Friday, I’m sure, would’ve been a sad day for many of my fellow World of Difference winners as it would’ve been the final day of their placement. We were all given the option of working for 2 months full-time or for 4 months part-time and, as we’ve now reached the 2 month stage, it marks the end of some of the winners’ World of Difference journey.
I’m working part-time so have reached the half-way mark and I’m delighted that I still have another 2 months to go! Things on the ‘coal-face’ are going really well with the project; patients are clearly benefitting from such things as having their own music on tap in the hospice, chatting about music and the memories it evokes, and watching musicians and singers perform. I’m also progressing well with organising the fundraising music night, though that’s all being done in my spare time and not under the auspice of the hospice! I’ve hit a few stumbling blocks with some aspects of the project, but I think that probably comes with the territory.
So, the next couple of months will be all about doing more of the same – using music to benefit the patients and wider Strathcarron community – and making sure that everything I’ve set up (and have still to set up) is sustainable. The second half of my placement is going to be just as busy and full-on as the first; I still consider it an incredible privilege to have been given the opportunity to carry out this work and I intend to carry on doing my best to ‘make a difference’ with every hour I spend amongst the lovely staff and patients at Strathcarron Hospice.
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Sunday, 22 April 2012
A bit of culture
I thoroughly enjoyed my ‘bit of culture’ at Paisley
Abbey last night. I’m a complete numpty when it comes to ‘real’ choral stuff,
so it was good to get a bit of an education last night. As you’ll have gathered
from yesterday’s post, I didn’t even realise that Szymanowski was a composer!
I learned that Berlioz was an agnostic but he wrote ‘Te
Deum’ in 1849 as a hymn of praise. It’s
kind of weird, if you ask me, that someone who was so sceptical about the
existence of God should write a hymn to praise the big guy up in the sky! And,
I learned that Szymanowski wrote ‘Stabat Mater’ in 1925 using lyrics based on a
13th century poem which tells the story of the anguish of Jesus’s
mum as she watched him being crucified.
The City of Glasgow Chorus, The Glasgow Youth Choir and The Orchestra of Scottish
Opera performed both pieces beautifully and - even though I’m a complete heathen - I found them really moving. A combination of the setting (the gorgeous Paisley
Abbey), seeing one of our choir buddies
in amongst such a prestigious group of singers, the beautiful voices and the company of my lovely mum and the lovely
Christine all combined to make it a really great evening.
Here’s a wee piece of Te Deum ('Judex crederis' - get me!); it's not the City of Glasgow
Chorus, but I can assure you that they sang it just as beautifully as this crew from You tube:
Saturday, 21 April 2012
A lovely, varied weekend
It’s nearly half way through the weekend and it’s shaping up to be a good one. Last night was spent having a thoroughly lovely time at a night of ‘Moroccan Madness’. One of my good friends, Sue, is part of a group who are going off to climb the Toubkal Mountain in North Africa in an effort to raise funds for the NSPCC’s ‘Building Better Futures’ campaign. Unlike some other extreme fundraising ventures, the girls have saved to pay for all of their expenses out of their own pockets – so every single penny raised goes straight to the charity. I’m always a bit wary about donating to fundraising events that involve flying off somewhere exotic to take part in some extreme adventure or another and I always like to make sure that the donated money is going to the cause, rather than paying for the flights. Happily, that's definitely the case with Sue’s trip and her and her friends have been working extremely hard, not only to raise awareness of the cause but also in training for the trek. I went along with my pal Julie and we enjoyed an evening of lovely Moroccan food in a great atmosphere, with a good fun auction and a bit of belly-dancing thrown in for good measure! Lots of lovely wine was also flowing, but I’m glad I was sensible and stuck to the soft drinks as I had an early rise this morning.
Today was the inaugural St Andrews Park Run, so two of the Milne boys (and their number one supporter) headed off for Fife at silly o’clock this morning. (Poor Gordon would've liked to run too, but looming Highers took priority!) I’ve mentioned the Park Run initiative in previous posts and I still think the whole concept is brilliant. Volunteers organise the events - which are basically 5k races round some park or another every Saturday morning - and they’re springing up all over the UK. The St Andrews event is being staged in Craigtoun Park and, aw man, what memories came flooding back as we walked from the car to where the runners were gathering! Passed the big white castle in the middle of the boating lake (it looked a lot smaller than I remember) and over the miniature railway level-crossing (it definitely looked a lot smaller than I remember), on passed where the trampolines used to be (probably removed for health and safety reasons, tsk) and on towards the cafe (which was shut, but looked much the same from the outside as I remember it!) Alex and I took Gemma to the park when she was just a baby, about 20 years ago, but the memories today were stirred from my own childhood. Caravan holidays at Kinkell Braes Caravan Park - or visits to my relatives in Dundee - with the added bonus of a trip to Craigtoun Park for a bounce on the trampolines, a ride on the wee train and a shot on the boats. Happy, happy days.
And today was a happy one too as I got to watch Ross win the very first St Andrews Park Run , with the added bonus of seeing his auld dad coming in second! Aye, there’s definitely life in the old dog yet! Gemma had been working at the hotel last night and didn’t finish till the back of 4am; she’s got pretty important exams coming up so catching up on some sleep this morning had to take priority over a trip to the park! However, it was just great to meet up with her later in St Andrews to enjoy a long lazy chatty brunch before the boys and I headed home.
Tonight I’m off to a concert in the beautiful Paisley Abbey with my mum and my choir buddy, Christine. One of our other friends from choir, Mair, is singing with the Glasgow City Chorus; so, we’re off for a bit of culture! The concert is ‘Berlioz - Te Deum, Szymanowski - Stabat Mater’. Which is double Dutch to me. Well, I know the composer is Berlioz but, ocht, I’m just looking forward going along and taking as it comes!
Tomorrow Alex’s running in the Balfron 10k - so a bit more
of standing cheering out in the rain beckons. It’s also the London Marathon and some of our good friends from Central AC are running;
with one of the nicest young blokes in our club – Lewis Millar – taking one of
the coveted ‘Elite’ spots. Go on Lewis!
So, I’m having a lovely, diverse weekend; a bit of belly-dancing, a bit of catch-up with good friends, a bit of good running action, a bit of special family time and a bit of culture. And, of course, a lot going on to make me feel good.
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Realising that it's not all about ticking boxes...
Every day I arrive at the hospice with a list in my diary of ‘Things to do’. I don’t think I’ve once managed to tick off even half the items on the list! Now, that’s not because I’m sitting on my ass all day; it’s simply because things rarely go to plan! This is a potted version of what my list looked like by the end of the other day:
Buy big plastic boxes – √
The containers I’ve been using for the MP3 players etc at the patients’ bedsides are too small. I left home earlier than usual and took a detour to Tesco on the way to work. The boxes have to be approved by the Ward Manager then properly labelled before they can be used……
Visit Patient 1 – X
Tried throughout the day but patient was either sleeping or being attended to by medical staff every time I was in the ward.
Visit Patient 2 – √
Spent some time with this patient, whom I’d first visited over 2 weeks ago. We’ve had some lovely chats about thier favourite music and their special songs. Sadly, their condition had deteriorated over the weekend.
Visit Patient 3 – X
Patient was sleeping every time I visited ward, but I did manage to spend a good bit of time with the patient’s partner. Was nice to have feedback on how comforting both the patient and the family were finding the personal playlist.
Attend Home Care meeting – √
Gave a short presentation. Seemed to go well and project was met with enthusiasm and some great suggestions.
See Director of Operations re adaptors for bathrooms – X
First refurbished bathroom is almost complete. Need to test out the cable and adaptor so that patients can listen to their own music while in the bath. DoO was busy in meetings all day.
See IT Manager re laptop I’m hoping to donate – X
Met briefly in corridor between meetings, but not long enough for proper chat.
Write up cross care notes – X
Ran out of time and had problems getting access to a hospice computer. The office that I work from in Strathcarron is small and very busy. The Patient and Family Support Team staff, quite rightly, take priority as far as space and access to computers is concerned, and there isn’t enough space for me to have my own desk. Sometimes it’s easier for the team if I bail out and find somewhere else in the hospice to work from, sometimes using my own laptop. That’s not a problem at all, but I do waste a bit too much time just finding a suitable place to park myself and all my gear!
Update music player log – X
Ran out of time
Drop in session – √/X
Did hold session but didn’t see many members of staff. However, I made good use of time by updating the music library.
Reply to emails – √/X
Two out of an intended ten.
Phone calls – X
Ran out of time
Added extras:
1. Was asked to visit Patient 4 by member of nursing staff. Had good chat, downloaded long list of music onto MP3 player, gave player to patient and demonstrated how to use it.
2. Was asked to visit Patient 5 by Occupational Therapist. After a brief chat, spent a while trying to put one of their audio books onto MP3 player without success. Nearly threw computer out of the window. Will consult IT experts (ie my kids) and hopefully return with player duly loaded up with book. Did manage to compile a list of favourite songs and leave that with the patient.
3. A hug from the lovely Frank Curran!
So, it was a day of ups and downs and – as with most days at the hospice – I didn’t manage to tick everything off my list. However, this placement isn’t all about ticking boxes and – as with most days at the hospice – I came away feeling satisfied that I’d made the very most of the time that I had available. I drove home, made a cup of tea, opened my diary at tomorrow’s date and wrote: ‘Things to do…..’
Buy big plastic boxes – √
The containers I’ve been using for the MP3 players etc at the patients’ bedsides are too small. I left home earlier than usual and took a detour to Tesco on the way to work. The boxes have to be approved by the Ward Manager then properly labelled before they can be used……
Visit Patient 1 – X
Tried throughout the day but patient was either sleeping or being attended to by medical staff every time I was in the ward.
Visit Patient 2 – √
Spent some time with this patient, whom I’d first visited over 2 weeks ago. We’ve had some lovely chats about thier favourite music and their special songs. Sadly, their condition had deteriorated over the weekend.
Visit Patient 3 – X
Patient was sleeping every time I visited ward, but I did manage to spend a good bit of time with the patient’s partner. Was nice to have feedback on how comforting both the patient and the family were finding the personal playlist.
Attend Home Care meeting – √
Gave a short presentation. Seemed to go well and project was met with enthusiasm and some great suggestions.
See Director of Operations re adaptors for bathrooms – X
First refurbished bathroom is almost complete. Need to test out the cable and adaptor so that patients can listen to their own music while in the bath. DoO was busy in meetings all day.
See IT Manager re laptop I’m hoping to donate – X
Met briefly in corridor between meetings, but not long enough for proper chat.
Write up cross care notes – X
Ran out of time and had problems getting access to a hospice computer. The office that I work from in Strathcarron is small and very busy. The Patient and Family Support Team staff, quite rightly, take priority as far as space and access to computers is concerned, and there isn’t enough space for me to have my own desk. Sometimes it’s easier for the team if I bail out and find somewhere else in the hospice to work from, sometimes using my own laptop. That’s not a problem at all, but I do waste a bit too much time just finding a suitable place to park myself and all my gear!
Update music player log – X
Ran out of time
Drop in session – √/X
Did hold session but didn’t see many members of staff. However, I made good use of time by updating the music library.
Reply to emails – √/X
Two out of an intended ten.
Phone calls – X
Ran out of time
Added extras:
1. Was asked to visit Patient 4 by member of nursing staff. Had good chat, downloaded long list of music onto MP3 player, gave player to patient and demonstrated how to use it.
2. Was asked to visit Patient 5 by Occupational Therapist. After a brief chat, spent a while trying to put one of their audio books onto MP3 player without success. Nearly threw computer out of the window. Will consult IT experts (ie my kids) and hopefully return with player duly loaded up with book. Did manage to compile a list of favourite songs and leave that with the patient.
3. A hug from the lovely Frank Curran!
So, it was a day of ups and downs and – as with most days at the hospice – I didn’t manage to tick everything off my list. However, this placement isn’t all about ticking boxes and – as with most days at the hospice – I came away feeling satisfied that I’d made the very most of the time that I had available. I drove home, made a cup of tea, opened my diary at tomorrow’s date and wrote: ‘Things to do…..’
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Finding a wonderful illustration of the power of music
Some of my Facebook friends have pointed me in the direction of a couple of video clips that’ve been doing the rounds recently. I absolutely love them! They kind of sum up what the very essence of my project at the hospice is all about. The people in the clip aren’t typical of the patients that I’ve been working with at the hospice as they’re elderly residents in an American nursing home; but the principle of using music to help reduce anxiety as well as ‘awaken’ emotions, memories and that very basic ‘feel-good’ factor is very much the same. Parts of the script could’ve been lifted straight from my original pitch to the hospice and the Vodafone Foundation!
I’ve read a lot about the ‘quickening art’ of music, but this is a really lovely illustration of that art in action. It’s at the very heart of what my project is all about; using music – sometimes in its most basic form – as a therapeutic tool to make a difference to the lives of Strathcarron’s very special patients. I hope you enjoy the clips as much as I did:
I’ve read a lot about the ‘quickening art’ of music, but this is a really lovely illustration of that art in action. It’s at the very heart of what my project is all about; using music – sometimes in its most basic form – as a therapeutic tool to make a difference to the lives of Strathcarron’s very special patients. I hope you enjoy the clips as much as I did:
Learning all the time
One of the things I’m enjoying most about my placement is the opportunity to meet some really lovely people. The evening that Leah came in to the ward to sing, I was aware of one visitor in particular who was clearly appreciating Leah’s lovely voice – and clearly enjoying singing along! I wasn’t properly introduced to Frank till the next day. I was heading out of the ward, after helping one of the patients set up a playlist of her favourite songs, and bumped into Frank in the doorway. After complimenting Leah he told me that he had a lifetime’s experience of entertaining people with his music. It turns out that Frank has his own Big Band and, after I briefly explained that I was trying to introduce more in the way of music to the hospice he, without hesitation, offered to come in to play for the patients.
And play he did! Along with two of his band members, Frank gave up his own free time to entertain the day care patients, their visitors and some of the staff yesterday afternoon. A few of the patients from the ward managed to come along too, and I’m pretty sure that that alone made Frank’s day. His form of entertainment was very different from that of the school pupils – and neither will have been to everyone’s taste – but it was clear that many in the appreciative audience really enjoyed the visit from The Frank Curran Trio!
I’m learning all the time during my placement and one of the things I learned yesterday was to be a wee bit more careful about the volume when musicians are in the hospice performing! Frank had brought along a full kit of amps, microphones, drums, keyboard and bass guitar so the music was pretty loud. That was totally my fault though and certainly no reflection on Frank and his friends. Anyway, it turns out that there was a rather important committee meeting going on in an adjoining room and I gather it was, em, interesting for them to have Matt Munro and Nat King Cole classics belting out in the background! Ocht well, hopefully no harm done and hopefully I’ll be allowed back to Day Care with more performers soon. Possibly some that are just as talented as Frank’s trio, but maybe just a little bit quieter….!
And play he did! Along with two of his band members, Frank gave up his own free time to entertain the day care patients, their visitors and some of the staff yesterday afternoon. A few of the patients from the ward managed to come along too, and I’m pretty sure that that alone made Frank’s day. His form of entertainment was very different from that of the school pupils – and neither will have been to everyone’s taste – but it was clear that many in the appreciative audience really enjoyed the visit from The Frank Curran Trio!
I’m learning all the time during my placement and one of the things I learned yesterday was to be a wee bit more careful about the volume when musicians are in the hospice performing! Frank had brought along a full kit of amps, microphones, drums, keyboard and bass guitar so the music was pretty loud. That was totally my fault though and certainly no reflection on Frank and his friends. Anyway, it turns out that there was a rather important committee meeting going on in an adjoining room and I gather it was, em, interesting for them to have Matt Munro and Nat King Cole classics belting out in the background! Ocht well, hopefully no harm done and hopefully I’ll be allowed back to Day Care with more performers soon. Possibly some that are just as talented as Frank’s trio, but maybe just a little bit quieter….!
 |
| The lovely Frank Curran |
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
A hug from a favourite SAM
I’ve shed a fair few tears over the course of this past couple of days. There are a fair few reasons for those tears, but the main one is the emotional turmoil that's come hand-in-hand with the decision I made to give up my role as a Samaritan.
It’s not a decision I’ve made lightly; I’ve mulled over it for the past few weeks and I’m now content that it was the right decision to make. I’ve been struggling a lot with time recently and I’ve been feeling that some of the things I was committed to weren’t getting the due care and attention they deserved. I don’t feel right about listing all of the reasons why my role as a SAM was the thing that I, eventually, chose to give up. Suffice to say it wasn’t an easy decision and I sincerely hope to return to the organisation sometime in the future. I’m still just as passionate about trying to help people, and their families, who are affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts (have I mentioned that suicide is the biggest killer of young men under the age of 35 in the UK?), but I won’t be doing it as a SAM for the foreseeable future.
I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the lovely, and very touching, messages I’ve been receiving from my fellow SAMS (hence the fair few tears!) and their kind words have really brought it home to me just how much I’m going to miss sharing their company on weekly shifts. Quiet shifts presented a great opportunity to get to know your fellow on-duty SAM, and one of the biggest perks of being a Samaritan volunteer is having access to a bucket-load of compassionate and attentive colleagues to share your worries with – in complete confidence! I’ve met some truly amazing and inspirational people in that wee Falkirk branch office and it was just lovely to see one of them sitting out in the reception area at the hospice this morning! Margaret has been volunteering as a Samaritan for many, many years and I thoroughly enjoyed our shifts together. She’s the first to admit that she’s straight-talking and she's certainly never slow in giving her very experienced opinion – and sometimes in no uncertain terms! I remember one of my first shifts with her. About half way through the shift, I lifted the phone off the hook and told her that I was just nipping to the loo:
“Ocht, that would never have happened in the old days!”, she quipped.
“What would never have happened in the old days Margaret?”, I asked, with my legs crossed.
“We used to do much longer shifts and we always made sure we went to the toilet before we started on duty. We just wouldn’t have taken the phone off the hook for a wee thing like going to the toilet!”
“But we’re allowed to do that Margaret; I remember it from training. And, I’m bursting...”
“Well on you go then! I’m not saying don’t go, I’m just saying you should’ve gone before you started your shift!”
I smiled as I nipped into the loo, thinking about all the times I’ve said to my kids over the years, “Make sure you go to the toilet before we leave/take our seats/get in the car/get on the plane....”.
That was just one little pearl of wisdom that Margaret offered me; there were many more (mostly on a more serious note than this) and I’ll treasure them all. It was just so lovely to see her this morning and share a hug. She was in the hospice to buy tickets for a fundraising event and was telling me that she spent some time yesterday morning reading my wee blog from start to finish! That just about sums up her stamina and dedication to any task in hand!
She tells me that she’s going to keep up with my blog from now on so, Margaret, I salute you! You’re an absolute treasure and I’ll miss you loads. And, I promise, no matter what lies ahead and in whatever role I find myself in in the future; I’ll always make sure I go to the loo before I start...........
It’s not a decision I’ve made lightly; I’ve mulled over it for the past few weeks and I’m now content that it was the right decision to make. I’ve been struggling a lot with time recently and I’ve been feeling that some of the things I was committed to weren’t getting the due care and attention they deserved. I don’t feel right about listing all of the reasons why my role as a SAM was the thing that I, eventually, chose to give up. Suffice to say it wasn’t an easy decision and I sincerely hope to return to the organisation sometime in the future. I’m still just as passionate about trying to help people, and their families, who are affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts (have I mentioned that suicide is the biggest killer of young men under the age of 35 in the UK?), but I won’t be doing it as a SAM for the foreseeable future.
I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the lovely, and very touching, messages I’ve been receiving from my fellow SAMS (hence the fair few tears!) and their kind words have really brought it home to me just how much I’m going to miss sharing their company on weekly shifts. Quiet shifts presented a great opportunity to get to know your fellow on-duty SAM, and one of the biggest perks of being a Samaritan volunteer is having access to a bucket-load of compassionate and attentive colleagues to share your worries with – in complete confidence! I’ve met some truly amazing and inspirational people in that wee Falkirk branch office and it was just lovely to see one of them sitting out in the reception area at the hospice this morning! Margaret has been volunteering as a Samaritan for many, many years and I thoroughly enjoyed our shifts together. She’s the first to admit that she’s straight-talking and she's certainly never slow in giving her very experienced opinion – and sometimes in no uncertain terms! I remember one of my first shifts with her. About half way through the shift, I lifted the phone off the hook and told her that I was just nipping to the loo:
“Ocht, that would never have happened in the old days!”, she quipped.
“What would never have happened in the old days Margaret?”, I asked, with my legs crossed.
“We used to do much longer shifts and we always made sure we went to the toilet before we started on duty. We just wouldn’t have taken the phone off the hook for a wee thing like going to the toilet!”
“But we’re allowed to do that Margaret; I remember it from training. And, I’m bursting...”
“Well on you go then! I’m not saying don’t go, I’m just saying you should’ve gone before you started your shift!”
I smiled as I nipped into the loo, thinking about all the times I’ve said to my kids over the years, “Make sure you go to the toilet before we leave/take our seats/get in the car/get on the plane....”.
That was just one little pearl of wisdom that Margaret offered me; there were many more (mostly on a more serious note than this) and I’ll treasure them all. It was just so lovely to see her this morning and share a hug. She was in the hospice to buy tickets for a fundraising event and was telling me that she spent some time yesterday morning reading my wee blog from start to finish! That just about sums up her stamina and dedication to any task in hand!
She tells me that she’s going to keep up with my blog from now on so, Margaret, I salute you! You’re an absolute treasure and I’ll miss you loads. And, I promise, no matter what lies ahead and in whatever role I find myself in in the future; I’ll always make sure I go to the loo before I start...........
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