Hospice volunteers provide compassion and support
“Being a Hospice volunteer is the most rewarding thing I do!” shared a Hospice volunteer. “I have learned so much from my patients. They have openly shared their life experiences reminding me that each day is precious.”
“This is just one of the many positive statements that Hospice volunteers have shared with us as they reflect on their experiences,” explained Sophie Rose, RN, Hospice Manager at Crossing Rivers Health. “Each and every one of our volunteers contribute in their own special way to enhance the patient’s quality of life and to provide support to the patient and family.”
Hospice volunteers at Crossing Rivers Health are a vital part of the hospice team- physician, nurse, aide, chaplain and social worker. Many times, they fill the gap between loved ones and professional caregivers providing valuable feedback to the team.
Hospice with Crossing Rivers Health is welcoming new volunteers to their team by offering volunteer training in Waukon. The 16-hour training is scheduled on two Saturdays, April 2, and April 16. The sessions will be held in the ICN Conference Room at Veterans Memorial Hospital- 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Individuals having a variety of interests and talents, including music and pet and other alternative therapies are encouraged to consider volunteering.
The free training sessions include learning about communication and listening, family dynamics, disease processes, bereavement and grief, medication and pain management, nutrition and hydration, spirituality, and death and the dying process. Annual TB screenings will also be completed at these times.
“Our staff works closely with the Hospice Medical Directors in the four-county area of Allamakee and Clayton Counties in Northeast Iowa and Crawford and Grant Counties in Southwest Wisconsin,” added Sophie Rose. “The Hospice Medical Directors include Dr. David Schwartz at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon; Dr. Owen Vincent, Crossing Rivers Health Clinic in Prairie du Chien; Dr. Walter Boisvert, Gundersen Lutheran-Prairie du Chien Clinic; and Dr. Jeffrey Hoffmann at Guttenberg Municipal Hospital. Crossing Rivers Health Hospice also works closely with five hospitals, 15 nursing homes, and assisted living facilities in the area.”
Individuals interested in becoming a hospice certified volunteer are asked to sign up for the training sessions by contacting Sophie Rose at Crossing Rivers Health at 608-357-2264.