Dying is something that everyone faces, sooner or later. For those close to death, hospice can make that prospect a little easier.
It’s a form of care that focuses on comfort and pain relief…for those who are thought to have less than six months to live.
WXPR’s Natalie Jablonski spoke with hospice volunteer Florence Reisgies, about the experience of spending time with patients in their last months of life.
Florence Reisgeis volunteers through Ministry Home Care Hospice Services. That program is currently seeking new volunteers for a training next month.
Volunteer coordinator Melissa Houg says training sessions prepare volunteers to visit patients in their homes or in an assisted living center.
“I try within the training to make people confident going into homes. So that they really don’t have that nervous feeling. I make sure I give them all the information so they’re comfortable going in.”
Houg says she’s looking to expand the volunteer base to be prepared if more patients enroll in the hospice program.
Hospice volunteers don’t give medicines or other kinds of medical care. They mostly help patients get dressed, do errands, or provide company.
Ministry Hospice coordinates volunteer care for 60 to 80 patients throughout the Northwoods.