The purpose of hospice is to provide comfort at the end of one's life. Together, our volunteers and staff strive to make life as comfortable as possible to the last moment.

Hospice is primarily a concept of care, not a specific place of care. Hospice emphasizes palliative rather than curative treatment; quality rather than quantity of life. The dying are comforted. Professional medical care is given, and sophisticated symptom relief provided. The patient and family are both included in the care plan and emotional, spiritual and practical support is given based on the patient’s wishes and family’s needs. Trained volunteers can offer respite care for family members as well as meaningful support to the patient. W HAT IS H OSPICE ?

Hospice affirms life and regards dying as a normal process. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice provides personalized services and a caring community so that patients and families can attain the necessary preparation for a death that is satisfactory to them.

VOLUNTEER WITH ASERACARE HOSPICE Volunteers play an important role in the philosophy of care at AseraCare Hospice. They provide support to patients and their families that helps enhance the patient's quality of life and reduce the family's caregiving burden.

V OLUNTEER WITH A SERA C ARE H OSPICE Volunteers are the heart and soul of the hospice philosophy. It is their continued support and commitment that allows a hospice plan of care to work effectively for the individual and the family. Whether it is through office help, family support and companionship, music therapy, sewing/crafting, pet therapy, vigil or bereavement services, each volunteer is vital to AseraCare Hospice.

V IGIL V OLUNTEERS Our hope at AseraCare Hospice is that no one dies alone. The goal of the Vigil Volunteer program is to connect our patients with a volunteer to sit vigil during their final hours.

V IGIL V OLUNTEERS Vigil Volunteers provide intense support, encouragement and comfort to a family when the patient’s death is imminent. Volunteers work in teams of two until they are comfortable providing this service alone.

V IGIL V OLUNTEERS The goal of the Vigil Volunteer Program is to connect our patients with a volunteer to sit vigil during their final hours. This may mean providing companionship for the patient by merely being present and sitting with them if there is no family or friends there to do so. It could also mean being available and providing support to family members who may need a break from the bedside of their loved one. Vigil Volunteers are called upon on an as-needed basis with consideration given to their own schedules.

V IGIL V OLUNTEERS Vigil Volunteers receive training regarding the philosophy of hospice, the role of the volunteer and other staff members, as well as, skills in caring for and communicating with hospice patients and their families. Emphasis is on providing comfort during the dying process. Qualifications for Vigil Volunteers: 18 years or older good interpersonal skills good communication skills (both written and verbal) sound judgment regarding issues of death and dying an ability to work independently with indirect supervision Personal qualities which define a Vigil Volunteer include: a positive approach to life flexibility, empathy, compassion a willingness to help others able to commit to a year of volunteerism ability work as a member of the hospice team a minimum of two (2) hours a month

V IGIL V OLUNTEERS AseraCare Hospice provides service to patients either in their own home or in extended care facilities. Our service area is a sixty-mile radius from Valparaiso, and we try to assign volunteers to patients who are within a maximum of 20 miles from their home. Won’t you join us in bringing comfort to individuals and families?

COMFORT CRITTERS PET THERAPY This program is designed to improve human health through volunteer services and animal therapy. Comfort Critters works with pet owner volunteers to provide comforting services to hospice patients in their communities while spending quality time with their pets.

C OMFORT C RITTERS P ET T HERAPY All Comfort Critters volunteer dogs have completed training and been certified as a therapy dog thru Therapy Dogs International or The Delta Society. All volunteer dogs have updated reports from their veterinarian about their health and vaccines.

What is Pet Therapy? The term actually means “animal-assisted activities or animal-assisted therapy. Comfort Critters volunteers participate in animal-assisted activities when we meet and greet people to brighten their day. The goal is to enhance our hospice patients’ quality of life. C OMFORT C RITTERS P ET T HERAPY

Examples of animal-assisted activities: A group of volunteers takes their dogs to a nursing home twice a month to “visit.” Each visit may occur as a large-group activity with some direction and assistance provided by facility staff and the AseraCare Volunteer Services Coordinator. A certified/trained Comfort Critters team goes to an individual hospice patient’s room in a facility and visits with the patient and his/her family and friends. Comfort Critters teams do not visit patients who live in their own homes.

COMFORT CRAFTERS The goal of this program is to provide hospice patients with non-essential items that provide additional comfort in their daily lives…and their families with treasured keepsakes made from the patient’s clothing. Aromatherapy pillows, lap blankets, crocheted or knitted hats and slippers, memory quilts, hospital gowns, and many other items are made for and delivered to our hospice patients. After the family’s loved one has passed on, Comfort Crafters use the patient’s clothing, provided by their family, to create memory bears, memory quilts and pillows, and covers for scrapbooks or journals.

P ROFESSIONALS AseraCare Hospice’s Volunteer Services works closely with licensed massage therapists, hair stylists, barbers, dog groomers, and other professional service providers who generously share their talents and skills. These volunteers visit our hospice patients in their homes, in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and hospitals to utilize their special skills to enhance the individual’s quality of life.

Jr. Hospice Volunteers While those under the age of 18 are not eligible for programs that involve direct patient contact, AseraCare Hospice does involve younger folks in many ways: Creating cards for holidays Drawing or painting pictures patients can hang on their walls and brighten their days Writing letters telling our hospice patients about the youth program they are involved with Recording music and/or songs for the patients Creating a PowerPoint presentation about the youth program, a special interest of the program or any other appropriate topic

HARMONY OF HEARTS AseraCare Hospice’s Volunteer Services works with musicians, singers and certified music therapists to provide music and song to engage, entertain, and comfort our patients. Individual musicians or groups of 2-3 musicians and/or singers visit our hospice patients wherever they are living…skilled nursing facilities, hospitals or their own homes. Often, schools and churches record audio/video performances of their choirs and ensembles, put them on CD/DVDs and donate those recordings to AseraCare so we can play them for our patients. The goal of this program is to enhance our patients’ quality of life.

A DMINISTRATIVE V OLUNTEERS AseraCare Hospice volunteers also provide administrative assistance in our local office in Valparaiso. Volunteers assist our staff with mailings, filing, data entry, creating admission packets, new volunteer packets, and more.

V OLUNTEER WITH A SERA C ARE H OSPICE We provide free training to all our volunteers in a number of areas, including listening techniques, working with families, loss and grief, and bereavement support. The training modules may be provided via mail, , or fax…or new volunteers can attend group or one-on-one training sessions which are held throughout our territory.

W E N EED YOU! If you would like to apply to become a volunteer with our local AseraCare hospice agency, please contact Jan Kostielney, Volunteer Services