors are filled with fear, anger and self-doubt about their capability to cope with terminal illness. Often the volunteer can offer only a sym- pathetic ear. "We don't have the answers," she said. "we can just listen. "Our mandate says we will give care to the whole family." T 1s IS A heavy load to hand over to volunteers, who are the non-medical personnel often called in when terminal illness is diagnosed. That means a huge amount of preparation is necessary before workers are sent out into the field. The first step is to get volun- teers to examine their own feel- ings and, in some cases, rid themselves of the dread and discomfort they feel when con- fronted with serious illness and death, said Mrs. Bignell. "There isn't one of us who isn't going to be faced with this," she said. "They get rid of the baggage From our collection of Engagement rings and diamond set bands to be treasured for many years to come. PENTLAND JEWELLERS Fine Quality Jewellers 174 Queen St., Port Perry (906) 985-7641 ES My Love Hospice Uxbridge-Scugog executive director Betty Bignell (left) and volunteer Anne Wanninkhof. The vounteer organi- zation provides support and respite for terminally ill patients and their families. they've been carrying. The courses are not so much how to, as how do I feel about it." It is important for volunteers to examine their attitudes and emotional responses to death, she said: "We are a death-deny- ing society... Over the years we've pushed it away and given it to someone else." Once on the job volunteers will be called upon to spend time with terminally ill patients and their families, often at the outset simply to provide respite for people who have been devot- ing all their waking hours to the care of the patient. A tragic reality is that families often do not approach Hospice Uxbridge- Scugog until later in the stages of illness; burn-out is common. Action taken by the volunteer can range from merely staying at a home while caregivers are out to becoming quite involved in their coping with their situa- tion. It can often mean being present when death finally occurs. Each case is different, just as each family is different, said Mrs. Bignell. "The volunteer goes in with no agenda, a clean slate," she said. "We search for ways: What can our volunteers do to make a difference. "That's the rewarding part for the volunteer: that they have made a difference in the whole picture." O F COURSE, dealing in ELECT KAREN such depth with dying and death takes its toll on the vol- unteer, too. Some situations are heart-rending, and will take time to recover from. And when they're in need, they have their colleagues at Hospice Uxbridge-Scugog to turn to. "We just talk," said Mrs. Bignell. "That's all." "We leave it up to the volun- teer to decide how quickly they want to become involved with someone else." She added that contrary to what some people may think, the volunteers are not insulated from the sadness and tragedy with which they deal. "People often say to me, 'I couldn't do that work'," she said. "I'm not a block of ice. You have to be emotional. All our volunteers are emotional. We all cry." For volunteers like Mrs. Wanninkhof, belief in a higher power can help. "I've always said, you get your inner strength from above," she said. "We've faced so many difficult situations, and we've always made it." The week of Oct. 16 to 22 has been declared Hospice Awareness Week in Scugog Township. Events throughout the week are designed to provide information on Hospice Uxbridge Scugog, and issues surrounding terminal illness. PUCKRIN WARD 5 COUNCIL NOVEMBER 14, 1994 Authorized by the CFO - Karen Puckrin Election Eampaign CALCULATORS * Basic * Sharp * Scientific e Solar e Canon * Texas Instruments Port Star OFFICE C 188 Mary Street, Port Perry 985-7383