DETROIT, September 21, 2015 – Hospice of Michigan will hold a volunteer orientation on Saturday, Oct. 17 in Detroit.
While opportunities for an HOM volunteer are virtually limitless, some of the organization’s more specific and immediate needs include care by:
- Professional and licensed massage therapists, hairstylists and manicurists
- Art and music therapists
- Musicians who can perform at a patient’s bedside
- Volunteers with a pet. While a therapy animal licensed isn’t required, the animal must be current on all vaccinations and will be observed by HOM before working with patients.
Cathy Fleming, Detroit resident and guitarist, started volunteering with HOM after retiring as a librarian. Fleming explains that volunteering with HOM not only gives her an opportunity to share her music, but it allows her to form a connection with patients and helps them recall special memories.
“I meet with patients one-on-one or in a group setting, playing songs for patients and inviting them and their family members to sing along,” Fleming said. “When the song is over, patients will often talk about the meaning the song might have had in their life or a memory it helped them recall. Patients not only enjoy the music, but they really value the conversation.
“I feel so fortunate that I can help people find peace and happiness through my music. I get just as much, if not more, out of the experience as the patients do.”
HOM’s orientation course helps people prepare and become comfortable with their role as a volunteer. The course helps participants learn more about HOM, the principles of hospice, the grieving process and how to help patients and their families.
The session will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at HOM’s Detroit office at 400 Mack Ave. and will include a complimentary lunch.
Advance registration is required. For more information, please contact Alison Wagner at 313.578.6259 or awagner@hom.org.
For those who have experienced a loss, HOM encourages a waiting period of one year before becoming a volunteer in order to allow for the processing of grief.
About Hospice of Michigan
A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original – and largest – hospice in the state. The nonprofit cares for more than 1,700 patients each day, raising more than $4 million each year to cover the cost of care for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers a broad range of services to enhance the quality of life at the end of life, including At Home Support™, our advanced illness management program, community-based palliative care and pediatric care programs. HOM provides grief support and counseling, caregiver education and support, and education programs for physicians and health care professionals through its research, training and education arm, the Hospice of Michigan Institute. For more information, call 888.247.5701 or visit www.hom.org.