In 2015, 220 volunteers provided more than 21,000 service hours through Community Home Health & Hospice. One of these volunteers is Diane Risko. Risko began her journey as a volunteer in June 2005 after her husband John, of 52 years, passed away. Risko decided to volunteer as a way to give back because she found the care he received a blessing during the end of his life. When asked to describe her volunteer experience, Risko states it is rewarding making new friends and thinking about someone else.
In her role as a volunteer with hospice, Risko provides respite breaks for the patient’s caregiver, visits with the patient and adds perspective. She also does light housework, meal preparation, animal care and helps with activities of daily living. Most of her volunteer work has been done in Longview, Rainier and Clatskanie.
When assigning a respite volunteer and patient every effort is made to assure a compatible “match”. There is a thorough review of the patient’s physical and mental status, including interests and hobbies.
A good hospice volunteer will possess the following qualities: a calm and comforting demeanor, attentive, active listening skills, warm and friendly, empathtic and understanding the need to maintain excellent boundaries. If this decsription defines you, consider becoming a volunteer for Community Home Health & Hospice – our volunteers regularly state that they receive much more than they give through their volunteer experience!
Community Hospice now offers on-line training that is augmented with hands-on training and skills review. Every 3-6 months in-services are offered in areas that may be of interest or benefit to volunteers. There is a great need for volunteers in Columbia County. If you are interested, please contact Sheryl Reeder, volunteer coordinator at sheryl.reeder@chhh.org or 360.414.5433 or 800.378.8510
