Onion Creek Hospice Volunteers needed to visit patients:)

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Hi:). Katrina Wilson, Volunteer Coordinator for Altus Hospice of the Hills here.

We have a specific patient who would love to share how to pick peanuts and how to stack more watermelons in a truck without hurting each other.

About Hospice and our patients:

• instead of aggressive curative care, Hospice provides comfort care for our patients and their families

• we provide a team approach of care provided by: a doctor, nurse, chaplain, social worker, home health aide, and Volunteers

• our patients are all over the Austin and surrounding areas

• our patients are individuals who have a life expectancy of 6 months or less to live

• our patients are individuals whom are of various ages, come from ALL walks of life, and have amazing stories

Who our Volunteers are and how they fit into Hospice care:

• come from ALL walks of life

• are all different ages

• have a huge variety of personal interests and hobbies

• are amazing individuals with big hearts

• do not have to have any medical experience

• are friendly visitors who provide non-medical visits for our patients and sometimes their families

• choose when and where they volunteer

• are matched and communicate with a patient/patients and the Hospice Care Team that also takes care of the same patient

• are the member on the Hospice Team that do not have a set agenda (like the nurse who will do an assessment)

• are oriented - Our next orientation is on a Saturday in July

We are needing Volunteers especially in the Onion Creek area!

What our Volunteers do (but not limited to):

• visit and just "be" with their patient in the moment

• going to a party

• grabbing a couple of rays of sunshine by sitting outside the front of a nursing home

• sitting and encouraging someone to eat at lunch

• get hugged

• provide a break for a caregiver

• listen to life stories

• share in holidays and celebrations like birthdays

• painting fingernails

• just talking while the person rests in bed

• learn a foreign language - like Russian or Spanish

Process for Volunteers once they are oriented:

• be matched with a patient and their hospice care team

• let me know how often they will be visiting in a month

• visit patient

• email me, and your hospice team about your visit

• snail mail in your visit note

• start the cycle over again at your next visit

If you are interested, please contact me! When you do, PLEASE provide your phone number too as it is easier and faster to get the process started! I look forward to hearing from you:) Katrina