Hospice training

Submitted by Hospice of San Juan

Hospice of San Juan offers free training for new volunteers on the first two Saturdays of March, March 7 and 14.

Hospice of San Juan is an all-volunteer hospice founded in 1985 by island health providers wishing to care for neighbors free of charge. If you have a skill you would like to share with homebound neighbors approaching the end of life, consider volunteering for Hospice of San Juan.

At the March training, hands-on instruction for the care of homebound people will be provided: handling dementia-related behavior; navigating family communication; caring for fragile bodies; when to call 911; being mindful of healthy boundaries and aware of ethical approaches to uncertain situations. A full listing of course topics is on the website, hospiceofsanjuan.org/caregiver-resources.html.

Hospice of San Juan’s primary mission is respectful care of those facing a life-limiting illness; one of its five service areas is providing respite to caregivers. In order to provide the best respite care possible, all volunteers are trained by professionals. Thanks to funding from The Mary See Foundation and private donors, training is at no charge to participants. Both days of training include lunch. Advance registration is encouraged, especially if there are dietary restrictions that need to be taken into account.

Space is limited so fill out your volunteer application — available on the web at hospiceofsanjuan.org/caregiver-resources.html — ASAP and return to Hospice of San Juan, P.O. Box 1434, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250.