Military, Volunteers Sought For Hospice Of The Chesapeake

PASADENA, MD — In September, Hospice of the Chesapeake will be celebrating its 40th year of caring for patients and helping loved ones during an exceptionally difficult time of their lives. It's a career that isn't for everyone, and it wouldn't be possible without the army of volunteers willing to help however they can.

The company started out caring for just four patients, but last year, Hospice of the Chesapeake tended to 3,185 hospice patients, 653 palliative care patients and 443 bereavement services clients. Elyzabeth Marcussen, communications specialist for Hospice of the Chesapeake, told Patch that
there are patient care volunteers whose job is to visit with patients to offer companionship and comfort, along with providing respite for the patient's caregiver, who typically is a family member.

Other volunteers who care for patients are vigil volunteers who sit with patients as they are transitioning so that they are not alone while actively passing away. Then there are healing arts volunteers who extend comfort care services to patients like therapeutic music, aromatherapy,
Comfort Touch, reiki and pet visits.

"These volunteers are required to complete online training, which takes about 24 hours, and
may be required to take additional training if they are providing a specific service, such as reiki or comfort touch," Marcussen told Patch. "There are so many ways to volunteers and on so many different levels. For those who want to help, but don't want to directly assist patients, we have other types of volunteer opportunities like administrative support in our offices and community outreach volunteers who serve as ambassadors for the organization by attending public events such as senior fairs and health fairs."

There happens to be a few specific volunteer voids that need to be filled and Hospice of the Chesapeake is looking for dedicated people to help in those areas and many more.

"We have a need for volunteers who can speak Spanish not only to assist our care teams but also to speak to the public at information events for example," Marcussen said.

One particular volunteer opportunity means the world to certain hospice patients and their families. Hospice of the Chesapeake provides a service specifically for veteran patients called an Honor Salute.

"This service is attended by a trained hospice patient care volunteer and a military volunteer who attends in dress uniform. They present gifts of gratitude to the veteran, and the military volunteer salutes the veteran to thank them for their service. Honor Salutes are always a special event. Friends and family will come together for the service and this is often the last time they are united before their loved one passes. They mean so much for the veteran and give the family a special memory. Having someone in uniform attend allows the veteran to reminisce and often share stories of their service. There is a military bond that never seems to fade and this connection is always evident during the Honor Salute," Marcussen said.

Because of the special nature of the Honor Salute, Hospice of the Chesapeake always needs military personnel to help them honor the more than 120 veterans cared for every day. To be a military volunteer, an individual does not need to be active duty but does need to have a dress uniform that fits.

"All branches of services are needed," Marcussen told Patch.

All volunteers are required to pass a background check and receive an annual flu shot and undergo a tuberculosis screening. These are minor requirements compared to the joy these volunteers bring to the lives of the patients at Hospice of the Chesapeake.

"Our volunteers say that they receive more from volunteering than they give. Imagine being able to comfort someone during their final hours or days. Imagine showing your appreciation to a veteran who has never been thanked. You cannot imagine, until you have experienced it for yourself. There is nothing more meaningful than making a difference in someone’s life," Marcussen said.

Learn more about volunteering at Hospice of the Chesapeake and the three veteran-specific opportunities for volunteers.