LIHU‘E — A volunteer movement jump-started on Kaua‘i early this year to help caregivers care for their seriously ill loved ones at home is already helping alleviate the burdens of seven families on the island. “These families that we have,
LIHU‘E — A volunteer movement jump-started on Kaua‘i early this year to help caregivers care for their seriously ill loved ones at home is already helping alleviate the burdens of seven families on the island.
“These families that we have, from Princeville to Kekaha, are so grateful because it’s less stress on them. It gives the them a chance to catch up with themselves, and therefore they are better able to help and to keep their loved ones at home,” said Deborah Duda, Kaua‘i coordinator of Share the Care.
What’s going to keep making this happen, said Duda, is growing their group of volunteers across the island.
“Fifty-five were originally trained and now we have 70 altogether,” she said. “But there are six regions on the island, and we don’t have enough volunteers in all of the regions.”
Accepting patient referrals from medical doctors is forthcoming, so Duda is asking for any and all volunteers to offer whatever they can.
“You can help one or two times for a short period or as often and as long as you want,” she said. “And nobody is asking you to do what you don’t want to do.”
Volunteers perform a wide variety of tasks depending on a family’s specific needs.
Examples are respite care, meal preparation or delivery, transportation for appointments and running errands.
“The idea is if we each do a little, we can do a lot,” said Duda.
Share the Care was founded by Sheila Warnock, who co-authored the guide “Share the Care: How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who is Seriously Ill.” She was inspired after being a vital member of a group that helped care for a dying friend.
Warnock founded the movement in 1995 and it has spread to 45 states and eight countries. Kaua‘i Hospice received a grant to bring Warnock to Kaua‘i, and in January, she trained 55 volunteers to help families organize teams.
While it is sponsored by hospice, Duda said it is not limited to hospice patients.
There are basically two ways STC helps caregivers.
One way is for the trained volunteers to help caregivers organize their family, friends and resources to maximize their skills and talents to care for loved ones who have aging or rehabilitation concerns, chronic illnesses, are recovering from surgery or dying.
The volunteer STC coordinator will talk to the family to get names of members of family, friends and others in the family network who could help the family, then STC makes all the calls to these people.
“It’s not like the caregiver has to be on the phone all the time,” said Duda.
The other way STC works is by providing volunteers to fill in to create an extended family for those without sufficient family and friends.
There are no fees.
“The government is not going to help us with the increasing need for homecare as boomers retire,” said Duda.
STC has been endorsed by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and the Kaua‘i County Council, she said, and the organization is partnering with Kaua‘i RSVP, the federal senior volunteer program.
“We encourage STC volunteers 55 years and older to sign up with RSVP in order to receive supplemental liability insurance for their work with STC,” said Duda.
For more information, visit sharethecare.org or call Duda at (808) 332-7668.
• Jane Esaki, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or by emailling jesaki@thegardenisland.com.
Melia’s story
Deborah Duda
Special to The Garden Island
• Editor’s note: Share the Care Kaua‘i coordinator Deborah Duda shares this story she wrote about a Kaua‘i’s family’s experience with STC, with permission from the family:
Melia, a dark-haired beauty just turned 20, lies on her back in a bed in Hale Kupuna in ‘Oma‘o.
While she understands what she hears, due to brain asphyxiation, she can’t speak or even turn on her side. She can move her legs a little and make some sounds.
Her mother, Espi, lives in Princeville with her husband and 6-year-old son. After accompanying Melia, her daughter from a previous marriage, during months of rehab in Honolulu, Espi was driving seven days a week to ‘Oma‘o to be with her.
The mother’s best friend heard about us, called and relayed information to Espi, who called us.
She said, “I’d be very grateful if for two days a week, I knew Melia was getting the extra care she needs and I didn’t have to make the drive.”
On hearing that we wanted to help her and Melia, Espi was in tears.
Melia’s “funny family” now includes Valerie, Candy, Mary Ann and me.
At our second meeting, Espi taught us how to move Melia’s limbs to help her regain movement, brush her teeth, comb her hair and change her diapers.
Each volunteer will only do the procedures they are willing to, and commit to, doing. We will also read to her.
Our current volunteer schedule is to spend two to three hours with Melia on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday.
Melia’s condition was caused by a drug overdose and her mom plans to turn this tragedy into a teaching experience to prevent it from happening to others.
