Nancy,
We have a volunteer program called Compassionate Hearts (includes volunteers and hospital employees. It covers 3 situations:
- Sitting with patients whose death is imminent (No One Dies Alone)
- Giving respite to family members of critically ill patients (death is not imminent) who need to go home to shower, run errands, go out for dinner, etc.
- Visit with patients who have been hospitalized for an extended period of time, if they are lonely, anxious, etc. (But, this is not designed to be a one-on-one sitting service!).
If you would like more details, you can email me at cfox@mauryregional.com.