Dietician. The Dietician assesses the dying person’s nutritional status and develops a nutritional care plan that meets his or her changing needs. Naturopathic Doctors. Occupational Therapist. The Occupational Therapist helps the person maintain quality of life by enabling him/her to achieve his/her goals related to daily activity in self-care, productivity and leisure. Physiotherapist. The Physiotherapist provides pain management, improves mobility, and helps with respiratory function and maintenance of skin integrity and wound management. Respiratory Therapist . The Respiratory Therapist develops a plan to address difficulties with breathing and to optimize comfort. He/she is also responsible for educating clients and families and other team members regarding the operation, maintenance and precautions of equipment. Speech-Language Pathologist. The Speech-Language Pathologist assesses the person’s communication and swallowing needs and develops a plan to meet his or her changing needs. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapist . Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapists may be involved in helping the dying person to manage symptoms and providing services to caregivers. Alternate therapies may include: massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, Reiki pet therapy, music therapy and art therapy. 4. THE ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER ON THE TEAM Volunteers are members of the care team. They
participate in team and case management meetings as required, communicate any concerns to other members of the team, and document information as required. The volunteer is in a unique position to connect with the person and family – to be seen as a peer and as more accessible than other members of the team. This means that people who are dying and their families may sometimes share information with a volunteer that they haven’t shared with other members of the team, and the volunteer can help communicate their needs to the rest of the team. The main roles of the volunteer are: Companionship and emotional support . Volunteers provide companionship and emotional support – talking and listening to the person and family, and
What Volunteer Services do Families Value Most? - The opportunity to take a much needed break from the demands of caring for their loved one - Emotional support - The volunteer spending time with them - The volunteer providing information (Claxton-Oldfield et al, 2010)
just “being there” and sitting with the person. Volunteers allow the dying person to express their feelings (e.g. fear, anger, love, hope) and facilitate communication.
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