Corona pandemic makes it difficult for the hospice association to help

In order to accompany people for a while at the end of their life, 174 voluntary employees of the hospice association in Polling are on their way between Murnau and Herrsching. Saying goodbye is particularly difficult under the restrictions of the Corona crisis.

• Corona requirements make hospice work more difficult.
• Managing director regrets that the willingness to donate has decreased.
• Employees of the hospice association in Polling not only look after the seriously ill and dying, but also their relatives.

Polling - "A lot of people have been pretty lonely in the past few weeks, including their relatives," says Alexandra Meyer, senior coordinator for the outpatient service. Because not only the club helpers were not allowed to go to the nursing home or hospital, the pandemic also made visits from relatives impossible. Even at funerals, only the next of kin could attend. In addition, the hospice association had to cancel its courses "Last Help - accompanying and caring for the end of life" and all other planned events in the past few months. “An extremely difficult situation for everyone that nobody could have imagined six months ago,” says managing director Steffen Röger.

The outpatient hospice service not only accompanies dying people in the home or in their home environment, but also relieves relatives. "However, our volunteers do not take on any medical or nursing tasks," says nursing director Barbara Rosengart. Rather, it is about maintaining the highest possible quality of life. Visits to the apartment or walks are possible for this, as well as conversations or other small services such as reading aloud.

"However, all of this is not easy under Corona conditions," says Meyer. Because under the face mask, the facial expressions and a smile are not recognizable, distance rules do not allow a loving caress or hand holding. “When the pandemic started, we hardly had any inquiries,” says Röger, “because many people were insecure and were afraid of letting strangers into the house.” He was glad that the initially very strict rules were relaxed a little.

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The association was founded in 1992, ten years later the hospice opened in Polling Monastery, which has ten beds. The “Hospizverein im Pfaffenwinkel” foundation has existed since 2009. “Since the entire board of the association works on a voluntary basis and there are no fees for the administration of donations, every donation directly benefits the people entrusted to us,” says the managing director and regrets that the willingness to donate in the corona crisis has decreased significantly.

The full-time and voluntary workers care for seriously ill and dying people and their relatives as long as possible on an outpatient basis at home, in old people's homes and hospitals as well as inpatient in the hospice polling - regardless of age, religion, nationality and ideology. "Advice, care, accompaniment and admission to the hospice are free for everyone," says Rosengart.

"We cannot prevent dying, but we can try to make the best of it"

The area of ​​application extends from Herrsching to Murnau and from Penzberg to the Swabian district border near Ingenried. Meyer: “At the first contact, one of our full-time employees clarifies what kind of support could be and is desired. Together we will find out which of our offers is suitable. We cannot prevent dying, but we can try to make the best of it. "

Outpatient before inpatient is the principle, because most people want to spend the last part of their life well cared for at home. The team is supplemented by experienced social pedagogues who are also palliative care specialists and works together with other specialist services, for example with nursing services and with social services in hospitals.

“Our own training team offers courses for hospice helpers at regular intervals,” says Röger. The training includes around 100 hours of theory for acquiring the hospice attitude and the necessary skills. Experience can be gained on site in an internship of 40 hours at the Polling Hospice.

The hospice idea is not an invention of our day. As early as the Middle Ages, hospices (hostels) were built on the edge of the pilgrimage routes as places of Christian hospitality. Tired, sick or dying people were helped there. The modern hospice movement, founded by doctor Cicely Saunders after 1945, wants to make it possible for the seriously ill and the dying not to suffer in familiar surroundings. Dying is seen as a part of life that should neither be shortened nor artificially lengthened; this basic attitude excludes active euthanasia. Telephone contact to the outpatient hospice service: 0881/9258490.

Peter Stöbich

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