Guthrie Hospice Seeks Volunteers
Guthrie Hospice is seeking new volunteers for day, evening and weekend hours to provide support for our hospice patients and their families. Volunteers are asked to provide positive support to patients and their families at a very difficult, but truly important time in their lives.
“Volunteers are fundamental to the hospice concept and provide companionship and positive support in the lives of patients and their families” says Amanda Neiley, a Guthrie Hospice nurse, “Our volunteers help to dispel our patients’ fears of being alone during a very difficult time”.
Qualities needed are good communication skills, a non-judgmental attitude, flexibility, reliability and compassion. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age (with parental consent if they are under the age of 18) and have a current driver’s license. Volunteer duties can include any of the following: visiting with patients in their homes or residences, reading or other activities the patient enjoys; practical assistance such as shopping, laundry, light housekeeping and meal preparation; providing respite for patient caregivers so they can get out of the house to take some time for themselves or run errands.
The next hospice volunteer training classes will begin on Saturday, Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. at the Guthrie Hospice office at 421 Tomahawk Road in Towanda, PA 18848. Successive training classes will be determined by the group of volunteers in attendance, for a total of 16 training hours.
Prior to training, volunteers will fill out an application and participate in a short interview. Registration is required by Jan. 5. For more information or to register, please contact Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, Jaime Carlstedt, at 570-265-8615.
Guthrie is a non-profit integrated health system located in north central Pennsylvania and upstate New York, serving patients from an 11-county service area. Guthrie is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network and is the first health system based in Pennsylvania and New York to join this network. Guthrie is comprised of a research institute, home care/hospice, hospitals in Sayre, Pa., Corning, N.Y., Towanda, Pa., and Troy, Pa., as well as a multi-specialty group practice of more than 325 physicians and 210 advanced practice providers in a regional office network encompassing 47 sub-specialty and primary care sites in 21 communities throughout Pennsylvania and New York. In addition, Guthrie offers home medical equipment and respiratory therapy products at six convenient Med Supply Depot locations. Guthrie provides a wide range of services and programs to enhance the health and well-being of those it serves.