Pain management, nutritional support and various medical treatments may go into the hospice care process, but companionship is also an important ingredient in ensuring the end of a person’s life is as peaceful as possible.

Jill Venden, who serves as volunteer coordinator for Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care, based in its Davenport office, said it’s not always easy getting people to step up and give the gift of their time.

She noted the Cedar Falls branch of her organization, which serves Marshall and surrounding counties, cannot always find volunteers willing to travel to smaller towns in its service area.

“Currently, we are caring for several members of the Marshalltown community at Grandview Heights and Accura who could also use a friendly visit from a volunteer,” she said. “We also have patients at Premier Estates of Toledo, Westbrook Acres in Gladbrook and at Grundy Center Extended Care.”

Venden said she tries to match the clients and volunteers based on similar interests or spiritual beliefs.

She noted people may find enjoyment in playing cards or other games with a patient, going for walks, watching movies, listening to music, running errands for them or even just being a friendly face and someone to chat with.

“Just one hour a week or one hour a month can be very impactful for all involved,” she added. “While our clients may sleep 20-22 hours a day, it’s nice just knowing someone with a caring heart is in the room with you. I call it ‘the gift of presence.’ A lot of them also don’t have family. The facility is their family.”

While long-term nursing facilities are popular choices for where to get hospice care, many people also choose to receive services in-home. Hospice is a Medicare benefit.

“Part of that benefit says that five percent of all of our billable hours have to be returned in volunteer time,” Venden said of the process. “That of course gives me a goal to make sure we’re reaching that.”

To qualify for hospice, a person must have a life-limiting disease with six months or less to live. However, some people remain in hospice care for more than a year, depending on their circumstances and health.

She noted the COVID-19 pandemic made volunteering difficult to impossible.

“COVID was really hard on my volunteers. A lot of them used the volunteering as a social outlet, then that was swept away,” she said. “So we came up with the pen pal program, where they are assigned to a few people and write cards, letters, stories, send pictures or word searches or coloring pages, include drawings made by their children.”

People interested in volunteering must undergo a background check and attend orientation, which is done mainly online with modules you complete. You must also be at least 18 years of age. A TB test is required.

Venden said it’s an excellent opportunity for retirees looking to give back to the community and college students seeking volunteer hours or job shadowing of healthcare workers.

She said 30 minutes is an ideal amount of time per visit, as to not tire out the patient too much.

“It’s whatever fits in the volunteer’s schedule. You don’t have to only come when one of our social workers or nurses are there,” she added.

Veterans Helping Veterans is another program Venden works with. She said sometimes patients with military experience only feel comfortable sharing memories with those of similar backgrounds.

“As our veterans age, some of them never talked about their time in service with their families, because that was a burden. But they will talk to somebody that understands that language,” she said.

To learn more about these volunteer opportunities, visit: www.compassus.com/volunteers. Venden may be reached at: 928-899-8546 and Jill.Venden@compassus.com.