This week was WILD. Monday through Friday, I was at Hope Floats in Kingston, MA where we held a summer camp for families in Fragile Footprints. We also welcomed any bereavement families to come to the camp. It was very well-attended and everyone seemed to have a really good time.
Each day we had activities planned. Everyone arrived at noon and sat under the big tree while we all ate lunch. Mamasteph, a wonderful musician who is great with the kids, played music during lunch. Then we had activities like drumming, tie-dye, mask-making, painting, safe-room boxes, arm casts, laugh yoga, yoga, and carnival day. By Friday, we had 50 people at the camp. It was a blast working with the kids. Adults could get alternative therapy treatments like reflexology, healing touch, massage, and reiki during the day for free. Some kids even wanted to try out some treatments! That made me really happy because people are so much more accepting and openminded about these alternative kinds of healing.
At the end of the week it was really sad to leave. In a short five days, I met some wonderful people and got to build my relationship with people I had met before. One image that will always stay with me is seeing one very little sick girl being held and played with by other children. Bereaved family members would hold this little girl and rock her while she squirmed and cried. Seeing families together, regardless of whatever "tough stuff" they were going through, was a really beautiful thing. They all got along so well despite their differences.
Mamasteph's website is a great depiction of the kind of compassionate person she is: http://www.mamasteph.com
Hope Floats Wellness Center, located in Kingston, MA, offers regular treatments and workshops. The founders of Hope Floats created it in memory of their son who died in a car accident almost ten years ago. This story is so similar to my own: my family built a youth center in my hometown in memory of my brother who died in a car accident. It will be ten years in April. I spent time talking with one of the owners before camp one morning. I love finding connections like this, it reminds me of why I am here and what gifts I have to offer. The website for Hope Floats is:
http://www.hopefloatswellness.com/
I've posted some pictures of art projects that I've helped out with during my internship on the photo stream. Enjoy them!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Constant Changes--Week 4
This week I visited one home two times. On Monday, I went and saw the fifteen year old uncle of the young boy receiving care. We worked with model magic. He took his time figuring out what he was going to make, and in the end he decided to make a basketball. He was very quiet when he was working, and I didn't really try to start any conversations. He finished up pretty quickly, and I asked if I should bring paint next time. He said yes, so we scheduled to meet again on Wednesday to finish up the model magic project.
On Wednesday, I brought the paints. I think he forgot about our meeting, but he was home so we met anyway. He painted his basketball different colors, and it only took him about fifteen minutes to do it. He was quiet again while he painted. Then, because I had a feeling he had done enough craft projects, I brought out a deck of cards. We played War and Blackjack, which was his idea. He talked about how he and his dad used to play blackjack. At the end of our time together, I mentioned that I would not be seeing him until August.
On Tuesday, I went into the office and made a lot of phone calls. I called almost every family in Fragile Footprints reminding them about our summer camp next week. I left a lot of messages. I felt a little like a telemarketer trying to sell the camp to the families. In the end, though, it gave us a better idea of how many people would be coming on which days.
The camp is every day, Monday through Friday from 12pm-3pm. The whole family is welcome to come to the camp, and there are activities for all ages. Next week should be wild.
Later on Tuesday we had our "Tough Stuff" program. As a warm up activity, we did Laugh Yoga. I had never done laugh yoga, but I had a rough idea of what it'd be like. Some of the kids liked it, some wanted nothing to do with it. Then we made trees out of clay. The trees were supposed to depict a feeling that the children wanted to feel. A lot of the kids ended up saying that the tree was "happy." One child said his tree was "lonely," as in he wanted to feel lonely. He comes from a home that is very small and I don't think he gets a lot of privacy at home.
On Thursday I had supervision and we had our bi-weekly team meeting. We talked about some pretty heavy cases at the team meeting; there are a few patients that are declining in health. We also did some last minute planning for the camp next week.
I have a lot to do next week for the camp, so I will be very busy between that, writing the paper, and working. And of course, finding time for self-care.
On Wednesday, I brought the paints. I think he forgot about our meeting, but he was home so we met anyway. He painted his basketball different colors, and it only took him about fifteen minutes to do it. He was quiet again while he painted. Then, because I had a feeling he had done enough craft projects, I brought out a deck of cards. We played War and Blackjack, which was his idea. He talked about how he and his dad used to play blackjack. At the end of our time together, I mentioned that I would not be seeing him until August.
On Tuesday, I went into the office and made a lot of phone calls. I called almost every family in Fragile Footprints reminding them about our summer camp next week. I left a lot of messages. I felt a little like a telemarketer trying to sell the camp to the families. In the end, though, it gave us a better idea of how many people would be coming on which days.
The camp is every day, Monday through Friday from 12pm-3pm. The whole family is welcome to come to the camp, and there are activities for all ages. Next week should be wild.
Later on Tuesday we had our "Tough Stuff" program. As a warm up activity, we did Laugh Yoga. I had never done laugh yoga, but I had a rough idea of what it'd be like. Some of the kids liked it, some wanted nothing to do with it. Then we made trees out of clay. The trees were supposed to depict a feeling that the children wanted to feel. A lot of the kids ended up saying that the tree was "happy." One child said his tree was "lonely," as in he wanted to feel lonely. He comes from a home that is very small and I don't think he gets a lot of privacy at home.
On Thursday I had supervision and we had our bi-weekly team meeting. We talked about some pretty heavy cases at the team meeting; there are a few patients that are declining in health. We also did some last minute planning for the camp next week.
I have a lot to do next week for the camp, so I will be very busy between that, writing the paper, and working. And of course, finding time for self-care.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Protection--Week 3
This week was another busy one for me. On Monday I met a boy who has a nephew who is sick, and we got to know each other while we colored mandalas. We had some great conversations, easy discussions about summer, school, sports, music, and family. I'm looking forward to seeing him again and starting a clay project.
On Tuesday we had our first "Tough Stuff" program for entire families who are bereaved or who have a child in pediatric palliative care. We had a big group--roughly 12 children and teens, and their parents/caregivers. After we all made name tags, had pizza, and introduced ourselves, the adults went off and did their own thing while we played some more getting-to-know-you games. We played Team Juggle which is a game with balls and it's about remembering everyone's names. Then we played Question Ball. I brought two balls and wrote questions all over them. The questions were very basic, like "what is your favorite ice cream flavor?" or "what is your favorite part of summer?" If we had more time, I would have loved to let the children come up with the questions. But because of time, I pre-made them. We played a couple rounds of that, and then played another game called "Taps" to see how many taps we could keep a big beach ball in the air without it touching the ground.
After those games, the children found objects in nature (sticks, branches, rocks, pinecones, etc) and we painted them. Afterward, we put them in our plot in the shared garden at the site. Clean-up was a bit hectic, and it started to get a little buggy since it was almost 9PM, but overall it was a great first night for the program. Next week we will be working with natural clay.
On Wednesday I visited a home with another staff member. It was very chaotic, but we managed a few games of Uno together. After that, my visit for 1PM called to cancel. Instead, I went into the office and my supervisor gave me a list of supplies to get at Michaels with a gift card and a Tax ID. This was my first experience with a Tax ID, so I was a little nervous. But the woman at the register knew all about it and was very helpful.
On Thursday I had supervision. I woke up Thursday morning in a fog, and I had a feeling that everything that I've been doing nonstop for the past two months was finally beginning to catch up with me. I even developed a cold sore, and the only explanation I have for it is stress levels. I cried on the way to the office, and as soon as I sat down with my supervisor I began crying again. We talked for an hour and a half. She justified and normalized the feelings I've been having. She said it takes someone with a big heart to do this kind of work, but we have to learn how to protect our hearts. We spent a long time talking about the things that have affected me the most.
We also talked about self-care. My supervisor told me that she will count my self-care hours towards my hour log because it is that important. I am so grateful to have such an understanding supervisor who gets it. She has been at this for a while, and she is fully aware of how hard it can be. I left supervision feeling much lighter. Later that night, I wrote down a list of everything I have to do, just to get it out of my head and onto paper.
I feel very supported at my internship. It has been such a learning experience so far, and I know each day I will continue to learn more. Shifting perspectives and making some sort of meaning out of any uncomfortable situation will help me to continue growing as a young professional. As I go on, I will learn ways to protect my heart so that I can do my best work.
On Tuesday we had our first "Tough Stuff" program for entire families who are bereaved or who have a child in pediatric palliative care. We had a big group--roughly 12 children and teens, and their parents/caregivers. After we all made name tags, had pizza, and introduced ourselves, the adults went off and did their own thing while we played some more getting-to-know-you games. We played Team Juggle which is a game with balls and it's about remembering everyone's names. Then we played Question Ball. I brought two balls and wrote questions all over them. The questions were very basic, like "what is your favorite ice cream flavor?" or "what is your favorite part of summer?" If we had more time, I would have loved to let the children come up with the questions. But because of time, I pre-made them. We played a couple rounds of that, and then played another game called "Taps" to see how many taps we could keep a big beach ball in the air without it touching the ground.
After those games, the children found objects in nature (sticks, branches, rocks, pinecones, etc) and we painted them. Afterward, we put them in our plot in the shared garden at the site. Clean-up was a bit hectic, and it started to get a little buggy since it was almost 9PM, but overall it was a great first night for the program. Next week we will be working with natural clay.
On Wednesday I visited a home with another staff member. It was very chaotic, but we managed a few games of Uno together. After that, my visit for 1PM called to cancel. Instead, I went into the office and my supervisor gave me a list of supplies to get at Michaels with a gift card and a Tax ID. This was my first experience with a Tax ID, so I was a little nervous. But the woman at the register knew all about it and was very helpful.
On Thursday I had supervision. I woke up Thursday morning in a fog, and I had a feeling that everything that I've been doing nonstop for the past two months was finally beginning to catch up with me. I even developed a cold sore, and the only explanation I have for it is stress levels. I cried on the way to the office, and as soon as I sat down with my supervisor I began crying again. We talked for an hour and a half. She justified and normalized the feelings I've been having. She said it takes someone with a big heart to do this kind of work, but we have to learn how to protect our hearts. We spent a long time talking about the things that have affected me the most.
We also talked about self-care. My supervisor told me that she will count my self-care hours towards my hour log because it is that important. I am so grateful to have such an understanding supervisor who gets it. She has been at this for a while, and she is fully aware of how hard it can be. I left supervision feeling much lighter. Later that night, I wrote down a list of everything I have to do, just to get it out of my head and onto paper.
I feel very supported at my internship. It has been such a learning experience so far, and I know each day I will continue to learn more. Shifting perspectives and making some sort of meaning out of any uncomfortable situation will help me to continue growing as a young professional. As I go on, I will learn ways to protect my heart so that I can do my best work.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Staying Flexible--Week 2
This week was a little different because of the holiday right in the middle of the week. It was also different because one of my home visits had to cancel and another home visit forgot about our meeting. This is the second time that a family has forgotten about my visit. I think that because I've already experienced it, I was more prepared to handle it this time.
It was my first visit to a family with a young child with cerebral palsy. I was going to visit his fifteen-year-old relative who also lives in the home. When I arrived, though, he was still sleeping. When I rescheduled, I made it for a later time in the day. I will also call when I am on my way there next time, because it is about an hour drive from my home.
I had a second home visit on Monday that went really well. She continued the project we started last week. We took strips of plaster wrap and made a plaster mold of her hand on an artist's canvas. She began to paint it this week while we talked about her younger sister's upcoming surgery and the stress levels at home. At the end of our time together, I realized that I won't be seeing her until August because her mother signed her up for a few camps. I was glad that her plaster project reached a point where she could continue it on her own, but I was not expecting to not see her for so long. We've built a nice relationship and she always thanks me for coming and tells me how much fun the art projects are. I want to thank HER for being so wonderful to work with.
My home visit on Tuesday was cancelled. I took it as a blessing to get some work done and to catch up on everything at home. This week was very busy outside of my internship because of the Fourth of July: when I am not at my internship, I am at work at an art gallery. I've been going pretty constantly so having the afternoon to catch up on things was very helpful.
I've learned that when working with families in their own homes, it is very important to stay flexible. Sometimes they will forget about my visits, but with such hectic schedules with all different types of people coming in and out of the homes, who can blame them? Sometimes there won't be much privacy for me to work with whoever I am meeting with, but we do the best we can. Sometimes they have to cancel, and we just have to set up another meeting time. Sometimes I will call and call and a family won't answer my messages, so I just have to let it go.
It was my first visit to a family with a young child with cerebral palsy. I was going to visit his fifteen-year-old relative who also lives in the home. When I arrived, though, he was still sleeping. When I rescheduled, I made it for a later time in the day. I will also call when I am on my way there next time, because it is about an hour drive from my home.
I had a second home visit on Monday that went really well. She continued the project we started last week. We took strips of plaster wrap and made a plaster mold of her hand on an artist's canvas. She began to paint it this week while we talked about her younger sister's upcoming surgery and the stress levels at home. At the end of our time together, I realized that I won't be seeing her until August because her mother signed her up for a few camps. I was glad that her plaster project reached a point where she could continue it on her own, but I was not expecting to not see her for so long. We've built a nice relationship and she always thanks me for coming and tells me how much fun the art projects are. I want to thank HER for being so wonderful to work with.
My home visit on Tuesday was cancelled. I took it as a blessing to get some work done and to catch up on everything at home. This week was very busy outside of my internship because of the Fourth of July: when I am not at my internship, I am at work at an art gallery. I've been going pretty constantly so having the afternoon to catch up on things was very helpful.
I've learned that when working with families in their own homes, it is very important to stay flexible. Sometimes they will forget about my visits, but with such hectic schedules with all different types of people coming in and out of the homes, who can blame them? Sometimes there won't be much privacy for me to work with whoever I am meeting with, but we do the best we can. Sometimes they have to cancel, and we just have to set up another meeting time. Sometimes I will call and call and a family won't answer my messages, so I just have to let it go.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
New Homes - Week 1
So far I have gone to a couple homes to meet children I will potentially be working with. Each time, I get a little nervous because entering someone else's personal space as a stranger holds a lot of unknown factors. I've learned to come prepared. I have a bouncy ball in my car at all times just in case the child I am working with has a lot of pent up energy. I have cray-pas and paper within arm's reach. I have embroidery floss for those who want to make bracelets, and model magic if someone needs to keep his or her hands busy.
My initial meetings usually end up involving coloring. On a personal level, I've found that it is easier to talk about things when I'm doing something else mindless. I have a mandala template coloring book that I've made copies of. This has gone over really well. I bring all sorts of media: cray-pas, colored pencils, markers. We both busy ourselves in coloring our mandalas while we get to know each other. It creates a buffer, a sort of protection in the early stages of our time together.
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| This mandala template is from http://www.freecoloring.info/mandala-coloring-pages.php |
Never Too Early to Talk About Termination... - Week 1
I have been at my internship site for about a month and a half so far. I can't believe how fast the time is going by; I still feel like I've just started. It has taken a little while to build up my schedule because so much of my schedule relies on children and their families. I was thankful to have a little prep-time to get settled and find some places that would benefit from my help.
Even though it is still the very beginning of the course, I have already had to say goodbye to a family. They had to move back to where they are originally from for various reasons. On our last day together we made "remembering bracelets" and "goodbye cards." I'd only had the chance to meet with these children a few times, but saying goodbye was still difficult. Having activities that "named" the purpose of our meeting helped me to stay present, and I think the activities helped the children understand that we were not going to see each other again. That last meeting together was very memorable for me. Everything about our last time together was very special and I know I won't be forgetting about this family.
This brought up the idea that, although I've only just met some wonderful children and adolescents, my time with them is very short-term. Very soon I am going to have to plant seeds that I will be leaving in the Fall. During the Pediatric Palliative Care Team Meeting (held bi-weekly), I mentioned that we should probably have someone lined up to continue care for the people I am currently working with. I also have to think about what I can do for myself because leaving these great children will definitely be a loss.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Internship Organization
Internship Organization
My internship site is Cranberry Hospice and Palliative Care, located in Plymouth, MA. It is a department of Jordan Hospital. I work mostly with the pediatric palliative care program called Fragile Footprints, along with the bereavement groups. As an intern, I make home visits to patients or siblings of patients receiving care from Fragile Footprints. I do work in the office (for example, organizing care plan binders, entering survey data, making copies, etc.) and attend the Fragile Footprints team meetings, which meet bi-weekly. I assist and facilitate programs for bereavement and pediatric palliative care families. Because I visit homes, my schedule is not too consistent and can change frequently.
The mission statement of Cranberry Hospice is, simply put, "Cranberry Hospice will provide excellent end of life care to the community." The values of the Cranberry Hospice and Palliative Care team are:
Patient and family focused goals and outcomes
Creative and innovative ways to help achieve our goals
Honest interactions and informed consent
Respecting patient interests and limitations
Honoring and advocating for patient and family’s dignity
and needs
Committed and enthusiastic care which promotes living life
to the fullest
Compassionate understanding and consistency of service
Meeting people where they are
Exceeding expectations while fostering independence
Fostering hope and courage while preparing for death
Healing bereavement services
Treating everyone, as we would have our loved ones treated
(Taken from http://www.jordanhospital.org/body.cfm?id=283)
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