“People make assumptions about what we’re there for, a stereotypical assessment,” said Dave Wendleton, director of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education at Evergreen Hospital. “’Oh my god. They called a chaplain! I must really be bad; they’re going to force prayer, read from scripture.’”
Such is the interplay between a patient and chaplain at its bumpiest course, not terribly dissimilar from a mother settling a dispute between siblings; one is there to listen and the other refuses to concede.
Given its potential difficulties, the rejection and the constant pain shared between patients, families and the chaplain, the job of spiritual caregiving is one that takes immense patience, sincerity and mental discipline.
Which makes it all the more impressive that Leroy Anenson, a volunteer spiritual caregiver, has been visiting patients at Evergreen Hospital while serving his own congregation. Anenson recently logged in his 20,000 patient visit.
“What you tend to find beyond the loyalty is a deep-seated faith. It’s not just about chalking up the numbers. It’s about talking about the celebrations and the tragedies,” Wendleton said.
From all accounts, Anenson is a private person, so much so that when he recently logged in the milestone, he declined a conversation with the Reporter.
“If there was one word I could use to describe him, he is a humble person. It’s not about him,” said Laurene Burton, administrative director of Governance and Community Services at Evergreen Hospital.
Before Evergreen Hospital staffed a dedicated chaplain, Anenson volunteered to be that person. He also preceded the hospital’s Clinical Pastoral Education lobbying the hospital’s administration to launch such a program nearly two decades ago. Wendleton attributed the program’s founding in part to Anenson’s tenacity.
Wendleton said part of what makes Anenson a great caregiver is his approach, one which favors service rather than prescription.
“He has a strong faith but he also listens very well. He doesn’t have an agenda,” Wendleton said. “A lot of people, especially people who are religious folks who tend to have an agenda. They want to have certain things come out of engagements with people. This isn’t about that. It’s about needing to listen to people’s struggles.”
“Many times he uses prayer but he never forces it. It comes out of a natural flow from the needs of the patient,” Wendleton added.
Burton spoke with amazement at the time Anenson has taken out of his days to reach out to patients.
“I think the fact that he’s seen 20,000 people over the course of 20 years, because he was a full-time minister as well, I think that says more about who Leroy is than anything when other people would be out playing golf or going to Palm Springs in Arizona, Leroy is here. He always has a smile on his face.”
A former chaplain, Julie Hanada, director of Spiritual Care at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington, spoke to the challenges spiritual caregivers often confront.
“No one needs training to listen to someone who they want to listen,” Hanada said. “We all think we’re open and empathetic. It’s those places where you come up against a patient and you say you cannot listen to this individual and that’s where your limitation is. Chaplains try to learn to listen to everybody, the person you don’t want to hear, the person who reminds you of your mother..”
That said, how long might Anenson plan to volunteer?
“Wow. I don’t even know how old he is. He might be in his 70s or 80s. I think he’ll be doing this until he can’t. He doesn’t see this as a job or obligation. He sees this as a privilege to be involved in people’s lives and to hear their fears and their stories,” Wendleton said. “I think he will do this until physically he can’t.”
