CommonSpirit Hospice of Mercy is seeking volunteers in the Pagosa Springs area. Several volunteer opportunities exist, the most common being to provide caregiver respite in a patient’s home or patient companionship at a skilled nursing facility.
Hospice in the United States was founded in the 1970s by volunteers. These volunteers continue to provide an important and valuable role in hospice care and operations. Hospice is a unique Medicare provider in that it requires volunteers to provide at least 5 percent of the total patient care hours that are provided by hospice staff, including physicians, chaplains, nurses, aides, social workers and bereavement counselors.
CommonSpirit Hospice of Mercy serves residents in La Plata, Archuleta and Montezuma counties. In-home and residential hospice care is designed to help patients comfortably reach their end-of-life goals. Patients and their loved ones help plan the kind of care received and play a vital role communicating needs, questions or concerns to members of the hospice team.
Hospice volunteering is a deeply rewarding experience. Volunteers need no previous experience, although they must wait at least one year after the death of an immediate family member or loved one. They must be in good health, compassionate, reliable, a strong listener and communicator. Finally, they should have a certain level of comfort with all aspects of death and dying.
Volunteers must successfully complete a two-day training, a criminal background check and drug screen. While volunteers must commit to at least one year of service, days and times are flexible. The next training will take place on Oct. 7 and 8 at the Mercy Hospital campus in Durango.
For more information on hospice volunteering, contact Laurie Marks, volunteer coordinator, at (970) 764-3501 or complete an online application.
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