Fran Treston had always wanted to volunteer but never had the time while she worked in the banking industry. Her retirement gave her the hours she needed to give back, and in 2012 she set her sights on the Volunteer Services program at HUP. Today, she just surpassed 2,500 lifetime hours!
Since starting, Treston has volunteered her services in many places at HUP – including the information desk in the main lobby and in the ED – but it is in the Family Caregiver Center on Ravdin 1 that she finally found her “home.”
“It’s a wonderful place for people to have coffee, sit in the massage chair, or just talk with someone,” Treston said. “It’s a shame they don’t learn about the Center when a loved one is being discharged. People have told me ‘I wish I had known about it sooner.’” And she makes sure they do!
During her two, four-hour shifts each week, Treston visits several areas around the hospital to spread the word to family members about all the Center offers. After first going to the surgical waiting room --talking with family members about the Center and giving out pamphlets – she visits the waiting rooms on both the cardiac ICU on Founders 5 and the NICU on Rhoads 2.
Then, she walks around the unit, stopping into some patient rooms. But beyond giving out information about the Center or connecting families with appropriate resources, such as a nurse, social worker, or a member of Pastoral Care, Treston engages with family members, often times just listening. “Fran is comfortable reaching out to families. She is present, she hears their stories,” said Karen Anderson, MSN, clinical nurse specialist of Patient & Family Centered Care. Following her unit “rounds,” Treston returns to the Center for the remainder of her shifts.
Not surprisingly, in these environments where patients may need to stay for long periods of time, Treston has formed bonds with family members. One woman was in the CICU with her husband who was getting a valve replacement. “Whenever I went up, I would spend time with her,” Treston said. “We looked forward to seeing each other.” Since her husband’s discharge, the has woman stayed in touch, texting updates. In addition, family members Treston met on the patient-care units will often stop at the Center while in HUP for follow-up care. “I find that to be gratifying … It’s closure.”
“Fran embraces this role,” Anderson said. “Hers is not just a one-time impact.”
“I love the people I work with here and I like being involved, especially in the Center,” Treston said. “It reinforces the idea that a small kindness can have a huge impact.”
To learn more about the Family Caregivers Center, call 215-662-4898 or go to https://bit.ly/2H4NvQQ.