I'm a hospital volunteer and I need a little advice. How can I best deal with extremely sad patients?!


Question: I'm a hospital volunteer and I need a little advice. How can I best deal with extremely sad patients.?
A gentleman patient in his 50's or so told me, in long details, that a few days ago he had somehow hallucinated another scenario. He was, in reality, wandering on the wrong floor, but in his mind he was with his wife and son on vacation somewhere. Someone got him and told him where he was and he said as soon as they told him, he started to feel very badly for himself. His voice quivered as he told the story and my heart started to bleed all over the place.

I didn't know what to say except to tell him that he was safe, we wanted him to get well and to let me know if there was anything else I could do to make him comfortable.

What else could I have done for him.?Health Question & Answer


Answers:
You did really well considering the situation you were in. The best thing you can do as a volunteer is take the time to listen to the patients and get to know them, chatting about things that make them happy as well as things they are worried about. It's not about what you say, just the fact you are there with them that is making the difference so you're doing good.

Try not to let it get you down, it's good to feel empathy with the patients but try to keep a little distance so you can 'switch off' when you get home, otherwise you're likely to get too upset yourself. Health Question & Answer

Smile, be happy and laugh you will find it becomes contageous, even with the ill.Health Question & Answer

Get him to trust you.
And spend more time with him.
Make him feel that he does matter to youHealth Question & Answer

just be there. listen. smile. tell them they are important and you care.Health Question & Answer



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