|
|
August 29, 2003
Helping survivors age
Aging often brings out memories of the Holocaust.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
When people age, they start to have more trouble with their short-term
memory while their long-term memories become stronger. For a survivor
of the Holocaust, that often means reliving some of the memories
from Nazi Germany – adding a lot of trauma to their final years.
That's the reason behind the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre's
(HEC) new Holocaust Survivor Visiting Program.
Growing out of a survivor peer counselling group established several
years ago, the purpose of the program is to provide survivors with
trained and experienced volunteers who will visit with them, help
them or just listen to them.
"[Survivors] are suffering from natural age-related issues
such as a drop in physical abilities and mental capacities and,
along with that, they are also dealing with the issue of coping
with the Holocaust," explained Cathy Golden, the program's
co-ordinator. "Aging is different for Holocaust survivors.
They have a sense of isolation and desolation and if they don't
have family members coming to visit, it's very hard on them.
"We have to reverse the tragic evolution of the Holocaust by
establishing real interhuman relationships on a gentle level,"
she continued. "Maybe it's listening to their story, helping
them with some documents or just coming for tea. But if we can reduce
the deep existential isolation, then we've made an important step
in helping to reduce suffering in their last days."
Golden added that, as survivors get older, it becomes increasingly
important for them to feel that their story will live on.
"They so desperately want to be remembered, understood and
know that there will be someone there to keep telling their stories,"
she explained. "Some of them are alone and they need to know
that this torch is being passed on. We're saying to them that we're
here."
Golden said the HEC has a list of 16 volunteers who will be matched
up with Holocaust survivors at various places.
"We're dealing with people who are at Louis Brier [Home and
Hospital], Crofton Manor or maybe someone who is in hospital for
some sort of procedure and all of a sudden they want to talk to
someone about the Holocaust," Golden explained.
While there are no official criteria for volunteer visitors, a good
volunteer must have some sort of background or experience that will
enable the survivor to feel that the visitor truly understands them.
"The people who are visiting have to have this inside them,"
Golden said, noting that most of the volunteers are first or second
generation survivors. "Each one brings something inherently
different in their listening skills, abilities, understanding and
what they can give out to the survivors."
Another key to the program is to ensure that the survivors maintain
their dignity. That's why the Holocaust centre will only work with
survivors who approach them first.
"We cannot come up to a survivor and ask if they'd like to
have someone come visit them," said Golden. "Not everyone
needs the help so the contact with us has to be initiated by the
survivor because it's very important to maintain their dignity.
"They need to be aware that this service exists for them, that
it's specially tailored for them and that we are all being trained
to understand them."
The visitors program has already played a significant role for one
family with a unique situation of their own.
The HEC received a call from a second generation member who had
found out only 10 years earlier that her mother, at the age of 17,
had witnessed Kristalnacht before her own parents were taken to
be murdered at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp. Now 80 years
old, her mother is in a care facility and wants to talk about her
past.
They each have very unique situations," said Golden, a second
generation member herself. "They are all going to deal with
it differently as they age."
For more information about the visitor program or any other programs
at the HEC, call 604-604-264-0499.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
^TOP
|
|
