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Volunteer OpportunitiesDownload the Volunteer ApplicationSamaritan Pacific Hospice Volunteer ProgramVolunteers serve Hospice families in a variety of roles. Respite and bereavement volunteers work directly with families providing a needed break for caregivers or a friendly listener for the bereaved. A ten-week training course is offered in the fall as a non-credit class through Oregon Coast Community College and is required for both respite and bereavement work. Volunteers who want to serve as bereavement volunteers have additional training. The Hospice team provides the training and ensures that this kind of work is a good match for the prospective volunteer and the program. Other volunteers work as couriers, clerical help and serve on our advisory board. While the training course is not mandatory for these assignments it is recommended. In general we ask that prospective volunteers wait at least a year after a major loss in their life, so that they have time to heal before they volunteer. At present we have about fifty volunteers offering their time to Hospice. History of Hospital Auxiliary/Volunteers & Current Volunteer PositionsLouise Grell and nine other ladies from the Newport Women’s Club founded the Pacific Communities Hospital Auxiliary in 1974. The Women’s Club, having been in existence since 1910, was dwindling in the early 70’s with only five members remaining. As result, it was decided to let the Women’s Club be ‘history’ and begin the Auxiliary to fill the need at the hospital. Bylaws for the Auxiliary were established in January of 1974. The Auxiliary began their service in the hospital performing a wide variety of duties from writing ‘thank you’ notes and wrapping bandages to sewing surgical caps and delivering absentee ballots to patients. In 1978, after just 4 years, the Auxiliary had grown to 28 active members and had more than doubled the 746 hours of service provided to the hospital in 1974. In 1984 the Auxiliary donated 3,400 hours of service to the hospital. The PCH administrator, Jim Watson, presented the Auxiliary with a plaque in recognition of these hours, which still hangs in the Hospital Gift Shop to this day. Now known as Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital Auxiliary, 38 active volunteers donated about 8,326 hours of service in 2004. Two new programs began in 2004 including No One Dies Alone and Bottles of Hope. The year of 2005 has proven to be a milestone for the Auxiliary/Volunteer program as we now have almost doubled in size with about 67 volunteers. Our newest program for 2005, Volunteer Patient Representative, has been greatly appreciated by guests as well as staff. Looking to the future we hope to begin many other ways for volunteers to become involved, such as a junior ‘Candy Striper’ program, a transportation program and Prayer Shawls. We strive to continually creating new volunteer opportunities as our community and our hospital grow. No One Dies AloneVolunteers providing support for patients at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital No One Dies Alone is a volunteer program designed to provide support for patients who are close to death and have no one to be with them. When nursing staff becomes aware that a patient needs No One Dies Alone, the volunteer phone coordinator is notified. The coordinator checks the current monthly schedule and calls volunteers for that week. The volunteer comes willing to simply hold the patient’s hand, play music, read aloud, fluff pillows and to assist in other comfort care measures as directed by a nurse or requested by the patient. You Can Help No One Dies Alone is open to all Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital (SPCH) employees, active Hospice volunteers and SPCH volunteers. You do not need any nursing skills to participate, as No One Dies Alone does not provide any actual nursing care. A materials bag will be available to offer any supplies you may need during your companion experience. Orientation is provided to train you in all areas, preparing you to present a reassuring presence to dying patients who would otherwise be alone. You may sign up for a week at a time, be available at any time or you may choose to help with the scheduling and calling of compassionate companions into service.
Patient Representative VolunteerThis program is designed to work in correlation with SPCH’s Service Excellence program. The Patient Representative is a tool for us to ensure all our patients’ needs are attended to. The purpose of this program is threefold; • to further humanize and personalize the health care system for patients; • to act as a liaison between the patient and the hospital in order to minimize patient non-medical needs by determining and helping resolve patients’ needs and concerns during hospitalization, as well as interpreting the institution’s philosophy and policies to patients, their families and visitors; • to promote good public relations. It is our hope that by meeting these purposes, our patients may feel that Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital is the best place they can be when ill. The Patient Representative visits patients on a one-on-one basis, acting in a capacity somewhere between that of a friendly visitor and an ombudsperson. The volunteers receive specialized training because of the intimate personal contact and the sensitive nature of each patient’s situation.
How to get involvedFor more information contact Melissa Maxon, Volunteer Services Coordinator at 265-2244 ext 2537 or maxonm@samhealth.org. If you would like to apply to volunteer please download the application, complete it and return it to: Melissa Maxon Volunteer Services Coordinator 930 SW Abbey St Newport, OR 97365 |
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