Hospice Volunteer Brings Gift Of Life Talents To Patients

By Nancy K. Crevier

This article continues a series of brief profiles of local individuals who volunteer with Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut.

Following her retirement two years ago after more than three decades teaching in the Danbury school system, Newtown resident Barbara Myers knew that she wanted to remain active and involved. She had experienced the care that hospice provides to families and patients when her own father was dying, and was inspired to give back to the organization.

“My father lived out of state, but the hospice care he received was really helpful. It made such a difference in how our family was able to cope with his death,” said Ms Myers.

She contacted Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut, and took the three-day, intensive training to become a volunteer. “It is an amazing program,” she said. “Hospice volunteering has nothing to do with medical assistance, so you don’t need a medical background. You just need to be a kind, caring, and nurturing individual. It’s an intuitive sort of sense. By the time training is over you’ll know what your role in Hospice will be,” said Ms Myers.

The training allows potential volunteers to determine if they are cut out for being a family support volunteer, and allows the trainers to get a sense “of who you are,” she said.

Those who decide that patients visits are not for them have a number of other opportunities to volunteer with the organization, said Ms Myers. “There is often a need for help in the office, or behind the scenes, or fundraising, for instance,” she said.

Ms Myers serves as a family support volunteer, providing relief to family caregivers and giving to patients what nonmedical care they desire.

“It’s not always a tragic situation that you go into,” she said, even though patients on hospice care generally have less than a six-month life expectancy. “Patients will often rally while the volunteer is there. I’ve met some wonderful senior citizens who have given me a whole new view of the world, or tell me about World War II, or their lives,” Ms Myers said. “It can be uplifting, but the uplift comes from knowing you are giving someone something they really need, whether just sitting there, or letting a family member get out of the house for a bit,” she said.

She has found that her skills as a teacher and being able to immediately judge each new situation to be very useful, she said. She has hosted a program for the Hospice children’s center, Healing Hearts, once again drawing on her gifts as a teacher.

 She is pleased that her other talents sometimes come into play as a Hospice volunteer.

“Hospice is very sensitive to matching patients and volunteers,” she pointed out. Knowing that Ms Myers sings with the Village Harmony, an a cappella world music group, when there is a music loving patient, she may be asked to go there.

“I have sung to and with my patients. That has been a wonderful experience,” she said. As a gardener, she is happy to be paired up with patients and their families who share that passion, as well.

“Hospice absolutely tries to use volunteers’ gifts to enrich the lives of the patients — and the volunteer,” said Ms Myers.

Workshops are also a valuable tool for Hospice volunteers, held throughout the year. “The workshops are great for continued learning, and they are great for connecting with the other volunteers. Otherwise, we rarely see each other,” she said.

“Becoming a Hospice volunteer has given me more appreciation for the caregivers out there, and it gives you an appreciation for how much love there is out there,” said Ms Myers. “It has enriched my life.”