Holy Redeemer Seeking Hospice Volunteers to Assist Veterans in Ocean County, New Jersey

Toms River, N.J. – February 25, 2015 – Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice is seeking compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Ocean County, New Jersey. There is a particular need for volunteers who have served in the military and are interested in working with hospice patients who are also veterans.

“It takes a very unique and compassionate person to serve as a hospice volunteer,” said Bobbi Hunter, Holy Redeemer’s Volunteer Coordinator for Ocean County, New Jersey. “Part of their role is to reflect Holy Redeemer’s underlying mission to care, comfort and heal, by working with the professional hospice team to provide companionship and support for both patients, as well as their families.”

“Many of our hospice patients are also veterans, with their own unique needs and challenges,” Hunter said. “No matter how much time has passed, these patients carry the experiences of their military service with them. That’s why it is so important for us to have volunteers who have shared those kinds of experiences.”

Hunter notes that Holy Redeemer is a member of the “We Honor Veterans” program, a partnership between the National Hospice and Palliative Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs that is devoted to addressing the needs of aging veterans.

“Our goal is to provide our veteran hospice patients with the unique support and understanding they deserve as they complete the final part of life’s journey,” Hunter said.

“Many of our volunteers who work with veterans experience a sense of personal and spiritual fulfillment as a result of the interactions they have and the relationships they develop,” said Hunter. “Our volunteers truly make a difference in the lives of patients and families, and often the reverse is true, as well.”

Hospice patient care volunteers typically visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands, or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one.

Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend a 12 to 16-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Both day and evening training programs are offered.

To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Ocean County, New Jersey, Counties, contact Roberta (Bobbi) Hunter at (732) 240-2449, or email: rhunter@holyredeemer.com.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice, the largest nonprofit provider of home health and hospice services in the state of New Jersey, offers a continuum of services throughout 12 New Jersey counties, including Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, and Union. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice provides care to patients and their families in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. It is part of Holy Redeemer Health System, which offers a wide range of healthcare and health-related services, including an acute care hospital, home health and hospice services, two skilled nursing facilities, supportive care, a retirement community, low-income housing, an active living community, and a transitional housing program for homeless women and children. For more information, visit holyredeemer.com/HomeCare.