Hospice volunteer treats patients like family

Published 12:00 am Monday, August 30, 2004

To Billie Radford, the longest-tenured Cahaba Hospice volunteer, her patients are like family.

Hospice is a program that provides care, primarily in the home, for terminally ill patients, and uses volunteers extensively.

Radford says up front that what she receives from dying patients is far more precious than anything she can give them.

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“They (the patients) make our days better,” she said. “We’re so thankful we can do that (serve our patients),” she added.

Radford said that there are some things that volunteers cannot do, but the things they can do may be the most important.

“We can make them happy. We can love them. We can smile. We can hold their hand,” she said.

Normally she spends about two to three hours once a week per patient, Radford said, but sometimes more, and sometimes she is called upon to see other patients than the one to whom she is currently assigned.

“Billie’s only weakness is that she doesn’t like to keep records,” said Ellen Traylor, Cahaba Hospice volunteer coordinator who is herself a volunteer, with a gentle smile.

To which Radford replied, “I get so wrapped up in my patients’ care that I just forget about turning in my hours. The patients love us,” she said.

Five percent of services in hospice agencies receiving public funds must be provided by volunteers, according to Traylor.

Radford ordinarily visits her patients with a friend, though Traylor said that this is the exception rather than the rule.

Normally it’s one on one she said.

And, unfortunately, there are never enough volunteers for every dying person in the program to have one, so Traylor does her best to make do with what she has – which is plenty.

“It’s incredible what these volunteers mean to people,” she said.

“They are so happy when we knock on their door,” said Radford.

“We make their day.”

“I often try to take something to give them every time I visit,” Radford said. “Just a little something. They don’t need much,” she said.

Typically Radford will take things such as tea cakes – subject to the patient’s dietary restrictions – and a personalized greeting card from Cahaba Hospice.

Traylor said there are several groups who make personal items for the patients which are a big hit, things such as crocheted caps for women who’ve had chemo and who’ve lost their hair. Specifically Traylor mentioned the women’s Sunday school class at Sister Springs Baptist Church that provides small bags in which patients can carry personal items, along with other items they make. Also there are Sunday school classes that make cards.

Radford not only does her hospice work, but is active in her church, First Baptist on Lauderdale, and two garden clubs as well.

“We’re always doing some kind of charitable project in the community,” she said.

Traylor said that she will do most anything to accommodate to the schedule of someone who wants to be a volunteer, because every person in the program deserves a friend who visits.

“I will come to you (to talk to you about the program),” Traylor said.

Traylor announced a new ministry that began a month ago, which involves taking a loaf of homemade bread to each newly admitted family.

“Each month we want to take a ‘goodie’ to each family in our program. We did that this past month and plan to continue,” she said.

“We’ve taken homemade bread, cookies, cake, casseroles, soup and jelly.

“We take homemade cloth bags that will tie onto a hospital bed or walker, and will hold personal items.

“Our volunteers have, as always, been wonderful with this new ministry, and our families love the TLC.

“We have darling cards to put on all our goodies, telling our families that the Cahaba Hospice volunteer is thinking of them,” she said.

Traylor suggests that this ministry provides an excellent way for those in the community who are unable to serve face-to-face in a patient’s home but who want to support the program.

Anyone interested in volunteering for Cahaba Hospice or providing any kind of support should call Ellen Traylor at (334) 418-0566.