CNY Lunch with staffs & volunteers

2017 CHINESE NEW YEAR 

Steamboat Lunch with staffs & volunteers 

Expansion Plans for Pure Lotus Hospice !

The Venerable Rev Lyan Shih (CEO of the Pure Lotus Hospice Of Compassion ) announced plans to extend our present hospice building at No 73 Jalan Utama , Penang .The plan is to build skywards - a four storey buiding which will eventually be able to accomodate more than forty patients at any one time . A press conference was held to inform the people of Penang and elsewhere regarding this and we are looking at ways and means to get funding for this project . There have been many occassions when we have had to reject applications for admission because there were not enough beds to cope with the demand .Hopefully this will sove our dilemma .

a poster showing the proposed new buliding and pictures of patients ,staff and volunteers at Pure Lotus HospiceA

Pet Therapy at Pure Lotus Hospice

Pet Therapy was started at the hospice in late 2013 .One of our volunteers Tan Goay Gnoh brings her little Pomeranian dog along to visit the patients on alternate Tuesdays . His name is Tam Tam and he is a loving , clever little fellow. Always obedient and willing to do his 'tricks' so that people give him biscuit treats ! Some of the patients have become friends with Tam Tam and are happy to see him when he visits . They enjoy stroking him and petting him . The session makes them smile and talk more easily and they sometimes reminisce about their lives before they got sick ; the pets they used to have ,etc . Pet Therapy is often used in hospices round the world and has been found to be useful in making patients feel less anxious and stressed . Dogs are ideal because they are such loving friendly creatures . We sometimes have patients who are abandoned by their families at the hospice . These people have not been touched or hugged for a long time . Often they feel worthless , hopeless and unloved . Holding Tam Tam and stroking him , having him respond immediately - makes them feel much better about themselves . We are very grateful to Goay Gnoh for her commitment to the patients and for sharing her little dog with us .

PLHOC arranged a dinner and Karaoke night for staff and volunteers at the Penang Swimming Club on April 25th 2014. Everyone had a great time eating good food, singing old songs and generally 'letting their hair down '!!

Complementary therapies

Dance and music therapy has been incorporated into the hospice for more than a year now . It is conducted every Wednesday morning by our committed volunteers Jane Hosking, Malinee , Leslie, Angela and Ines .Patients who are well enough to sit are encouraged to participate. Those who are bed bound are given hand held percussion instruments to join in with the tempo of the music .

Art Therapy at Pure Lotus Hospice

Art session by patients and volunteers 
 Art and Craft was introduced as a complementary therapy for patients at the hospice in 2012.The program is run with the help of volunteers on Monday mornings . Patients who are happy to take part are helped by volunteers to create simple but fun things which can be completed within an hour at the most . At other times they are encouraged to color and draw and paint . Some will talk about their past life experiences and share old memories whilst painting and colouring .At times ,it helps them to reveal their hidden emotions in a safe way and can be a cathartic experience .Some patients use Art as a way to express their fear ,pain and sadness . Others use it to express their gratitude to carers and loved ones and as a way to say 'Thank You'. Art Therapy is a useful medium to use to help patients get in touch with their emotions and is widely used as a complemetary therapy in the West . Many universities offer courses for those who wish to work as professional Art therapists . In Malaysia however, we lack such professional therapists . We endeavour to fill the gap with volunteers who are skilled in Art and Craft and who are compassionate enough to give their time and effort to the hospice patients. At Pure Lotus Hospice we are fortunate to have a group of Korean volunteers who come in on a regular basis to make this program a successful and meaningful one .

Rev Lyan Shih encouraging patient who is attempting to do a painting 

Patients drawing of a 'volcano inside my head " . He expressed the physical pain inside his head through his art 

patient' s drawing of the terrifying vision he has when he sleeps ....

Mr. Chong Kim Chew at Pure Lotus Hospice

 Mr. Chong Kim Chew was diagnosed with prostate cancer and his Doctor told him that he will live for another 6 months only.

With despair, he was admitted to Pure Lotus Hospice. With the support of the Doctor, nurses and volunteers of Pure Lotus Hospice of Compassion, Mr. Chong uplifted his spirit to overcome his anxieties.
Today, he has outlived the "pronounce" 6 months. He has stayed in Pure Lotus for 16 months. He is very
grateful to those who have supported him, and gave him the courage to overcome his fear.

Presently, he enjoyed watching the Olympic games and he forecast that China will loop most of the Gold
medals, followed by USA

He shared his prediction of winners with his fellow inmates. The 2012 Olympics has rejuvenated the spirits of
the patients in Pure Lotus.