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Teen volunteers wanted at Rocky Mountain Hospice

Posted: Nov 29, 2012 5:10 PM by KXLF Media Center

Rocky Mountain Hospice is looking for teen volunteers to attend their live training session Sunday.

This is the first live training session Rocky Mountain Hospice has hosted, according to Jenny Greenfield, director of social services at Rocky Mountain Hospice.

"Our previous training process was a DVD," Greenfield said. "We sent it home. We weren't really sure how much people were absorbing."

The volunteers will get hands on experience and hear real-life experiences from staff and adult volunteers.

"I want to give them as much information as possible to demystify the death process so that when you go in and someone is maybe not responsive or breathing funny you know what to do and you know not to panic," Greenfield said.

The session will be at 9a.m. to 3p.m. on Sunday. They will give an overview of the hospice and what they do, teach the concepts of death and dying, and confidentiality. As a volunteer the teens will be required to donate one hour of time per week.

To attend the session on you must be at least 16 years old, have a valid driver's license, proof of insurance, fill out an application and pass a background check.

This session is designed for teens, but adults are welcome to attend if they wish to become a volunteer, according to Kate Staley, volunteer coordinator at Rocky Mountain Hospice.

Being a volunteer companion can be as simple as reading to your patient or running their errands. Teen volunteers will not be expected to do anything they are not comfortable with. Teens will be paired with another volunteer if they are more comfortable volunteering with a friend.

More information about Rocky Mountain Hospice and being a volunteer is available at www.rockymountainhospice.com.