Area hospice volunteer coordinators are always looking for people who are willing to share some time and compassion through a friendly visit or other helpful efforts.
According to the Hospice Foundation of America:
- Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments.
- Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain management.
- The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient's last days by offering comfort and dignity.
- Hospice care is provided by a team-oriented group of specially trained professionals, volunteers and family members.
- Hospice addresses all symptoms of a disease, with a special emphasis on controlling a patient's pain and discomfort.
- Hospice deals with the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient's family and friends.
- Hospice offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services to families before and after a patient's death. (What is Hospice section, 2011)
The needs for volunteers range from shopping and letter writing or sorting files, to listening to life stories, reading, playing games, or even keeping “vigil” with someone in their very last hours. There are also volunteers who bring their dogs or who bake cookies or do office work.
Training and ongoing support for volunteers is provided and a background check and fingerprints are required.
Said one volunteer: So much can be learned through this service. You stop thinking about yourself and see what is unique to that other person. People don’t think they have ministries but each person does!
If you feel called to volunteer with persons in their last stages of life, contact any of the following in the Wilmington, DE area:
Compassionate Care Hospice
702B Wilmington Ave
Wilmington, DE 19805
302-993-9090
http://www.cchnet.net/giving-back.shtml
Delaware Hospice
3515 Silverside Rd #100
Wilmington DE 19947
302-478-5707
http://www.delawarehospice.org/option,com_rsform/Itemid,29.html
Heartland Hospice Services
256 Chapman Rd., #102
Newark, DE 19702
302-737-7080
http://www.1800volunteer.org/1800Vol/volunteerdelaware/LoadOpportunityReview.do?opportunityId=72447
Odyssey Healthcare Inc
1407 Foulk Rd
Wilmington, DE 19803
302-479-7500
http://www.odsyhealth.com/about-volunteer.asp
VITAS
100 Commerce Dr.
Christiana Corp Ctr #302
Newark, DE 19713
302-451-4000
https://www.vitas.com/Services/LearnAboutHospice/BecomeaVolunteer.aspx
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