Volunteers are the core of the Hospice care team. Our carefully selected and trained volunteers provide a source of comfort and strength at a stressful time for our patients and families. We recently sat down with one of our many long-time volunteers, Jim Moffett to learn more about him and his time volunteering with Hospice.
How and why did you become a Hospice volunteer? I have a number of family members who received Hospice care. I became a volunteer while in between jobs through the years. Currently, I make bereavement phone calls weekly to families who have received Hospice services. Previously, I was a Family Care Giver for 10 years for hospice patients in the nursing home.
How long have you been a Hospice volunteer? I have been a volunteer since 2001.
What have you learned from your experience as a Hospice volunteer? I have learned what an important service Hospice provides to our community. It is a vulnerable time for families. The Hospice team knows its role and the team comes together to provide physical, medical, social, and spiritual care along with volunteers. Every patient directs the conversation and each member of someone’s family is a brother, sister, father, or mother – we care about all of them.
What would you like others to know about being a Hospice volunteer? I would say that it is the people I have met from Hospice. These are the kind of people I would like taking care of my family members. They are compassionate, proficient, knowledgeable, and professional. They are special people who find a balance. Often I am asked by families to convey their thanks to a social worker, nurse, etc., as they remember the special people who took care of their loved one.
We thank Jim for his 22 years as a Hospice Volunteer.
We are always looking for volunteers to fill various roles. For more information, please go to our website at www.hospicecny.org/volunteer/ or call 315-634-1100 to speak with our Volunteer Department.
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