Volunteers Sought to Help Care for Hospice Patients

CAMARILLO — With the demand for hospice care increasing, in part because hospitals are not keeping people as long as they used to, the need for volunteers is also acute.

Faced with a surge in requests for services, Camarillo Hospice is putting out a call for help. The hospice, which opened in 1978, provides support to people with life-threatening illnesses and their families, as well as bereavement counseling.

Their services are provided primarily by volunteers who are supervised by a professional staff in nursing and counseling fields.

Volunteer training begins Feb. 11 and will run every Tuesday through March 18 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will learn about the history, philosophy and characteristics of hospice care, as well as practical skills for their role as volunteers.

“They’ll cover family dynamics in crisis situations and communication skills that are effective and supportive to patients and their family, and learn the latest in cancer treatment and about the hospice concept of pain and symptom management,” said Janet Rotenberg, a nurse at Camarillo Hospice.

The nonprofit program provides practical and emotional support but does not deal with hands-on nursing.

After training, the volunteers will spend two to four hours a week with a family, providing care or counseling, or even running errands.

Although most of the program’s clients are cancer patients, the staff will provide care for anyone with a life-threatening illness. The program is funded through community-support grants, donations and fund-raisers and is run by 30 patient-care volunteers and about 65 auxiliary volunteers who assist with office work.

All services are free.

For more information, call 389-5898.