Hope Hospice and Home Health is a mission-driven nonprofit that has been supporting the Tri-Valley and surrounding areas since 1980. Over the years Hope has worked to meet the growing needs of the community by expanding beyond hospice services and adding home health services, advanced illness care, family caregiver education, and a dementia support program.

"We provide comfort, support, guidance, and exceptional care to improve the quality of the lives of our patients and their families," says Jill Smith, RN, Director of Volunteers for the Dublin-based organization. "We are community-led, which means we take into account how our decisions will affect the community around us."

Hope provides a number of free programs to the community. They include a variety of grief support services to adults, teens, and children who have lost loved ones and classes such as the Family Caregiver Education Series. The nonprofit has also created a new Living with Dementia program this year thanks to a generous $25,000 grant from the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation.

An estimated 5.6 million Americans live with dementia, according to Smith. That number is expected to grow to 14 million by 2050, so it is vitally important to learn how to care for these individuals.

"The best care for persons living with dementia is widely misunderstood," says Smith. "Our society commonly believes that once a person has advanced dementia that they are just gone. Behaviors common to persons living with dementia is actually a form of communication of their unmet needs, and it is up to us to learn to understand those needs."

The idea of volunteering to help patients living with dementia may sound scary. "I think people are afraid to volunteer because they think they might be asked to do personal care," she says. "But that's not the case. They will be asked to do friendship things. Our volunteers experience great personal satisfaction as they visit their patients".

Hospice work is rewarding and a great opportunity to put one's special abilities and talents to work, according to Smith. "We are always looking to recruit more volunteers," says Smith. "We need to add forty or more volunteers who are specially trained in dementia" but all types of volunteers are welcome. Hope works with each volunteer's own schedule to make it easy and convenient to help others.

Volunteers who visit with patients may be asked to read a novel, paint someone's fingernails, or simply provide companionship to a patient. People handy with tools, acupuncturists, videographers, musicians, checker fans, and people who are good listeners have all been able to offer comfort and help to Hope patients.

The Family Caregiver Education Series has been a supportive, life-changing environment for many Tri-Valley caregivers. The classes are held second Saturdays each month. More information can be found on Hope's website.

Currently, Smith is looking to recruit persons to attend Hope's upcoming semi-annual dementia training to be held on August 2, 9, and 16 between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. If you or someone you know may want to attend, please contact her via email at jills@hopehospice.com.

For more information about Hope Hospice and Home Health services, please visit hopehospice.com.