Editor's note: This story was originally published in Health Care Quarterly, magazine about Southern Nevada's health care industry. Stories in Health Care Quarterly were submitted by doctors and their affiliates.
What is your favorite part about volunteering?
We love seeing the smiles from the patients and knowing we are helping.
How long have you been a volunteer at the hospice?
We’ve been volunteering since September 2008.
How many hours do you volunteer each week?
We each volunteer anywhere from 30 to 50 hours every week.
How can someone else become a volunteer there?
Call the volunteer coordinator at Family Home Hospice to express a desire to become a hospice volunteer. She will arrange for you to attend a volunteer orientation and training class. After completing other requirements, you are ready to begin making a difference in someone’s life.
How long do you plan to work as a volunteer there?
We will volunteer for Family Home Hospice for as long as we are needed.
What makes for a good volunteer?
First, a volunteer should have a “hospice heart” of compassion, caring and empathy with those going through the end-of-life process. A good volunteer is anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of both the patient and the caregivers.
Are you retired? If so, what was your career?
Pat: I retired from Southwest Medical. I worked at the front desk in one of the health centers for nine years. Before that I was a clinical nursing assistant in a local health care facility.
George: I am retired from being a bus and truck driver and mechanic.
How long have you lived in Las Vegas?
Since 1994
What volunteer activities do you take part in at the hospice?
We see patients in their homes, facilities or group homes. We sometimes shop and cook for patients. We also assist in the office with phone calls to check in and chat with patients, as well as bereavement calls to family members following the loss of their love one. We help with mailings and with invitations to our yearly Celebration of Life. We also assist with weekly data entry.
What other activities are you involved in when you aren’t volunteering?
Pat: I am active in Southwest Medical Lifestyle Center activities, especially Wii bowling and games with friends.
George: I collect antique tools, and I love to cook.
What is the biggest reward from volunteering?
The biggest reward is that we make a difference with the patients and their caregivers/families, and seeing the smiles on the patient’s faces at the end of our visit.
Anything else you’d like to tell us?
We enjoy working as part of the hospice team. Even after the patient transitions we enjoy calling and visiting the families. Along with volunteering with hospice, we love to spend time with our children and grandchildren. George volunteered in the Southwest Medical health centers and in 2010 both of us participated in the volunteer program for the newly opened Southwest Medical Lifestyle Centers.
Do you know a medical volunteer who we should know about? Please contact Craig Peterson at [email protected].