Susan's Reflections

Visiting South Africa and our sister hospice – Hospice Wits – was an incredible experience.  There were many poignant moments – visiting patients in their homes, being welcomed by patients and caregivers into their homes, sharing with colleagues, introducing the Suncoast Hospice Institute’s Learn Center, training and sharing with staff, and experiencing life changing moments with others.  Here are a few of the lessons that I learned along the way. 

Lesson One:  Keep true to your core values and take advantage of opportunities along the way.   I never thought I would have the opportunity to return to Africa.  Through my work with Suncoast Hospice and Suncoast Hospice Institute my path would lead me not only back to the place that changed my perspective on life but it would combine two life changing experiences….Hospice AND Africa.  Who would want to miss out on this?  Visiting with staff and patients in South Africa and seeing hospice in action half-way around the world from Florida only reinforces the universality of hospice.  The language of love is the connection.

Lesson Two:  Really big things can block your way in life – but you just need to adjust your path.  Don’t be afraid to try new things just because there are obstacles in the way.  Look at your situation through a larger perspective…. There is always a different way to do things. 

Lesson Three:  There are some things you should steer clear of…… like bungee jumping!  Who needs it?  Do you really need to scare yourself that much?

Lesson Four:  There is never enough education – we can learn something everyday if we just open our eyes.  Sharing  our Learn Center with our colleagues was an exciting experience.  They embraced the opportunity to use online training to enhance their learning and have made a commitment to share this with the Hospice Wits staff.

Lesson Five:  Never miss the opportunity to laugh with a friend.  I  have made life-long friends along this journey which will be with me forever.  I hope that I have made a difference in others lives, I know they have made a difference in mine.

Susan Bruno

Quite a Spectacular Day

Today (Tuesday) Susan, Terri, and I spent the entire day in Soweto. We had an amazing day. We began our morning with the Soweto nurses and community care workers. We had 27 people all together in one room. Terri facilitated the auto bio poem activity with them. We've done this activity previously with the leadership team and the clinical staff in Joburg. We learned a lot about each other. Some of us really like chocolate (what's not to like...). Others described themselves as loving caring people (they are). Many stated they want to be remembered as making a difference in other people's lives (absolutely no doubt about that).

After that activity they presented us with a lovely tea. Tea time is very important here. The staff brought in tea, coffee, and many different sandwiches-along with a tablecloth.  It was quite lovely.  After tea we each left to make home visits with a different sister. As a surprise to the three of us we all met at the shopping mall in Soweto for a late lunch together at Nando's!  David, Deb, and Gayle (the 2011 trip members who were introduced to Nando's together) are you jealous? The food was delicious.

My day was quite spectacular. I did something I've never done before... I was spending the day with Maria. She has been employed by Hospice Wits and working in Soweto for 27 years. She is an amazing nurse. She told me we were going to an NGO (non governmental organization) meeting. I figured we were meeting with other not for profit organizations. Maria said that someone from Hospice Wits had attended previous meetings. Well, when we got there and went inside Maria showed me the agenda. I saw that we were attending a meeting of the ANC Women's Auxiliary! The ANC is the ruling party of Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa. Needless to say I wasn't quite sure what to expect!  I must say it was an amazing meeting. The attendees are very respectful of the chairperson and everyone follows proper protocol. I think we could learn a thing or two from them about how to run a meeting. Anyhow the meeting was about encouraging women to stand up against substance abuse as most cases of violence against women (of which there is much) involves substance abuse. They will be marching peacefully to the police station to deliver a petition and then ending with a prayer service. Hospice Wits will participate. The chairperson said she was humbled to have someone from America at their meeting and directed some very nice comments to me. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

We will post additional blogs about our patient visits. I wish everyone could witness the amazing work this staff does.

Stacy

Constitutional Hill Visit

These steps separate the past, the prison, and the future, the constitutional

court. It's a very powerful walk.

Jacqui Kaye, Susan Bruno and Terri Peterson on the African Steps.

Home visits with Penny

I was so excited to have the opportunity to travel in the field visiting patients and families with social worker Penny.  Being a social worker by training, I had the opportunity to visit with Penny when she traveled to the US in November as a part of our exchange program - Hospice Wits and Suncoast Hospice. Today, we traveled the roads in Soweto, some paved and some not, to visit a few of Penny's patients.

The first was a woman living with AIDS, who resided with her daughter and granddaughter in a 8 x 10 hut made of cardboard, blankets and tin.  Penny assessed the patient's need for a food parcel and the possibility of moving to another location providing better shelter, while the community care worker (hospice aide) gently massaged her hands and arms to counteract the effects of her neuropathy. 

They all spoke in their native language, Zulu.  The universal language of hospice was understood by all of us, even though we never said a word, other than greetings and goodbyes.  The patient was so appreciative of everything Hospice Wits has done and could do for her... and thanked, us...the American visitors, for taking the time to visit with her.  Can you imagine...she thanked, us....just for being there. Another lesson in the power of presence.

Susan Bruno

Home Visits With Sisters

Visiting with the Sisters (nurses) has been an incredible experience.  The love and compassion extended is truly universal.  The circumstances and setting might be a bit different but the caring and love has only one voice.  Sister Joanne leans over the patient who is turned on her side facing the wall - she can't see the Sister's face and it only adds to her confusion - so Sister Joanne gently wedges herself between the wall and the patient, lying on a mattress on the floor of the living room, and crawls up until they are face to face "oh my darling, my darling", the patient whispers.... "it is you" and with that she smiles.

On another visit, I witnessed the power of the interdisciplinary team.  Sister Joanne delicately began to explain that the journey the patient was now on was one that was moving in a different direction than the past 8 years.  The patient laid in bed, rigid from years of brain inactivity, her wedding picture showing a very different vibrant woman.  Her daughter agonizing over what else she could do to keep her mother in the present.  Terri, the chaplain and I, the social worker, were able to begin to share a very different journey that her mother was approaching and so too, was the daughter.  We  communicated through our eyes and hearts as we gently walked next to this family on their journey home. 

I feel so privileged to have this honor to share my skills with our sister hospice...Hospice Wits and at the same time learn from them about caring compassion at all times and sometimes, in the face of utter poverty.  Love is truly universal.  Joy too is universal....and so is music!  The smiles, laughter, and the hope always overcome the sadness. Let us always remember that we need them all.

Susan Bruno, LCSW.... Suncoast Institute

Hospice Wits, Here We Come

Left to Right: Terri Peterson, Stacy Orloff and Susan Bruno

Our next group of staffers is ready to embark on an exchange trip to Hospice Wits in Johannesburg, South Africa next week. Going are Suncoast Hospice’s Stacy Orloff, vice president of palliative care and community programs and Theresa “Terri” Peterson, a care team chaplain and Suncoast Hospice Institute’s Susan Bruno, director of institute business.

The three are excited for their two-week visit. Terri and Susan are first-timers and eager for this new learning experience. Stacy has made several trips and been involved a long time with our partnership. They’ll arrive bearing gifts, including much-needed medical supplies donated by Suncoast staff and volunteers.

During their visit, they’ll observe and work with Hospice Wits’ care staff and management team. This time there will be an even heavier focus on education. They plan to share resources, provide support and make presentations on interdisciplinary care teams, self-care, palliative arts, leadership development and more.

They can’t wait to get there and meet everyone. It’s going to be an incredible visit.