Volunteers are an Essential Ingredient in Hospice and Palliative Care
By Kristi Barfield, PCNOW Board of Directors

Did you know….before the Medicare Hospice Benefit was established in 1983, volunteers provided all end-of-life care to patients and family members. My hometown of Hallock, Minnesota, had a volunteer-run hospice organization that recruited neighbors, friends, and nurses to provide care and support to terminally ill patients and their families. The people of Hallock did what they could for each other. Some brought meals, cleaned, did laundry, and cut the grass. Others, usually volunteer nurses, provided personal care and sat vigil with family members. This type of hospice program was not unique to Hallock; it was how end-of-life care was provided throughout the United States at that time. It was the loving care of hospice volunteers that caught the attention of policymakers and led to the establishment of the Medicare Hospice Benefit.

Fast forward to today…..Volunteers continue to provide essential services to hospice and palliative care patients. Whether it is providing loving companionship in the final months and weeks of life, offering empathetic support to family members and caregivers, or enthusiastically helping with community outreach and fundraising, the contributions of volunteers are an essential ingredient to the important work provided by hospice and palliative care programs.

Volunteers founded hospice care in the U.S., and we still could not do it without them today. Hospice volunteers undoubtedly influenced me and my career. The kind and compassionate care that volunteers selflessly provide adds depth and flavor to the patient and family experience through the end of life.

Below is a recipe that reminds me of my Minnesota roots and the warm, loving care hospice and palliative volunteers provide.

In Gratitude,

Kristi Barfield BS, RN, CHPN
PCNOW Board Member

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup                                    

6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced onion
½ cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
½ cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped ham
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt butter, and sauté onions until tender. Blend in flour; gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in rice, carrots, ham, almonds, and salt; simmer for about 5 minutes. Blend in half-and-half and sherry; heat to serving temperature.

Tip: ½ cup uncooked wild rice = 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked wild rice.