LHIN SERVICE ACCOUNTABILITY AGREEMENT (pdf)

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PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

Hospice Huronia recruits and trains volunteers to provide two main services - Volunteer Visiting and Bereavement Support.

The Visiting Volunteer Program

Men and women receive 30 hours of training in palliative care, providing them with the non-medical skills needed to assist clients and their families. Training sessions are conducted twice annually - once in the spring and again in the fall. Volunteers are the backbone of our organization and they share a common belief that quality end of life care should continue until death and that no one should have to make this journey alone. Volunteers provide non-medical support such as companionship, reading, gentle comfort measures, transportation when necessary and respite for family members or principal caregivers.

Clients are assessed from referrals received from medical or community sources and volunteers are matched according to needs. The number of clients has continued to increase from 75 families in 2000 to a projected 150 families this year. Ensuring that our volunteers do not "burn out", means that we need to constantly be recruiting and training new volunteers to provide the services our clients need.

Our volunteers are supported by volunteer Team Leaders who are themselves Visiting Volunteers and contact every fellow visiting volunteer monthly to see how they and their clients are doing. Visiting Volunteers are encouraged to attend regularly scheduled meetings at which they have the opportunity to network with each other and receive further training. At all times our volunteers are supported by our Program Director who is just a phone call away if needed.

Bereavement Support

A grief and loss support service is extended to families of clients who have been in our care and to referrals from the community or other health care agencies. Twice annually, Hospice Huronia conducts a bereavement support group lasting for 10 weeks per session. The group assists participants to learn coping skills for their grief, as they have an opportunity to share and find support and understanding among people who have faced similar experiences.

The program makes use of the following resources:

• Understanding Grief - Helping Yourself Heal, by Alan D. Wolfelt (Ph.D.)
• Compassionate Grief Support, developed by CrossRoads Hospice, Coquitlam B.C.

During the summer months Hospice Huronia offers a less structured program "Healing Walk". Clients join our volunteers for a relaxing walk (and talk) in the lovely setting of Penetanguishene's waterfront park. This is an opportunity for bereaved persons to meet other people who have lost loved ones, to tell their stories and share their grief.

If deemed appropriate, one-to-one bereavement support is available

Trained volunteers facilitate our bereavement support programs. Opportunities exist for additional volunteer facilitators.

Annual Memorial Services

Every year in December, in cooperation with our local funeral homes, Hospice Huronia participates in candlelight memorial services. Volunteers assist with greeting participants, reading prepared passages and distributing and lighting candles.

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Promotion of services and increasing community awareness and education involves frequent appearances and speaking engagements at a number of events, service clubs, church groups and within the school system. Volunteers are welcome to assist with promotional activities.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Conferences
Hospice Huronia encourages and often subsidizes volunteers to participate in several annual conferences sponsored by related organizations.

• Simcoe County Palliative Care conference, (spring and fall) 
• Bereavement Ontario Network annual conference, Orillia (Fall)
• Hospice Association of Ontario and the Ontario Palliative Care Association's joint spring conference, including the annual presentation of the June Callwood Award for Outstanding Volunteers (Fall). Several Hospice Huronia volunteers (right) have received the June Callwood Award for outstanding volunteer service. June Callwood was a well known author, philanthropist and supporter of hospice/palliative care.

Twice annually, in the spring and fall, Hospice Huronia sponsors a 30 hour training course for men and women interested in becoming a visiting volunteer. Through our volunteers, Hospice Huronia provides help and support to families according to specific assessed needs. The support may be physical, spiritual or emotional. It may be in the form of respite for a caregiver, companionship, reading, writing letters, walking the dog, listening or any number of different activities. Volunteers share their gifts of compassion, support and love with our clients.

The 30 hour training curriculum includes:

• Introduction to Hospice Care
• Communication Skills
• Emotional, Psychological and Spiritual Issues of Death and Dying
• The Family
• Illness specific information and Infection Control
• Pain and Symptom Management, Practical Comfort Measures, The Challenges of Eating, Body Mechanics, Assists and other Skills
• Recognizing the Signs of Death
• Grief and Bereavement
• Ethical Issues in Hospice Care
• Responsibilities of the Volunteer
• Care for the Volunteer Caregiver

All visiting volunteers are expected to complete the training course, but volunteers helping Hospice Huronia with administration and fundraising do not need to do the training course.
An application form is available from our office in the Penetanguishene Hospital, by mail or fill out the Volunteer Application on this site . Call (705) 549-1034 for a complete volunteer training package. An appointment will be arranged to discuss being a Hospice Visiting Volunteer in more detail.
A $50 fee is charged to cover our training costs. Each person receives a complete training manual (This fee may be waived or refundable depending on circumstances).
A police check will be required.
Full attendance is required in order to graduate.
On completion of the training course, Hospice Huronia asks graduates to commit to 75 hours of service (approximately one year of involvement).

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES

Volunteers may become involved in the administrative activities of Hospice Huronia. These include answering or making telephone calls, photocopying, assistance with mailings and the newsletter, hostess activities, reading and greeting at memorial services or special events, etc.

FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES
Volunteers are welcome to become involved in any of our yearly
Fund Raising Activities.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Over the years, Hospice Huronia has sponsored many social activities and special events to support and foster continuing relationships with our volunteers. Weekend retreats, Valentine's teas, open houses, special dinners, graduation, award presentations and other events help to ensure our volunteers feel welcome, needed and appreciated.