CTVNA Seeks Hospice Volunteers

WATERBURY — Hospice and Palliative Care of Connecticut Visiting Nurse Association (CTVNA) is looking for volunteers in the Newtown area. There will be a training session this summer for volunteers interested in working with hospice patients.

Volunteers perform various duties, depending on abilities and interests. Volunteers may provide companionship to patients in their homes or in nursing homes. Volunteers may also perform office work or help out with special events.

CTVNA’s hospice also supports complementary volunteer programs such as people who bring pets to visit patients, and those who share music or art with patients.

Training lasts approximately four weeks, generally twice a week. Topics covered include the history and philosophy of hospice, the role of the volunteer, clinical aspects of dying, communication skills, family dynamics, issues of spirituality and religion, and grief and bereavement.

For more information about Hospice and Palliative Care of CTVNA, or about the volunteer training program, call Jolan Szollosi, volunteer coordinator, at 203-465-6245 or 203-679-5342