I was delighted to come back and help
Helen Pointer is part of a team of crucial volunteers who have been doing visitor temperature checks so our patients on the ward can still safely see their essential visitors. Here she shares more about her volunteering.
“I’ve been volunteering doing visitor temperature checks and screening at the hospice for five months on Wednesday afternoons
I welcome each visitor and invite them to wash their hands before proceeding with a temperature check and asking a series of questions regarding their health, COVID-19 symptoms, contact with anyone isolating or a journey from an area in lockdown. I provide PPE if all the above are clear and negative. I’m not able to escort them so I use a ‘map’ of the wards to guide them to the correct room or bay.
Throughout lockdown, I’ve kept in touch with my volunteer friends, and it’s been so good to come back to the hospice and connect with St Catherine’s and everyone here.
In this role, there’s a vital support from the receptionists
They’ve been brilliant. They’ve given all the screening volunteers valued guidance and help through ongoing changes. They’re constantly busy, but always find the time to support us. Their phone manner is always polite, warm and welcoming, and they call the nurses for us if we ever need assistance. They’re always patient and accommodating. The Catering Team have looked after us with cups of tea and cake too, and it’s nice to see other volunteers as we cross over shifts.
I really miss the camaraderie of being around people, and it was palpable coming back to volunteer at the hospice after spending so much time on my own in isolation.
Earlier this year I was very poorly with coronavirus myself. I had it at the same time as Boris and the Prince of Wales! I coped far better than I ever would have imagined. The isolation I experienced increased my awareness and the importance of human connection.
I thought I could bring my previous skills to this role
I’m used to interacting with patients in my normal volunteer role as an artist drawing “bucket list” caricature portraits. I can’t do them in the usual way now because of COVID-19 but I’m still doing them for patients and relatives via Zoom. I even do some drawings in between visitors. In the past I’ve been fortunate to sit with many patients and draw them and their families. It’s a real joy. Now, I’m drawing caricature portraits with patients where we write a list of all the things they have achieved during their lifetime and draw that in – almost like a reverse bucket list.
It’s a privilege to be part of this crucial time for the visitors to St Catherine’s and instead of meeting just patients as I did before, I’m meeting their families now
During the time people are visiting the hospice, I develop quite a connection with them. The families and visitors I meet are so inspiring. They all have an incredible outlook. To be there at the time when they need support the most and offer virtual hugs through words and body language is fulfilling.
Visitors talk to us as we screen them, and we’re always there to listen to them. I treasure this time as a rapport develops over the weeks.
It’s about judging what I can offer someone in the present climate
There’s been a young man on the ward recently and his wife and young children visit. I heard one of the young children ask their Mum, ‘Will Daddy wake up?’ It’s so difficult, but I do whatever I can to make things easier. I drew a happy, little face on one of the masks for the child.
I always try to make the screening process as easy as I can for people. We have a chat about the crazy world we’re in at the moment, and how they’re coping.
I demonstrate the PPE gently as first-time visitors can be distracted, emotional and overwhelmed by something new and invasive. If someone isn’t sure what glove size to take, I always advise them to take the bigger gloves, and I suggest people put hand cream on before they put their gloves on next time. Your hands then feel lovely when you peel the gloves off!
It’s about dealing with things realistically and helping people to understand the changes. We get a lot of questions, but everyone appreciates what we’re doing to keep them safe.
I find not being able to hug people difficult
Especially when they’re upset. It’s difficult that I have to stand back, instead of comfort, but I can still listen to people and empathise. People always rally and find the strength to pull themselves together and go back into the wards to the person they love.
In the past when I met patients to draw their caricature portraits, they’d often experienced peace. They’d normally gone through all the stages associated with their illness – denial, anger, distraction and acceptance but one thing I’ve learnt from doing the visitor screening is that their families often aren’t there yet.
They’re not at peace – they’re having an excruciating wait for the inevitable. They know they can’t put off what’s coming, but they still come back day after day, sometimes week after week, because they know that the time with their loved one is so precious. I often wonder how on earth they remain so buoyant and positive for the patient. It must be so hard.
After someone has passed away, people obviously react in different ways. There’s been the anticipation for such a long time, and sometimes, people have been visiting the hospice for months. Really, their life has been on hold.
One week when I was on shift, a husband whose wife had died at the hospice, came back to do a drive through. He couldn’t come inside, but we stood in the car park socially distanced and talked. He felt he could come back to the hospice and be himself. Sometimes in the outside world, people avoid someone recently bereaved because they don’t know what to say, but at the hospice there’s an understanding and familiarity that’s comforting in the initial days and weeks.
It’s been so positive helping in this role
My friends often ask me if it’s upsetting, and it can be. People do share their emotions and that can stay with me. I always listen, try to distract them for a few moments, and say something comforting. Every Wednesday, without fail, I’m galvanised by the families and visitors I’ve met that day. I make a lot of decisions on a Wednesday evening now. I think of the all things I’ve put off; I stop grumbling or coming up with distractions and make plans.
The hospice reminds me not to put things off in my own life.
I’m ticking off my bucket list. None of us know how we’d react with life changing news.
I don’t put off the words I should say more often – Thank you and I love you.”
