Hosparus health seeks volunteers

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Community members gathered at the Penny Royal Market to learn how they can make a difference in the lives of hospice patients and their families during a volunteer open house hosted by Hosparus Health.

Volunteer Manager, Tiffany Hinton, said the event was designed to introduce people to the many ways they can help support patients facing serious or terminal illness.

Hinton says volunteers are especially needed for companionship and respite care roles. Those volunteers may spend time with patients in their homes, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities, offering comfort and support.

“So this is the first time that I’ve ever had an open house in the community, but this was a good way for us to come together and talk about volunteer opportunities in our ten surrounding areas,” said Hinton.

She says companionship volunteers simply spend time with patients, talking, reading, or just sitting with them so they are not alone. Respite volunteers also give caregivers a chance to step away for errands or personal time while knowing their loved one has company.

Volunteers also help deliver handmade quilts created by community members and church groups. The quilts are often given to patients as a symbol of comfort and support.

Hinton says many people misunderstand hospice care, believing it only involves the final days of life. In reality, patients can receive hospice care for months or even longer depending on their condition.

“Just because they’re in hospice care doesn’t mean that they are actively passing, but that they do perhaps have a terminal illness,” said Hinton. “I’ve had patients that have lived a year and a half, I have also had some not live that long, just depending on that situation.”

All volunteers go through an application process, background check, and training before being matched with patients. Hinton says the time commitment is flexible, with some volunteers serving weekly while others help once or twice a month.

For volunteer Tom O’Sullivan, helping hospice patients began after retiring last summer.

“I retired from my professional career this past July, and everybody asked what I was going to do when I retired,” said O’Sullivan. “I said I didn’t know, but I wanted to do whatever God tells me to do.”

O’Sullivan says volunteering provides purpose and an opportunity to show compassion to people who may simply need someone to be there.

“These are people who can use a companion, can use a volunteer to just spend some time with them,” he said.

Hosparus Health says volunteers have been at the core of its mission since the organization was founded in 1978, and today hundreds of volunteers continue to support patients, families, and staff across Kentucky and Indiana.

Those interested in volunteering can visit HosparusHealth.org/Volunteers to learn more and complete an application.