What is a Vaisnavas Care Team?

Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. has been working hard to serve the sick and dying devotees and their families for the past decade. In that time, we have seen a rising need for every temple in our Krsna consciousness movement, as well as every devotee community, to have an organized Vaisnavas Care Team of volunteers who are ready and willing to serve in their congregation when the need arises. These volunteers do many types of services. Some are already in the medical field as degreed and licensed medical professionals as well as certified practitioners in complementary/alternative medical therapies. Many more, however, are layperson volunteers who have a "calling" for this type of caring service for those in need.

We have seen that not everyone is able to assist with the bodily care of the ill. That is fine. We recognize that this type of bodily care and service is not for everyone. However, many volunteers in local Care Teams help in many other important ways. For example, they like to prepare a meal once a week or twice a month, etc. for a devotee who is sick. If they are not able to drive the prasadam to that devotee's home, we have other volunteers who sign up to deliver the meals. Many Care Team volunteers like to visit with the sick or terminally ill vaisnava or vaisnavi and read to them from Srila Prabhupada's books or other transcendental literature. Some like to have bhajans with, and for, the patient and family members. Many volunteers like to chant japa with the patient or watch Krsna conscious DVD's. Some do "memory work" with the patient as they look at patient and family photos so they remember healthier and happier times in their lives. In addition, some Care Team volunteers like to run errands for the sick devotees or offer to do light housekeeping or take the patient for a walk, if the patient is physically able. This helps the patient to remove himself from the "sick" room, receive some fresh air and sunshine, as well as get some light exercise even when slowly walking a short distance. Other volunteers have a way of not just speaking to the dying devotees, but give the "gift" of listening. Being able to truly listen is a blessing for one who needs to process what may be a very difficult, incomprehensible situation. If the patient does not want to talk that day or at that moment, but does not wish to be alone either, some volunteers have the talent to simply sit with the patient and create an atmosphere of comfortable, "therapeutic silence."

There are many ways you can become a valued member of your local Vaisnavas Care Team. Every service, no matter how small you think it is, is a major part of the complete picture of helping a sick or dying patient and his or her loved ones. There are no "small services" when it comes to being a Care Team volunteer. Some of our Board Members are more than willing to travel to your community to present a Vaisnavas CARE Hospice Seminar (Free of charge, although donations are appreciated.) While there, we can help you with the needed student workbooks and paperwork, as well as offer you many ideas on how to easily organize your own local Vaisnavas Care Team. After the seminar, we can meet with you and those who are interested in joining your newly formed Vaisnavas Care Team. In this way, you and other trained volunteers will be standing ready for when there is a need in your community or temple.

Please note that Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. is a non-profit organization, but is not a licensed hospice agency. We encourage all terminally ill devotees to utilize their local licensed hospice agency to come to their homes and provide the many services they are able to give in order to care for the medical and other holistic needs of the patient and loved ones. Vaisnavas CARE educates our own Vaisnava volunteers to supplement the care given by the licensed home hospice team by offering our emotional, spiritual, and practical care for those involved in end-of-life situations and/or in acute or chronically ill circumstances.

Please consider starting a local Care Team in your community and let us know how we can help you in any way to get started. Our VCARE Board of Directors and volunteers are here to continue to encourage you, inspire you in any way we can, and to give you practical advice via emails and/or phone calls as often as you need us. We are here to serve you. For questions please contact us at: atyourservice@vaisnavascare.com

In addition, we would like to reiterate that Vaisnavas C.A.R.E., Inc. is NOT a licensed hospice. Our mission is to assist every devotee temple/community worldwide to organize a "Care Team" in order to provide emotional, spiritual, and practical care to the sick and dying devotees in your community. Local teams cannot legally use the title, "Hospice" unless you are licensed to do so according to the laws in your state or country. We recommend every "Care Team" to develop an amiable relationship with a nearby licensed home hospice agency, where available, so their trained staff can provide the needed medical care for the terminally ill devotees. "Care Team" volunteers supplement their care with emotional, spiritual, and practical care as needed. If you are interested in sponsoring an educational seminar in your temple/community please contact us at: atyourservice@vaisnavascare.org