A special class of people

After attending the first class of hospice volunteer training, Nancy Sawyer cried all the way home.

At 56 and retired, Sawyer, of Dayton, was looking for something to do with her time. She chose to attend training for St. Mary's Hospice Volunteer program.

"I knew it was for me," said Sawyer, who has been with St. Mary's Hospice, based in Reno and serving surrounding areas, a little more than a year. "This completes me."

"I've had people ask me, 'How can you do that?' And I say, 'How can I not?' People would be alone without a volunteer."

Hospice volunteers provide respite care for the family or caregiver of a terminally ill person, most often in their own home.

Sawyer visits weekly with Louise Norby of Dayton, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dementia. Between family " four daughters and one son " hospice and a neighbor, Frank Gigantino, Norby receives almost 24-hour care.

"I fix her hair, do her nails and talk about things we can do in the future when the weather gets better," Sawyer said. "It's more like we're visiting each other. You try to make them feel as comfortable as you can.

"And Louise is a pistol. We get going and it's fun as heck. This is not a morose occasion."

During Thursday's visit, Sawyer showed Norby a few colors of nail polish, with Norby settlling on the light red.

"I know you like red," Sawyer said to her, as she slowly painted her right thumb.

"I think it looks good," Norby responded.

Norby's daughter, Sheila Story, who lives in Dayton, said that with the hospice team taking care of her mother, her family doesn't have to worry about her.

"Hospice really takes good care of her and does most anything we ask," Story said. "Nancy pampers her and Mom loves that. And the team counsels us on the dying process, asks if we have any questions " the whole experience has been extremely positive for everyone."

"They have taken the burden of care off of us," Story said. "It's given us a break and been a lifesaver."

Nancy Mallory, volunteer coordinator for St. Mary's Hospice program, said they offer extensive training because it's important for the volunteer to know every aspect of hospice care and what they are going to be doing.

"They'll be learning about spirituality and hospice, communication and taking care of themselves because it's very challenging to be a volunteer," Mallory said. "It also helps them feel some level of comfort to be with the patients. And there's always ethics and legalities to follow."

"Anyone from any walk of life can be a volunteer," she said. "Anyone who has the heart to help people. However, those who should not volunteer include someone who has some level of feeling uncomfortable with the dying process, and many people do. Being a hospice volunteer is not for everybody because it's a challenging job."

"I also discourage anyone who has had a recent loss as it could cause a lot of feelings to resurface," Mallory said. "It's not good for them to be around the dying. I suggest they wait at least a year to even think about becoming a volunteer."

Mallory said the majority of volunteers are women, and are retired.

"Most people pretty much know from the beginning if it's not for them," Mallory said. "I would rather they decide right away than go through the training and decide it's not."

The training is free. The cost of hospice care is covered under Medicare, which requires the hospice provider to follow up with the client's family for 13 months.

Mary Jo Meyer of Carson City recently graduated from hospice volunteer training. She said she has the desire within herself to work with people who are in grief.

"I needed a balance in my life," Meyer, 71, said. "I lost my husband and needed a purpose. I'm probably as ready as I ever will be.

"My goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible " mentally, physically or spiritually " with whatever gift I can bring them. And let them know I care. I know I can't take it (illness) away or fix it, but I'm willing to comfort them, if they'll accept it."

Becky Hickman also recently graduated training. The mother of three, Daniel, Josh and Zack, Hickman lost her husband about three years ago. His death was sudden so she did not have the opportunity for hospice care.

"I attended Tears and Rainbows support group for about a year and a half," Hickman said. "The people I met " the different chaplains and social workers who talked with us " everybody I came across before the training, I could see something inside each of them that was touching and giving.

"I've been a wife and mom for so long, this is new discovery for me, something I need to learn. I'm excited about it."

Hickman's son Josh has disabilities. She often wonders if this prepared her for being a caretaker for others.

"I have an identity with caregivers," she said.

Mallory said the training graduates will get their first assignment as soon as they want it, and when there is a need.

"We try to get them out there as quickly as possible, if they're comfortable enough to do it," Mallory said. "If someone is feeling anxious about going out, we may match them up with a member for a while. And some just plunge right in there."

St. Mary's offers hospice training twice a year. The next class will be held in August. For information, call Mallory at 770-6008.

Contact Rhonda Costa at rcosta@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.瑳