Sunday 29 April 2012

Half way there

Friday, I’m sure, would’ve been a sad day for many of my fellow World of Difference winners as it would’ve been the final day of their placement. We were all given the option of working for 2 month’s full-time or for 4 month’s part-time and, as we’ve now reached the 2 month stage, it marks the end of some of the winners’ World of Difference journey.

I’m working part-time so have reached the half-way mark and I’m delighted that I still have another 2 months to go! Things on the ‘coal-face’ are going really well with the project; patients are clearly benefitting from such things as having their own music on tap in the hospice, chatting about music and the memories it evokes, and watching musicians and singers perform. I’m also progressing well with organising the fundraising music night, though that’s all being done in my spare time and not under the auspice of the hospice! I’ve hit a few stumbling blocks with some aspects of the project, but I think that probably comes with the territory.

So, the next couple of months will be all about doing more of the same – using music to benefit the patients and wider Strathcarron community – and making sure that everything I’ve set up (and have still to set up) is sustainable. The second half of my placement is going to be just as busy and full-on as the first; I still consider it an incredible privilege to have been given the opportunity to carry out this work and I intend to carry on doing my best to ‘make a difference’ with every hour I spend amongst the lovely staff and patients at Strathcarron Hospice.

Thursday 19 April 2012

It's not all about ticking boxes...

Every day I arrive at the hospice with a list in my diary of ‘Things to do’. I don’t think I’ve once managed to tick off even half the items on the list! Now, that’s not because I’m sitting on my ass all day; it’s simply because things rarely go to plan! This is a potted version of what my list looked like by the end of the other day:

Buy big plastic boxes - √

The containers I’ve been using for the MP3 players etc at the patients’ bedsides are too small. I left home earlier than usual and took a detour to Tesco on the way to work. The boxes have to be approved by the Ward Manager then properly labelled before they can be used......

Visit Patient 1 - X

Tried throughout the day but patient was either sleeping or being attended to by medical staff every time I was in the ward.

Visit Patient 2 - √ 

Spent some time with this patient, whom I'd first visited over 2 weeks ago. We've had some lovely chats about thier favourite music and their special songs. Sadly, their condition had deteriorated over the weekend.

Visit Patient 3 – X

Patient was sleeping every time I visited ward, but I did manage to spend a good bit of time with the patient’s partner. Was nice to have feedback on how comforting both the patient and the family were finding the personal playlist.

Attend Home Care meeting – √ 

Gave a short presentation. Seemed to go well and project was met with enthusiasm and some great suggestions.

See Director of Operations re adaptors for bathrooms – X

First refurbished bathroom is almost complete. Need to test out the cable and adaptor so that patients can listen to their own music while in the bath. DoO was busy in meetings all day.

See IT Manager re laptop I'm hoping to donate – X 

Met briefly in corridor between meetings, but not long enough for proper chat.

Write up cross care notes – X

Ran out of time and had problems getting access to a hospice computer. The office that I work from in Strathcarron is small and very busy. The Patient and Family Support Team staff, quite rightly, take priority as far as space and access to computers is concerned, and there isn't enough space for me to have my own desk. Sometimes it’s easier for the team if I bail out and find somewhere else in the hospice to work from, sometimes using my own laptop. That’s not a problem at all, but I do waste a bit too much time just finding a suitable place to park myself and all my gear!

Update music player log – X

Ran out of time

Drop in session - √/X 

Did hold session but didn’t see many members of staff. However, I made good use of time by updating the music library.

Reply to emails - √/X

Two out of an intended ten.

Phone calls – X 

Ran out of time

Added extras:

1. Was asked to visit Patient 4 by member of nursing staff. Had good chat, downloaded long list of music onto MP3 player, gave player to patient and demonstrated how to use it.

2. Was asked to visit Patient 5 by Occupational Therapist. After a brief chat, spent a while trying to put one of their audio books onto MP3 player without success. Nearly threw computer out of the window. Will consult IT experts (ie my kids) and hopefully return with player duly loaded up with book. Did manage to compile a list of favourite songs and leave that with the patient.

3. A hug from the lovely Frank Curran!

So, it was a day of ups and downs and - as with most days at the hospice - I didn’t manage to tick everything off my list. However, this placement isn’t all about ticking boxes and - as with most days at the hospice – I came away feeling satisfied that I’d made the very most of the time that I had available. I drove home, made a cup of tea, opened my diary at tomorrow's date and wrote: ‘Things to do.....’

Thursday 12 April 2012

A perfect illustration of the power of music!

Some of my Facebook friends have pointed me in the direction of a couple of video clips that've been doing the rounds recently. I absolutely love them! They kind of sum up what the very essence of my project at the hospice is all about. The people in the clip aren't typical of the patients that I've been working with at the hospice as they're elderly residents in an American nursing home; but the principle of using music to help reduce anxiety as well as 'awaken' emotions, memories and that very basic 'feel-good' factor is very much the same. Parts of the script could've been lifted straight from my original pitch to the hospice and the Vodafone Foundation!

I've read a lot about the 'quickening art' of music, but this is a really lovely illustration of that art in action. It's at the very heart of what my project is all about; using music - sometimes in its most basic form - as a therapeutic tool to make a difference to the lives of Strathcarron's very special patients. I hope you enjoy the clips as much as I did:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5S_hADV30&feature=autoplay&list=UUWSW0VyPUvG8dfJc9VtFQRg&lf=plcp&playnext=1[/youtube]

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZQf0p73QM&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

 

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Getting the volume right!

One of the things I’m enjoying most about my placement is the opportunity to meet some really lovely people. The evening that Leah came in to the ward to sing, I was aware of one visitor in particular who was clearly appreciating Leah’s lovely voice – and clearly enjoying singing along! I wasn’t properly introduced to Frank till the next day. I was heading out of the ward, after helping one of the patients set up a playlist of her favourite songs, and bumped into Frank in the doorway. After complimenting Leah he told me that he had a lifetime’s experience of entertaining people with his music. It turns out that Frank has his own Big Band and, after I briefly explained that I was trying to introduce more in the way of music to the hospice he, without hesitation, offered to come in to play for the patients.

And play he did! Along with two of his band members, Frank gave up his own free time to entertain the day care patients, their visitors and some of the staff yesterday afternoon. A few of the patients from the ward managed to come along too, and I’m pretty sure that that alone made Frank’s day. His form of entertainment was very different from that of the school pupils – and neither will have been to everyone’s taste – but it was clear that many in the appreciative audience really enjoyed the visit from The Frank Curran Trio!

I’m learning all the time during my placement and one of the things I learned yesterday was to be a wee bit more careful about the volume when musicians are in the hospice performing! Frank had brought along a full kit of amps, microphones, drums, keyboard and bass guitar so the music was pretty loud. That was totally my fault though and certainly no reflection on Frank and his friends. Anyway, it turns out that there was a rather important committee meeting going on in an adjoining room and I gather it was, em, interesting for them to have Matt Munro and Nat King Cole classics belting out in the background! Ocht well, hopefully no harm done and hopefully I’ll be allowed back to Day Care with more performers soon. Possibly some that are just as talented as Frank’s trio, but maybe just a little bit quieter....!