MADRID, 22 (EUROPA PRESS)
In Spain more than 250,000 people require Hospice per year, and we know that by 30 per cent of the cases patients in terminal stage may feel discouragement, which prevents them from everyday activities and increase their sense of solitude at the end of life. Faced with this situation the remedy lies in maintaining the illusion of these patients and, as explained by social worker Lourdes slide Parra, this is possible thanks to the development of leisure and the support of volunteer activities.
With the aim of “do the last stretch of life a little easier and a little more joy”, this expert advocates bring to these patients, taking into account their constraints, a movie theater or a casino in your own Centre; develop workshops of zarzuela, theatre and arts and crafts; and, even, holding every Friday with dancing and musical performances or varieties”as if each week were Christmas”.
“Must be given the opportunity not to stick his head only in disease and end of life.” “Try every day you enjoy things that are just simple, than in a normal situation it would not give importance, but it is very good for them”, explained this expert that develops in the Centre Hospital for care LAGUNA leisure programme complete.
In the case of this Centre, which serves half thousand people per year, with a stay measured that it takes place between 20 and 45 days, has as the mainstay of treatment carried out these social activities, because them are defined as therapeutic because they know that they improve the quality of life of patients in terminal stage.
Recent studies showed that 76 percent of patients who said that the time was made them short or very short to play any activity, said to be well or very well.
“We have the image that this type of hospitals where is taken care of the end of life must be grim, sites but really there is room for hope,” warned, while emphasizing that “obviously often breathes tension and sadness”, something inevitable that affects families, patients and volunteers.
The ANGULAR stone: VOLUNTEERING
Slide Parra stresses that this wouldn’t be possible without the help of volunteers, which defines as “the heart of the world”. Annually, more than half a hundred volunteers collaborate in this Center, but explains, are needed many more.
“Volunteers of all ages wasted affection, attention, and initiative for the warmth and company to the sick, precisely when especially are helpless and are most in need of love and attention”, points out.
But as well as initiative and affection, volunteers also need specific training to accompany and support patients in this phase of his illness. For this reason, free training courses specifically to the volunteers who accompany patients on their last moments are promoted from LAGUNA.
Precisely on Tuesday has developed this course, and announced that it can attend free another on December 1, literacy in accompaniment.
Slide Parra stresses that there is a pressing need of volunteers to assist patients, because due to changes in social structure there are cases of patients who are especially alone and need company and support of people with time and availability.
And to this end, adds, it is not necessary to have a medical or health knowledge. All they ask is “engagement”, that there is a regularity in assistance, because training runs on its own. Also, explain that once inside they have team psychosocial centre in case of being affected by the situation of the patient.
Although, recalls that the duel did not take home, that “it is important to mark the seasons, not exceed availability and then great care outside the hospital, keep your head in leisure activities, and know that it is not an obligation”.
