Liability Issues

Most health care facilities in Canada have insurance coverage that includes every program activity. However, it is still a good idea to check this out before starting any new program.
This particular event happened during one of our Saturday walks along Colquitz Creek. We like this site because the creek has been cleaned up by children from a nearby school. The fish are back, there are lots of ducks around, and the water is free of debris; the creek is just a nice peaceful shady place, with good paths, a bridge, and even some stepping stones. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

Our group included a woman who needed a cane to get about because of a recent hip replacement. We were walking, talking, and stepping from one stone to another across the creek. It was just one of those things that had to happen! Our dear lady put her cane into the only hole on the edge of a stepping stone and landed face down on the creek bottom.
Within seconds, a volunteer and another walker had our dripping wet lady out of the creek and sitting on the stepping stone. Thank God she has a wonderful sense of humor. Another volunteer got her car and took the woman home to change. By the time we finished our walk and arrived at our refreshment place, they were waiting for us.

We share this story often, and it usually is a great icebreaker. However, it certainly reminds us of our responsibilities and of the necessity for having liability insurance. These days, whenever we cross Colquitz Creek, we take the bridge!

Refreshment Tips

Experience has taught us that the best refreshment place following the first Saturday walk is a café or small restaurant where the group can sit together. People are used to a café; it is a familiar kind of place, and walkers, therefore, are likely to feel more comfortable in that environment. The first gathering is a time for getting to know each other, and this is an easier task in everyday surroundings.

Volunteers are also happy to offer their homes as places to have light refreshment after the Saturday morning walks. These informal and homey environments make folks feel both comfortable and safe.

I am still surprised and delighted to see folks who were complete strangers just a few weeks ago happily chatting away like old friends. Soon, photos of grandchildren and boasts about marvelous children and spouses are readily shared. Of course, there are also tears, precious photos of loved ones gone, and stories about the illnesses that caused their losses. We hear, repeatedly, about how much their newfound friends mean to our walkers; we also hear about their profound appreciation for the care given to loved ones by Victoria Hospice.
If you are the organizer for the refreshment event, don’t forget to make a reservation and be prepared to change the plans, if necessary. Not every place looks forward to pre- paring separate checks for a large group of folks just for coffee and a snack, so be prepared to be flexible.

Keeping Time

Setting a time of 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning doesn’t ensure that all walkers will arrive on time. On the first Saturday you may find stragglers arriving in their own good time. This reality is understandable because coming out to that first walk is a difficult first step for some. Nonetheless, volunteers need to emphasize that 10 o’clock means 10 o’clock.

For the following week, the group may start a few minutes after 10 if some folks have not yet arrived. A good way to get the on-time message across is to have one volunteer wait for a few minutes once the group has moved off, in order to gather the stragglers. It doesn’t take long for the group as a whole to get the message. Most folks like to do things on time, and the tardy ones soon realize that they can become a problem for the majority.

Mapping the Route

When a date for a new group walk has been set, both a letter and a map are sent to people whom the Bereavement Office has selected for the program. The letter includes the names and phone numbers of the coordinators, and the map locates the meeting and refreshment places. The maps are important, especially if you live in a place like Victoria where street names are hidden behind trees, and the names change without notice. The map also includes information about the start time and a contact phone number if the walker is unable to attend. Most places have many interesting and varied locations that make for great walks, but you would be amazed at how many folks don’t know about them. We suggest that our new friends purchase a map of Victoria because we know how difficult it is to find one’s way around this city.

Before anyone leaves the refreshment place, they are given a map for the next Saturday’s walk. Folks that didn’t attend are sent a map for the following Saturday. Don’t delay in sending out those maps and follow up with a phone call.

Folks who are unsure about finding the walk’s location can be encouraged to make a dry run sometime during the preceding week.

An Exercise Point

Now and then, some folks have the idea that the Walking Group Program is an exercise outing. Try to explain that walking sometimes means strolling. Once this reality is clearly understood, it becomes easier to accommodate all walkers.

I always tell vigorous walkers that their time will come later when we put them in touch with other enthusiastic walkers in the Bereavement Self-Help Social Group.

Transportation Issues

The people who participate in the Walking Group Program tend to be a bit older. This fact can pose a problem for coordinators because not all older people drive cars. We have met many widows whose husbands did all the driving, and while these women may own cars, they cannot drive them. Efforts are made to accommodate such people, but experience has shown us that expecting volunteers to provide rides for everyone who needs one is not a good long-term solution.

A better strategy is to encourage walkers to be part of the solution to have everyone attend every Saturday throughout the nine-week program. Once walkers are comfortable with each other, a suggestion or two about car-pooling usually solves this problem. Most people are generous at offering rides once they see the need.

Walking Weather

The Walking Group Program has been operating for almost 15 years, and we have had to cancel only one Saturday walk. Our motto is that We walk, rain or shine. What we would do faced with three feet of snow is another matter, and that prospect brings up a good point.
In different climates, volunteers will have to be creative. Most places have malls, and if you can get your walkers to resist the shopping urge, you have it made. It is very important to encourage walkers to attend every walk for the nine consecutive weeks. Once a walker misses a walk, it becomes easy to miss the next one as well.

About Absenteeism

Now and then, a walker will miss a Saturday walk. It is important to contact this person by phone as soon as possible. Just let them know that they were missed and express the hope that you will see them on the next Saturday. Then send the person a map for the next walk. This might sound like overkill, but our experience teaches us not to neglect this quick follow-up routine.

Handling the Pet Question

Requests to bring pets along can be tough ones to handle. When asked, I try to be firm in a gentle way. Taking a pet on these walks is simply not a good idea. Usually, all you have to do is remind folks that not everybody is an animal lover. The other aspect is that having the company of a pet takes something away from the purpose of the walk. It’s pretty difficult to ignore an animal, however well behaved the pet may be. Sometimes, folks will bring a small dog or a cat that the group can fuss over before the walk, but then the pet is left in the car when the walkers embark. A pet also presents a problem when the group goes to a café or restaurant.

In spite of the fact that animal lovers tend to be a sensitive lot, beyond the reservations mentioned above, there is also the reality that many other people suffer from allergies. No, expecting that pets can be incorporated into the Saturday walk routine is not a good idea!