Central Coast Hospice seeking North County volunteers
Volunteers critically needed to provide in-home companionship, respite care to patients
–Central Coast Hospice has been providing medical and social services to those with a terminal diagnosis in all of San Luis Obispo County for over five years. The organization is seeking volunteers to offer patients and their families comfort, support & companionship during a patient’s most challenging days, weeks and months.
Volunteers are an important part of the program. They provide supervision to patients while their family caregivers take a break or run errands, assist with light household tasks, provide emotional support and socialization, and help with miscellaneous, yet important tasks—like organizing family photos or helping the patient write letters to their loved ones.
No prior experience is necessary. Potential volunteers just have to have an interest in helping others, a caring nature, and able to participate in a training program prior to beginning their volunteer experience. Current and past volunteers have said that they received way more from volunteering than they feel like they gave—they have learned more about themselves, their own families, and their own feelings about death as well as the beauty of life, in the process.
First training session to be held Jan. 27
Central Coast Hospice will soon be offering its first volunteer training of 2017 and is hoping to recruit potential volunteers willing to serve the North County areas. The training will be held four consecutive Fridays: Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, and 17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is no charge for the class and hospice will provide snacks and lunch as well as a binder full of training materials.
The training will be held at the Central Coast Hospice San Luis Obispo office. The address is 253 Granada Drive in San Luis Obispo (where Granada intersects with South Higuera).
The training will include such topics as: the history of hospice, its philosophy and mission, how hospice addresses the needs of the patient and family, the role of various hospice clinician team members, family dynamics and communication skills, dementia, grief and loss, and the role of the volunteer. Multiple presenters, videos, and examples will be given to convey the material.
To register for the training, contact Central Coast Hospice at: (805) 540-6020 and ask to speak with the volunteer coordinator. Or e-mail them at: [email protected].
