Brief Historical Review
Volunteers Program
Pro Palliative Care Unit Foundation
Brief Volunteers Group's Historical Review
In 2000 during September and October, the Pro Palliative Care Unit Foundation communicated on the written press Saint Gabriel Shelter's interest on having a group of volunteers who support the activities that this center, because of its inauguration, was going to assume.
For this purpose, people who responded to the call were interviewed and Factory were summoned to an Induction to the Voluntary Service Course/Workshp by Saint Gabriel Shelter, which was made on October 26, 2000 at Europa Centro Hotel.
At this Course/Workshop participants were informed on Saint Gabriel Shelter details (history, principles and practice of palliative cares, team introduction, voluntary service expectations, general characteristics on the labor and duties as well as the kind of people they were going to work with) and the activities where the volunteers could cooperate.
Approximately 80 heterogeneous people attended the course/workshop: age oscillated between 20 and 50 years old and had diverse occupations (lawyers, students, housewives, psychologists and others). All these people were divided in eight working groups to which an attendance schedule was assigned so that they could started they labor in Saint Gabriel Shelter.
For the inauguration of the Shelter, on December 2000, due to the great amount of volunteers, two groups were settled down for the training, one in the morning and another one in afternoon, trying to extend the assistance possibilities so that those interested could receive attend the training accordingto their time availability.
In addition to the resume presentation, the photos, recommendation letters and the written explanation of why they desired to work in the Shelter as a volunteer, two more elements were indispensable requisite: the availability of time and the training.
Since the beginning, the training attendance constituted an essentia lelement for all those who wish to work in the Shelter as avolunteer, and it got to be a valuable working tool. This processis of extreme importance because it embraces the different relevant aspects for a good performance within the Shelter.
Some of these points are: medical, infirmary andpsychological team lectures on the different subjects related tothe voluntary work. Among them:
Grief in children and their families.
Limitations in the voluntary service: what must and what must notbe said or done.
Children's feeding, hygiene, comfort and handling.
Pathologies general characteristics.
Tanatology 1: How to Give bad News.
Tanatology 2: Bioethics Principles
Tanatology 3: Rights of the Dying Person.
Pain Diagnosis on children.
Physical examination: vitalsigns
Floral Aromatherapy and Essences
Grief Stages.
Pharmacology: truths and lieson medicines.
Handling of bio-infectious waste.
Hands Washing.
Organization of the voluntary group for the different activities in which they participates and collaborates. Ideas are given, projects are planned and activities results are reported.
Strengthening of the voluntary group. The idea is to create a comfortable and confident atmosphere in where all the assistants can feel as an important part of the voluntary group and of Saint Gabriel Shelter.
Voluntary group's suggestions concerning the Shelter's operations. On the basis of our own observations, and from our optics as volunteers, we comment those aspects we think would be possible to improve.
Support of the voluntary group members through sharing our experiences and feelings with the others and listening with attention and no judiciously.
Elucidation of doubts with respect to the Shelter's operation and the handling of some patients.
The Psychology area offers support in the handling of grief of children who passed away
For the following year (2001) it was necessary to modify the work schedules because the number of volunteers diminished and the work rate was affected by the remodeling process of the Shelter.
After the retirement of some volunteers from the original group and theincorporation of new members, two new training groups wereestablished: group 2000 and group 2001; so that just incorporated volunteers could be bought up to date with the information that the other volunteers had already received in the previous training. As time went by, the number of volunteers continued diminishing, therefore an only training group was constituted Friday's afternoon.
By the end of 2001 the volunteers group only counted on 30 active members. At this moment an Internal regulation for the Shelter's volunteer group was formulated and the Board of Directors was restored.
In 2002 desertion still increased more and the group of volunteers maintained an average of 5 to 10 active members, due to what training was not made.
PFor 2003 the institution made a greater efforts to fortify the volunteers group, for what some changes were made, among them:
The volunteers group was assumed by the Pro Palliative Care Unit Foundation in order that they could work not only at Saint Gabriel Shelter but also in the other centers of work of this institution.
The coordination of the volunteers group is now in charge of the Psychology area.
El coordinador del Grupo de Voluntarios fue contratado por la Fundación .
The volunteers group coordinator was hired by the Foundation.
A new internal regulation for the volunteers group was approved.
Through television advertisements, a 40 people group has been recruited, who participated in a selection process, formulated on the basis of an interview and the accomplishment of MMPI psychological tests (Motivation to the Work, Human Figure and Family).
Base on the Psychology area criterion, 24 people were chosen, to whoman induction course was given, the new internal regulations forthe volunteers group were introduced and some of the institution's general aspects were commented.
At the moment the volunteers group has a total of 30 active members.
One of the greater problems that the Pro Palliative Care Unit Foundation Volunteers Group has presented since its establishment, has been the desertion rate (personnel rotation).
