For Release: March 30, 2012
Contact:
Jim Gosky 330.344.6083, jim.gosky@akrongeneral.org
Kelly Ward-Smith, 330.848.6206, kward@vnsa.com
Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service (VNS) will hold volunteer training classes on May 8 and 15 from noon-4 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. at the Hospice of VNS Care Center, 3358 Ridgewood Road, Copley. Participants are required to attend two sessions for a total of eight hours of training. There is no fee. Please register by April 30.
Volunteers are needed to visit patients in their homes or skilled nursing facilities throughout Summit County (with particular needs in Stow, Cuyahoga Falls, Tallmadge, Green and Portage Lakes areas) and western Stark County (including Uniontown and North Canton). Volunteers are also needed to assist with important functions at the Hospice of VNS Care Center, such as visiting patients, answering telephones, greeting families, filing, assisting with mailings, gardening (April-October), among other activities. Hospice of VNS matches volunteer interests with program needs.
Volunteers receive comprehensive training covering such topics as the physical and emotional needs of patients and caregivers, spiritual aspects of care, the Hospice concept, comfort care issues, communications skills, active listening, and all aspects of death, dying, and grief and bereavement. New volunteers to the program are mentored by seasoned volunteers.
For more information on volunteering for Hospice of VNS, or to register for volunteer training, please call Terri DeGeorge, Manager of Volunteer Services, 330.668.4650 or Joyce Hargreaves, Coordinator of Volunteer Training, 330.668.4637.
About Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service (VNS)
The purpose of Hospice of VNS is to alleviate suffering, engender hope, promote living and facilitate grieving among patients with serious or life-limiting illnesses, their families and their communities. Hospice of VNS is an affiliate of Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates (comprised of Advanced Infusion Services, Hospice of VNS, VNS Personal Care Services, VNS Equipment & Supplies and Visiting Nurse Service). VNSA serves Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties and is a member of the Akron General Health System. For more information about VNSA, visit www.vnsa.com.
About Akron General Health System
Akron General Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with the mission of improving the health and lives of the people and communities we serve. Akron General Health System includes: Akron General Medical Center, a 511-bed teaching and research medical center, and Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Institute, the area's largest provider of rehabilitation services; Akron General Partners, which includes Partners Physician Group, the Akron General Health & Wellness Centers, Lodi Community Hospital, Community Health Centers and other companies; Akron General Community Health Ventures, which includes Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates, the largest and most comprehensive provider of home healthcare services in Ohio; and Akron General Development Foundation. Akron General has earned the prestigious National Research Corporation (NRC) Consumer Choice Award for 14 out of 16 years. Recently, Becker’s Hospital Review named Akron General Medical Center one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals. For more information about Akron General Health System, visit About Us.
