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THE FOUR SEASONS
Spring 2015
A Newsletter from Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County
Volunteers Share Their Gifts
Patient/ Family Volunteers are a fundamental part of hospice care. So fundamental, that Medicare
funding is dependent on volunteers matching 5% of staff time with volunteer hours. Most people are
unsure about what hospice volunteers do, not to mention, what would motivate them to be volunteers.
Our patient/family volunteers offer their insight below:
Volunteers offer Closure—Volunteer Joe, was working with a patient
who was born in Hungary. The patient was living in a nursing home
and did not have any local family. He relayed to Joe that he would love
to see his home town in Hungary one last time. Knowing the patient
would never be able to go home in person, Joe brainstormed the next
best thing. He printed images of the patients’ hometown from Google
Earth. The patient was ecstatic to see the pictures, which included
landmarks like his childhood school and even his grandmothers house.
Volunteer Sally with Hospice Patient
Volunteers offer their Expertise: Motivated to volunteer after her
husband died with hospice care, Nancy’s sole responsibility as a
hospice volunteer is providing haircuts to patients. Nancy is a licensed hairdresser and feels that
providing this service to hospice patients is rewarding because it allows the patients to have a “normal”
experience, during a stressful time in their life.
Volunteers offer their Skills: Retired teacher, Virginia, helps patients record their stories through the
Remember Me Legacy Program. Virginia works with patients to record lasting memories and
messages for their families. Virginia feels that "Each of us are so unique and have important tales to
tell. What a gift to be able to share them in our own voices. I love being able to listen and witness
patients making this happen." The stories recorded in the legacy program
are burned to a CD and given to the families’ of patients.
Volunteers offer a New Set of Ears: Longtime volunteer Patty, states
that most of the patient’s families have heard all their stories a million
times. Hospice volunteers come in with new ears and allow the patients to
share their stories again. Volunteer David, recalls one of his most
memorable patient assignments was with a retired farmer. As a
businessman from the city, David did not know much about farming, so
he went to the library before each visit to research topics to talk to the
patient about. Through this experience, he not only learned all there is to
know about farming, he also allowed the patient to impart his years of
Volunteer Mary, received 2013 wisdom to someone else.
NYS Volunteer of the Year
Spring Volunteer Training
Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County is gearing up for a Spring Patient/Family
Volunteer Training. Hospice Volunteers provide companionship, time, support, and presence
to our Hospice Patients. As you learned on the previous page, all of our volunteers provide
this service and some of them are even able to harness their special skills and passion to
provide additional services.
All patient/family volunteers must provide:

3 references as part of the application process

Go through an interview and background check

Attend each session of the upcoming Training
Patient/Family Volunteer
Training Sessions:
4/23– 5:30-8:00
4/25 9:00-3:00
The volunteer training focuses on:

Cultural diversity & professional boundaries

Hospice Services

The Role & Responsibility of The Volunteer

How to respond to incidents while in a patients
home

Death, Dying, & Grief
2/28 5:30-8:00
4/30– 5:30-8:00
Session Locations TBD
If you are interested in learning
more about volunteer
opportunities, including the
upcoming training, contact
Jennifer Misilewich, 334-3556
[email protected]
Volunteers:

Are assigned 1 patient at a time

Provide support to patients 2-4 hours a week

Can take breaks as needed for prior commitments
Needed: Volunteer Plant Sale Drivers
Would you like to volunteer at hospice, but can’t commit to Patient/Family
Training?
Date: May 6, 2015
Time: 9:30 am-1:30 pm
What: Drive plant orders from Chenango County Fairgrounds to their respective
“site”- sites are businesses throughout Chenango County who have pre-ordered
from the sale
What’s The Impact? The Hospice Flower Sale is the largest fundraiser for our
agency. The un-restricted funds generated through the sale are used to close the
gap between insurance reimbursement and the actual cost of care.
Leave Hospice A Gift in Your Will
A planned, or lasting gift, can be one of the easiest, most fulfilling ways to
support our organization. One way to give is to include Hospice of Chenango
County in your will. If your estate is subject to the federal estate tax, a charitable
bequest can save significant tax dollars. Another way is to give an outright
bequest while you’re still living. Whether you give now, or later, the most
common methods are:
Gifts of Cash, Gifts of Stock, Gifts of Real Estate
or Gifts of Retirement Plans
We encourage you to check with your attorney, accountant, or other tax advisor
for additional information on how planned giving rules apply to your situation. If
you would like to receive a Lasting Gift to Hospice brochure call 334-3556 or visit
www.hospicechenango.org
Mark Your Calendar
Save The Date:
Hospice Flower Sale
May 6, 2015
**New Location for Norwich Pick-Ups**
Chenango County Fairgrounds
All other town pickups remain at NBT Branch Offices
Pre-order deadline April 22
Print out an order form at www.hospicechenango.org
Or call the office @ 334-3556
Hospice Cash & Carry
Sale
May 23-26– General Clinton
Canoe Regatta. This year a
portion of the admission
proceeds will benefit Hospice of
Chenango’s We Honor Veterans
Program.
May 23, 2015– 9:00 am.
8th Annual Dan Elwood
Memorial 5k
May 13, 2015
July 2015– Camp 4 Seasons
look for updated information on
our website as camp gets closer
East Park, Downtown
Norwich
August 21, 2015
If you miss the pre-order
sale, stop by the Cash &
Carry Sale and check
out the selection!
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Chenango County Golf
Tournament in Memory of
Mary Jane Prindle.–
Geneganslet Golf Club.
Hospice: Specialists in End of Life Care
Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County
21 Hayes Street
Norwich, New York 13815
607-334-3556
www.hospicechenango.org
Specialists in End of Life Care
Non Profit
US Postage
PAID
Norwich, NY
Mailing Label Here
Or Current Resident
Thoughts from Families
“There are not enough words to
express my gratitude to you for all of
your kindness, your patience, your
knowledge, and the loving care you
gave to dad, as well as the rest of the
family.”