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Homecaring and Hospice has been around the Chisago Lakes community for years; a program that provides solid footing during what can be a turbulent time in peoples' lives.

Even though long-running; it has also avoided becoming stale. The program is constantly evolving as staff members work to provide those who are under their care what they need.

For the last six years the local team's ability to do just this has been recognized by their peers in the homecaring and hospice field. Fairview Homecaring & Hospice, which provides 25,000 home visits a year, consistently ranks highly among agencies reviewed annually by a homecaring information publisher.

As the nationally designated "HomeCaring and Hospice Month" November is usually the time of year when the Fairview people share a hospice or home care client's story. This year, though, the program's community liaison is putting out a call for some special volunteers.

The mission of HomeCaring and Hospice is to soften the end-of-life time period, explains Community Liaison Susan Taylor. The way to do this is by responding to what clients require-- providing services ranging from pain management to special massages to visits by personal pets for terminally ill people who miss having a dog or cat nearby.

Taylor explains that as the daughter of a career Navy chief bosun's mate, she's been especially struck by the number of aging and ill veterans who are hospice program clients.

Taylor is looking for volunteers for the hospice and home care effort who are veterans themselves, who can relate to and support veterans and their families in a way that non-military people can't.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has developed a "We Honor Veterans" protocol and Taylor wants to offer this here. She met with a small group of veterans one afternoon, at the Swedish Village Mall cafe in Center City, and shared her ideas for a veteran volunteer training. Having grown up on Guam and Pacific island naval bases she said, "I have always felt very connected to the military."

Veterans who are using services of homecaring and hospice are sometimes coming to terms with traumatic memories, or struggling with cultural norms that other veterans simply understand better than someone who hasn't been in military service.

Fairview, Taylor said, is seeing World War II and Korea vets seeking services provided, but there's also a growing number of servicepeople from the Vietnam era and more recent conflicts being represented.

According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care program materials-- veterans might say they've faced death before and have no fear of death, but they also have some guilt about the years they did have, when so many never returned. The ability to listen and understand to veterans at the end of their lives can best be provided by fellow vets.

Chisago County Veterans Services Officer Al Budde sees a need for this specific approach. He commented, "The 'we honor veterans' program is a structured and honoring way to assist a veteran facing end of life issues and ongoing medical care. Veterans and their families should welcome this thoughtful outreach."

Taylor says the volunteer group will start slowly at first. She was reminded by the guys at the cafe session that alot of potential volunteers are probably snowbirds and head south for winter. She said anytime you would be available, for a maybe two or three day training, feel free to contact the homecare and hospice volunteer coordinator office 651-257-8850. If it's after the first of next year before things get going, that's perfectly okay, Taylor said.

The "We Honor Veterans" will be consolidated and organized as people come forward and have time to offer.

Training would be provided at the Chisago City Fairview campus.

Men and women who served in all ranks, branches and locations are welcome.

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