The end of a loved one’s life can be stressful for all those involved, but hospice care can help alleviate some of the fears attached to death.
Bridge Home Health ‘ Hospice of Bowling Green is looking for volunteers to attend training classes.
Volunteers are extremely important to hospice’s ability to function. Of the 115,000 persons in hospice nationwide about 95,000 are volunteers. Julie Tiell, Family Supportive Services Coordinator at Bridge Hospice, says there are many benefits to volunteering.
“It helps to put things in perspective and, most of all, volunteering makes you feel good,” Tiell said.
Bridge Hospice provides medical care to the terminally ill – that is those who have six months or less to live. Hospice volunteers are trained for a variety of activities, from providing respite for the family to working in the office.
“A lot of families are in dire need of simple things, like friends calling and emotional support,” Tiell said.
Penny McMorris was unsure about what to expect when she volunteered for hospice training. She was quickly put at ease because of the small class sizes and the new friends she found in her fellow volunteers. McMorris felt the experience helps people deal with troubling issues, like mortality.
“We live in a very comfortable society and for the most part we’re not in touch with things like death,” McMorris said, “Being of help can be rewarding.”
The training classes are scheduled every Tuesday night from 6 to 9 for seven weeks starting February 15 at the Wood County Hospital Medical Building. Registration is required. Bridge Hospice can be reached at 419-352-9808.
The classes help prepare volunteers for hospice care in whatever capacity fits them best. Other than being interested, volunteers must be at least 18-years-old. Tiell says that people who volunteer at Bridge Hospice are workers, retired persons and, of course, college students.
Bridge Hospice provides service to eight counties in northwest Ohio, but is the only hospice care provider for Wood County and has been in existence since 1983.
