Volunteers remember being nervous, even scared, when they started. Joe LeGore, a volunteer driver, âhad never met anyo
J U LY 2 0 0 6 M AY 2 0 11
IN THIS ISSUE
homefront
BBH Volunteers improve care for people who need it most Friends on Four Legs How volunteers and their pets brighten residents’ lives
The Gift of Acceptance BBH volunteers improve care for people who need it most
V
olunteers are in the middle of the action at Bailey-Boushay House. They work right alongside staff with clients and residents, most of who not only have AIDS, but also struggle with mental illness, chemical dependency and homelessness. Many of our patients have no one else in their lives outside Bailey-Boushay. “Our volunteers recognize that our patients are some of the most disenfranchised in the community,” says BBH volunteer coordinator David Pavlick.
>
“This may be the first place patients aren’t judged for being sick or for what led them to get sick. Everyone gets treated really well here and treats others well.” That was Tasha’s realization, too. “We all have the same needs: feeling accepted and loved. That’s where the conversation can start.” Giving back is a two-way street A good number of volunteers come to Bailey-Boushay knowing they want careers in the health and helping professions. Tasha, for example, is taking prerequisite classes for a career in nursing. Gus plans to get a master’s degree in public health (specializing in the health needs of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people). Susan wants to work in the nonprofit world. And Joe graduated from nursing school just before he came to Seattle.
continued from page 1
Above: As a volunteer, driver Joe LeGore takes patients to medical and other important appointments. “BaileyBoushay is like no other place in my world,” he says. Cover: Nearly 130 volunteers store their badges on the necktie wall in the BBH volunteer office.
It’s not easy to be a volunteer at Bailey-Boushay House, but those who sign on say it’s the best hard work they’ve ever done.
In 2010, volunteers donated 11,477 hours of unpaid service to Bailey-Boushay. That’s roughtly the equivalent of adding six full-time employees.
A big commitment — and a bigger contribution Volunteers make a six-month commitment to show up weekly for three-hour shifts. They give rides to medical appointments, serve hot meals, help at the reception desk, assist patients in activities and outings, give haircuts and massages, and bring therapy pets to visit. And all the while they listen, chat and encourage. In 2010, volunteers donated 11,477 hours of unpaid service to Bailey-Boushay. That’s roughly the equivalent of adding six full-time employees. By freeing staff to focus on the work only they can do, volunteers stretch the supportive services Bailey-Boushay’s staff of 100 can provide to 200-plus clients in outpatient care and to residents in our 35-bed nursing home.
Working closely with patients lets them explore career interests, and it is great experience to put on job and school applications. Yet their motivation for volunteering goes beyond career goals. Witness the example of returning volunteer Lily, who left two years ago to get a degree in social work. Now a fulltime social worker, she still asked to come back to volunteer. Even Joe, who is thrilled that he’s just been hired to work in Bailey-Boushay’s nursing home, says “my biggest concern is that I can’t be a volunteer anymore.” Giving back at Bailey-Boushay makes a difference to patients, and it feels good, too.
Finding common ground in the BBH family Volunteers remember being nervous, even scared, when they started. Joe LeGore, a volunteer driver, “had never met anyone with AIDS before I came to Seattle” from a small town in Oregon. Volunteer meal server Gus Lanza was nervous that he’d “feel guilty about being able to be in school and to be healthy” around patients who had lost so much in their lives. And Tasha, who began as a volunteer driver, worried: “Clients’ lives are so different. Where can I fi nd common ground for conversation?” Volunteers are surprised by what they fi nd — and how quickly they become part of the Bailey-Boushay family. The healing power of acceptance “I was amazed by how happy the place was,” says Susan Glenn, a UW fi rst-year student who began volunteering at the front desk in January. Gus Lanza felt the same: “I was surprised by the resilience of patients here. I expected somber — it was totally the opposite. They’re dealing with so many big issues, but they still laugh, joke, play games and think about others.” “What I like about Bailey-Boushay is the total acceptance,” Joe LeGore says.
Above: Susan Glenn’s favorite part of volunteering at the BBH reception desk is getting to talk with patients coming in and out. Left: “Everyone needs and deserves a hot meal,” says BBH volunteer meal server Gus Lanza. Gus plans to get a master’s degree in public health.
Sticking with a no-pay, high-rewards job Michael Harer is one of three professional stylists who volunteer at Bailey-Boushay. “I came for six months and I’m still here 16 years later,” he laughs. “I may not feel like coming in for five hours that I could use otherwise,” Michael admits, “but once you’re here, there’s no question you want to be here.” He’s inspired by the staff and “sweet people happy to get a haircut.” And he’s repaid by how he stretches himself: “The people here teach you that you have the capacity to
love them as they are. You develop relationships, and it makes your heart feel good.” Working with BBH patients also helps volunteers keep things in perspective. “It’s a reminder that life is really fragile,” says Susan Glenn. And Tasha adds: “Bailey-Boushay reminds me to enjoy the sweet moments and to let them happen.” “The big secret of volunteering,” says Joe LeGore, “is that it looks like you’re helping others, but it’s really kind of selfish, because you get back so much more than you give.”
Friends on Four Legs How volunteers and their pets brighten residents’ lives
D
enali has one thing on his mind: heading out to start his rounds at Bailey-Boushay House. Denali is a 10-year-old Alaskan Malamute and dedicated pet volunteer. This gentle, furry giant and his human, Kal Klass, have been regular visitors to BBH since 2006. Denali’s mission? To be his friendly dog self, and by extension, lift the spirits of facility residents. Kal and Denali are one of six volunteer human-canine teams that regularly visit BBH. All are registered through the PetPartners animal-assisted activity program of the Delta Society, a national non-profit organization helping connect health professionals and the community with therapy, companion and service animals. The PetPartners program requires an eight- to 12-hour training course followed by a skills and aptitude test where both dog and owner are evaluated. “The fi rst time Denali passed his test and I failed,” laughs Kal, noting that teams must be retested every two years. But once the team was on track, Kal and Denali spent months visiting inmates at the Monroe Correctional Facility and nursing homes before becoming longtime volunteers at BBH. Denali’s fi rst visit today is with Dickse who, like other BBH residents, has problems with memory and being able to conceptualize future events. For patients like Dickse, living in the moment isn’t something to aspire to but a
Research shows that when people interact with animals they experience lower blood pressure, decreased anxiety, lower stress levels and relief from depression. permanent reality. The condition offers no protection against loneliness and depression, which are all too common when a disease encroaches on normal brain function. Sometimes the presence of a gentle animal is all it takes to transform detachment into an immediate connection. Denali greets Dickse in her room as Kal sits nearby. The drone of the TV fades to background noise as Dickse focuses on Denali’s soft muzzle. A smile of recognition blooms on her face as she pats the lush fur on the dog’s head. Research shows that when people interact with animals they experience lower blood pressure, decreased anxiety, lower stress levels and relief from depression. But any science behind the human-animal connection seems irrelevant as Dickse blows Denali a kiss.
Denali’s next stop is Curtis’s room, where Kal pauses to make sure it’s a good time for a visit. Complications from AIDS have affected Curtis’s ability to cope with changes in his environment, such as people entering his room. Usually the pet partner teams at BBH are the exception, however, and Curtis welcomes Kal and Denali. “Oh, it’s hard to choose a favorite,” says Curtis, when asked about all the visiting dogs. “But I think he can sense how much I desire him to be here.” Denali sidles up to Curtis for an enthusiastic rub down. Like Dickse, Curtis can remember very little about his previous life, with one notable exception: He speaks in great detail about his childhood dog, a Springer Spaniel named Kelly. “My favorite thing was coming home from school and seeing Kelly before she saw me,” says Curtis. “Then she’d look and spin around and around before running up to me, like she’s saying ‘oh boy, pet me, pet me!’” It’s the total acceptance dogs show people that has always stayed with Curtis. Maybe that’s why his dog Kelly is the one thing in the past still surfacing in his dreams. Of all the people Kal has met on his visits, he sees the most dramatic change in Curtis after spending time with Denali. Sometimes they arrive to fi nd Curtis sullen and reluctant to interact. By the end of the visit Curtis is laughing and talking to Denali as if wrapping up a reunion of old friends. As for Denali, owner Kal says he likes hanging with Curtis better than his dog treats. Today Curtis watches Denali as he completes his usual tour of the room. “My heart is with him, defi nitely,” he says.
Denali is able to lift Curtis’ spirits during their visits. Denali likes hanging out with Curtis more than dog treats.
homefront NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID PERMIT NO. 4636 SEATTLE, WA An inpatient and outpatient nursing care facility, owned and operated by Virginia Mason Medical Center
2720 East Madison Street Seattle, WA 98112 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
INSIDE:
The Gift of Acceptance
APPLAUSE A very special thank you to Sean Breach, manager of AMC Pacific Place and to all of his staff. Without their consideration, special arrangements, and generosity it would not have been possible to arrange the BBH inpatient outing to see The King’s Speech. Thanks to all of their assistance, the outing was a great success. Thank you to the following organizations for their recent gifts of $1,000 or more:
do
Those who can, Those who can do more,
volunteer.
Bank of America Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Columbia Hospitality Dusted Valley Employee’s Community Fund of The Boeing Company Fifth Color Heavy Restaurant Group Hightower Cellars Kibble & Prentice, Inc. Microsoft Matching Gifts Program Nordstrom Puget Sound Energy Foundation RealNetworks Foundation United Way of King County
– AU THOR U N K NOW N
Editor .............................................................. Jenny Rose Ryan Contributors ............................... Ellie David, Jennifer Sorenson Graphic Design ..................................................... Dean Driskell Photography................................................ Paul Joseph Brown Homefront is published by the Virginia Mason Foundation. For placement of stories or information of community interest, please contact: Bailey-Boushay House, 2720 East Madison Street, Seattle, WA 98112, (206) 322-5300, www.bailey-boushay.org. Bailey-Boushay House does not discriminate against qualified persons in admissions, services or employment on the basis of age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. These laws include, but are not necessarily limited to, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Civil Rights Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Washington State Laws Against Discrimination, and the City of Seattle’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinances. Printed on recycled paper. Copyright 2011 VMMC FORM 95574 (05-11).
