Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center will host two training programs in West Orange for individuals interested in becoming a hospice volunteer in Essex, Hudson or Union counties.
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.
For more information, or to register, please contact Spiro Ballas, Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center, at 973-322-4866 or by e-mail.
The programs will be held at the Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center in West Orange. The Monday schedule will start on Monday, October 1, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and continue on October 8, 15 and 29. The Wednesday schedule begins Wednesday, October 3, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and continues on October 10, 17, and 24, and November 7, 14, 28 and December 5.
Established in 1981, Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center provides comprehensive physical, emotional and spiritual care and support services for patients with advanced illness and their families throughout ten counties in the State of New Jersey. The program, which serves infants, children, adults and the elderly, honors the unique choices and values of patients and their families while offering full access to the broad array of services provided by Barnabas Health.
“In as few as three hours a week, volunteers can make a tremendous difference in the life of a patient coping with advanced illness,” explains Ballas. “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.”
