Hospice Care

I have minimal experience with hospice care in New Zealand. My understanding hospice is a place for individual support and the support for their families in coping with impending loss and grief. At this stage, I would not consider working as a hospice counsellor, as I do not yet feel ready to embrace the part of the journey.

The only experience I have with Hospice Care in NZ is when my paternal grandpa with dementia had to be sent to a retirement home into hospice care as he could no longer look after himself even physically. I didn't visit him near the end of his life, as my dad was against it(?) but I heard stories on his deterioration and how the retirement home was not a great environment for him (although this is subjective to my dad). 

I wouldn't consider working as a hospice counsellor, although a noble pursuit, as it is not my area of interest 

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Yes I have experience with hospice with family members and it is an amazing service that provides the person dying and the family around them with so much care and dignity during such a difficult time.  Yes I would definitely work for hospice as a counsellor.

I've had 1st hand experience of the amazing work Hospice does on a number of occasions with members of my family & close friends.  The wrap around care & support they offer both the patient and their loved ones is so special, and Hospice Counselling is one area I'd like to consider working in.

1. What knowledge or experience do you have regarding hospice care in New Zealand?

I have had a few experiences with hospice and the care and support they offer loved ones transitioning over and the whānau. I know that hospice have more legal standing to help those transition over and it has been my experience that if you want your loved one to be as pain-free and as comfortable as possible, then hospice is our best companion.

2. Would you consider working as a hospice counsellor? Why / Why not?

Absolutely, to help others navigate what can be a confronting, challenging and painful time, I see it as an honour.

1. What knowledge or experience do you have regarding hospice care in New Zealand?

I've had some good experiences with hospice care. The families that I've experienced it with have seen it as a joint experience. The hospice workers can't give those under their charge the same care and attention that family maybe able to but they tried their damn hardest.

2. Would you consider working as a hospice counsellor? Why / Why not?

The more that I think about my future as a counsellor I think that my passion is pulling me to either children or senior care. Dying is a human experience and at both ends of the spectrum, young and old people don't have to be alone when thinking about it.

1. I have seen the process multiple times, they are amazing and make the process a lot easier through making them comfortable.

2. I have been offered a placement as a hospice counsellor, which would be interesting, but my passion is ACC-sensitive claims counselling. I want to collaborate with people so that they could potentially break cycles and then therefore die with fewer regrets. 

I have very little knowledge or experience with hospice care in NZ.  I would need more training to be a hospice counsellor and haven't had a lot to do with the elderly in my life, but absolutely would consider it a privilege if I felt well enough equipped to do the job well.

1. What knowledge or experience do you have regarding hospice care in New Zealand?  The only experience that I have is second hand.  I have heard that the support and care that loved ones have received is exceptional, and that the families have been grateful for this.

2. Would you consider working as a hospice counsellor? Why / Why not?  I would hope that I could, however I really struggle with my personal emotions when it comes to this part of death - I think about the loved ones left behind and how much they have lost.

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I have seen hospice support for Mum and Uncle near the end of their lives. The home visits felt methodical and somewhat disconnected, unlike hospital palliative care, which seemed kinder and more empathetic. I want to work in this field helping all ages, not just the dying, by supporting informed end-of-life choices with compassion and without emotional bias. After last nights class, I understand how factors like age and mental health deeply affect these decisions.

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1. What knowledge or experience do you have regarding hospice care in New Zealand?

One of my best friends is a Hospice nurse so I actually know a fair bit about how intense and complicated and varying this sector of care is.

2. Would you consider working as a hospice counsellor? Why / Why not?

Yes, I think it's an extremely profound time for people and families and individuals require support especially if the family disagrees with the choices the hospice patient is making. I also think that nurses bear a lot of the emotional weight in this industry because people do just start talking to their carers. Nurses have to be counsellors, mediators and social workers unofficially on top of their workload just doing the nursing.

yes i would i work with elderly now and its lovely to listen to their stories and i like to know that i am being a voice for people who feel like their choices arent being respected because they matter too even though death is upon them.

I do not have alot of knowledge or experience around hospice care, as a nursing student I had fellow students who worked in the hospice sector, and they enjoyed their time there, as a student I dealt with death on the ward and was able to experience caring for a patient who had past away which was a lovely experience as she was very elderly and it appeared to be her time to pass, and I was able to learn first hand what happens physically to the human body once organs shut down. It would not be my first choice but if the opportunity arose itself and it felt right then I would certainly consider it because I think it would be a very rewarding position to be in, being able to support people through very significant and vulnerable times of their lives.