Volunteers Vital to Hospice Care

By Barbara Roberts           

Hospice care is something many of us think about only when we face the challenge of caring for a loved one with a life-limiting illness. The services a hospice provides help the patient, caregivers, and family live with compassion and respect during the final months of a patient’s illness.

Those who have experienced the dying process have witnessed first-hand the tender care given to their loved one by a hospice staff of nurses, chaplains, social workers, and therapists. These professionals work together to provide a holistic plan for the utmost quality of care for every patient.

After experiencing the humanity of hospice care, some family members wish they could help others facing this end-of-life challenge. However, they may assume that one has to be a hospice staff member in order to provide care. Fortunately, that is not the case. Individuals can help in hospice care—as volunteers.

Volunteers are always needed at Johnson County hospices, and they play a vital role in contributing to hospice care. In fact, many older adults volunteer at hospices, providing contributions that are invaluable.

“Many of our senior volunteers may have experienced hospice care through their family or friends,” said Kathy Fetters, volunteer coordinator at Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care. “They have the maturity and time to give back.”

Hospices especially need volunteers to assist in the daytime, when many family members are working and cannot be with their loved one.

Some of the ways volunteers can provide support: 

·        Patient care. Provide companionship to hospice patients at home, giving caregivers much-needed rest. Volunteers can also visit nursing home patients, who welcome a visit by a comforting presence.

·        Special-project volunteers. Provide assistance in special events that raise community awareness about the hospice.

·        Administrative support. Provide office and staff support to the hospice.

·        Bereavement support. Provide fellowship and support to people who have lost a loved one.

·        Professional assistance. Attorneys, notaries, and beauticians volunteer their time to hospice patients who are unable to leave their home.

·        Top-Drawer Resale Shop. Sponsored by Kansas City Hospice, this resale shop welcomes volunteers to serve at the store with sales and merchandise preparation.

 Shawnee resident Shirley Garvey, 71, has a personal reason for being a hospice volunteer. “Hospice helped my mother,” Garvey said. “I always said that when I quit working, that’s what I was going to do.” Garvey helps out with “anything and everything they want me to do; anything I would do for my parents.” Grocery shopping, cleaning house, writing letters, and feeding patients are among the varied services Garvey has provided. The personal benefits of volunteering are immense. Said Garvey, “It helps me as much as it helps them. I can go to bed at night knowing I’ve done a good deed for the day.” Garvey has provided innumerable good deeds, as she has been a hospice volunteer for more than 12 years.

To join Shirley Garvey and many others as a hospice volunteer, simply contact the volunteer coordinator at one of the area Johnson County hospice facilities listed below. The hospice will send you a volunteer application form and provide the training you need before your service as a volunteer.

 These Johnson County area hospices need you! 

(For more Hospice listings see the Senior Directory)

Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care 10100 West 87th St., Overland Park, KS 66212    816-363-2600

Catholic Community Hospice 2220 Central Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66102    913-648-5160, ext. 110

Continua Home Health 13002 State Line Road, Leawood, KS 66209     816-651-6852

 Hospice Care of Kansas City 15329 West 95th St., Lenexa, KS 66219    913-599-1125

Freelance writer Barb Roberts lives in Overland Park with her husband and two young sons.  This article appeared in the June 2007 Best Times newspaper.

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