Touch drawing and Hospice/end of life

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Comment by Tanya M. Lewis on July 1, 2009 at 4:44pm

Hi Shemaya,

I wanted to thank you for organizing this group. It has taken me awhile to work my way here, but I seem to be confronted with this topic more often than not. I spent a few years working as a volunteer for Hospice & I truly wish that I had known about TD then. My first patient was diagnosed with AIDS & was dealing with a tremendous amount of emotional issues & having been ostrasized by his family. He was a beautiful person who would have benefited greatly through the gift of TD. In later years, during my work as a Case Manager in the field of Physical & Developmental Disabilities, hospice care & loss was ever present. No one was immune to the feelings of loss or the emotional havoc it inevitably wreaked upon them. Many of the clients conveyed feelings of sadness, but without an outlet often resorted to acting out behaviors. I had discussed the possibility of implementing TD with Hospice & clients during our last open session, however; at the time my schedule didn't accommodate everything I had hoped to accomplish. I would very much like to contact our local Hospice Center now & rediscuss the options for introducing it again here. I believe this group will be an invaluable asset in connecting with others on this topic & implementation. Thanks again.