LONG BRANCH – Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center will host a three-day training program for individuals interested in becoming a hospice volunteer in Monmouth County.
The program will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays, June 6, 13 and 20, at Monmouth Medical Center.
The volunteer training program is designed to give participants an understanding of the needs of patients and families who are coping with advanced illness. Program topics include: Hospice History and Philosophy, Hospice Nursing, Spirituality in Hospice, Personal Death Awareness, Listening, and the Nuts and Bolts of Volunteering.
Upon completion of the program, volunteers will be connected with patients in close proximity to where they reside.
“In as few as three hours a week, volunteers can make a tremendous difference in the life of a patient coping with advanced illness,” said Spiro Ballas of the hospice and palliative care center. “Volunteers can read to patients, hold their hand, or just spend time with them while their loved ones take a breather. They are also a resource to families, typically helping by listening to their thoughts and concerns or assisting them with small tasks. When you volunteer for hospice you get back as much as you give.”
Additional information and training registration are available by contacting Ballas at 973-322-4866 or sballas@barnabashealth.org.
