Evangelical Hospice, in its 25th year of providing end of life care to residents of the Susquehanna Valley, recently held its volunteer luncheon at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club. The annual event provides the opportunity for the nearly 100 volunteers of Evangelical Hospice to come together and celebrate those who are reaching milestones. During the luncheon new employees and volunteers and those celebrating 5, 10, 15, and 20 years of volunteerism were recognized. Kay Holdren, Director of Evangelical Hospice, thanked everyone for their contributions that make Evangelical’s Hospice program exceptional. “Evangelical Hospice has touched thousands of lives over the last 25 years. In the last year alone, we’ve cared for 212 patients through the dedication of our staff who continue to compassionately provide care during one of life’s most difficult circumstance, losing a loved one. We have been honored to have played a role in helping families cope and to bring the greatest amount of comfort to our patients in their last moments,” said Holdren. Through the Evangelical Hospice program, Registered Nurses specially trained in hospice care deliver bedside assistance in the place that is most comfortable for the patient. This could be at home, in a nursing facility, or at the Hospital. Hospice nurses are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to visit or discuss concerns, whether about pain medication, emotional needs, or connections to spiritual resources within the community. Hospice volunteers are trained and give their time to support Evangelical Hospice and the patients and families who put their trust in the program to help them journey through the patients last months of their lives. Approximately 30 of the 100 volunteers provide direct patient/family interaction doing whatever the patient and family needs including pet therapy visits, chore assistance, reading or playing music, and vigil support in the patient’s final days. The volunteers not involved with direct patient care help in much needed ways including assisting with bereavement, fundraising, office work, and more. For more information on the Evangelical Hospice program including how to become a volunteer, call 570-522-2550.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:20:19 +0000
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