Memorial Home Services Hospice will offer training in October to people who are interested in serving as volunteers.

Volunteers work with patients and families in 14 counties throughout central Illinois. More than 75 individuals currently serve as volunteers for Memorial Home Services Hospice, helping with a wide range of duties, such as providing companionship to patients, assisting with errands and chores for patients, and helping in the hospice office.

“While we have many volunteer opportunities available throughout our 14-county service area, we have very specific needs for volunteers in Macoupin and Montgomery counties right now,” said Becky Gabany, volunteer and community education coordinator with Memorial Home Services Hospice.
Prior to becoming a volunteer, individuals must complete a brief interview as well as attend a six-hour training course. Interviews are being scheduled during September.

The training course will meet on two separate evenings, Oct. 14 and Oct. 16, at 720 N. Bond St., Springfield. The course offers an introduction to the hospice philosophy and general guidelines for volunteering. 

“Volunteers provide significant help to the families of our patients,” said Ronda Dudley, director of home health and hospice at Memorial Home Services. “We work with our volunteers to match their unique abilities and gifts to the different areas of service available.”

Hospice support also continues after the death of a loved one with grief care extended to family and friends, Dudley said. Volunteers support family and friends while they are grieving by attending funerals or memorial services, maintaining phone contact during the bereavement period and providing emotional support and companionship as well as education about the grief process, she said.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact Gabany at (217) 788-3870.