Additional
Partnerships
HIV Care
We have recently joined an effort to support a local population of HIV patients. Once each week a faculty and training doctor attend a clinic providing primary care service. We are still in the trust-building stage of this initiative, due to the shame and guilt often associated with this disease, but the regular patients are beginning to open up about the breadth of challenges they face. This also challenges our medical staff to improve treatment methods, and they are also finding opportunities to learn about how adults are facing this type of chronic illness and how to best help support them.
Hospice Care
Over the years since LIGHT began, we found that many people found a lasting faith because they or a family member had a terminal illness. Families have sold their property and borrowed large sums of money in attempts to find a cure for kidney or liver disease and various cancers.
In 2010 a visiting team shared in more detail with us about hospice service, and team members visited other sites to learn more. Our hospice service here began in 2012, with the goal of supporting and local like minded groups in serving their local community. This resulted in the formation of two teams: medical and nonmedical to serve patients with expected life expectancy of less than six months.
The medical team volunteers are trained in basic care, including how metabolism is altered at the end of life and how to feed the dying person, dealing with pressure ulcers, and general mobility and safety issues in the home. They are also taught about emotional responses in patients with terminal diseases, pain management, communicating with the family about emotional responses after death. They serve a key role in communicating with other medical providers.
The nonmedical team volunteers make home visits, accompany the patient to see a doctor in a hospital setting, and help facilitate communication among family members. This is especially important in clarifying the patient’s wishes and the family’s wishes in a healthy manner. The nonmedical volunteer also offers respite to the family in caring for the patient, helps obtain needed medication, and can help organize the funeral and offer grief support after the patient’s death. They also offer spiritual support.