Franklin – Volunteering can be one of the most powerful experiences a person can have. When you volunteer you give your time to help touch the lives of others. When that volunteering is for those who are on home Hospice, you gain the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better.

Franklin VNA & Hospice is hosting volunteer training starting this Spring, Wednesdays, March 20 to April 24 from 2 to 4 PM. Their 6-week session is designed to teach volunteers the skills they need to be successful. They cover how to be present for someone just needing company, how their volunteer time allows the caregiver to go take a walk or see to their own medical appointments, and the importance of reminiscing in allowing a Hospice patient to find closure.

Many people worry that being a hospice volunteer will be scary or uncomfortable, but by partnering with Peabody Home, volunteers in training will get the chance to dispel those fears by meeting with Peabody home residents and gaining the comfort they need. Tobias Nyatsambo, Franklin VNA & Hospice Chaplain and Volunteer Coordinator says, “The truth is, that while we do have those volunteers dedicated to never letting anyone die alone, who want to be called in to sit with someone in the final stages of life, if the patient’s loved ones cannot be present, the majority of our Hospice volunteers are providing much needed companionship and acting as listeners. We would never want to push a volunteer beyond their comfort zone. The volunteers we have tell me they find the companionship that they give the patients playing games, looking through scrapbooks, or playing music to them a truly rewarding experience for both the patient and the volunteer.”

There are some skills which are especially valued in volunteers – the ability to play an instrument or provide registered pet therapy are two very sought-after qualifications for a hospice volunteer, but also everyday skills such as playing cards, the ability to hold a conversation, or simply to listen well.

Volunteers are matched to patients with similar interests, and there’s always an opportunity to take a break if you feel perhaps the match wasn’t well made.

“We are proud to partner with Peabody home for our volunteer training,” says Nyatsambo, “The opportunity for our volunteers to meet with their residents as an introduction to being with the elderly is both instructive for them and very meaningful for the residents at Peabody home.”
If you’re looking to make a difference in someone’s life, and perhaps change your own as well, Hospice volunteering may be exactly what you’re looking for.

To register for the training program with Franklin VNA & Hospice, contact April at 934-3454.
You have a choice in your homecare provider. Choose local. Choose Franklin VNA & Hospice.
For more information, call Franklin VNA & Hospice at (603) 934-3454 or visit www.FranklinVNA.org. Your choice, your local VNA.
75 Chestnut Street, Franklin, NH 03235