Extroverted. They tend to be sociable, talkative, warm and friendly. Agreeable. They are altruistic and trustworthy, and sympathetic to others. Open and Nonjudgmental. They are cheerful and upbeat, nonjudgmental and flexible. They have a good sense of humour and are open to new experiences. Culturally Sensitive . They understand the importance of culture in how people perceive and cope with dying. They are aware of cultural differences and respectful of each person’s cultural beliefs and traditions. Trustworthy. They are dependable and respect the person’s and family’s right to privacy and confidentiality. They are calm in stressful situations, at ease – or at least comfortable – with death and dying, and able to cope with the demands of caring for the dying and supporting the bereaved. The goal for most hospice palliative care programs is to have a range of volunteers – women and men, youth and older, different cultures – who are as diverse at the people at end of life and their families and who can relate well to them. 6. UNDERSTANDING THE BOUNDARIES OR LIMITS OF THE VOLUNTEER’S ROLE In their role, volunteers often become very attached to the dying person and his/her family, who also come to rely on the volunteer. Volunteers must walk a fine line between being a person’s/family’s friend and being a member of a care team that is accountable for their conduct, practice and quality of care. In the course of their work, volunteers may find themselves in situations that test the boundaries of their role. For example: • What if the person or family offers the volunteer a gift or some money? • What does the volunteer do when the person is uncomfortable and asks for more pain medication? • What if the person tells the volunteer something about his or her health or care, and then asks the volunteer not to tell the family members or other members of the care team? The hospice palliative care organization will have policies about what volunteers should and should not do. The following “dos” and “don’ts” were identified in surveys with hospice palliative care volunteers (Claxton-Oldfield et al, 2011). As you can see, in some cases the volunteer’s boundaries are quite clear while others involve more judgment.
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