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08/26/2007Northern People
Hospice volunteers comfort terminally illWoman joins group after being on receiving end of services
Munson Hospice House volunteer Barbara Goodearl, center, and Munson Volunteer Supervisor Judy Goodrich have a friendly hallway meeting at the Munson Hospice House in Traverse City. Goodearl has been volunteering at the hospice house for three years. TRAVERSE CITY — There's a reason Barbara Goodearl spends 20 hours or more per week helping care for people with terminal illnesses for no pay. She received similar help from other hospice volunteers when her first husband and her parents were dying. "My husband, my mom and my dad all died within six months of each other, so it was payback time for Hospice,” she said. Goodearl and her husband Dan Goodearl, who live in Leelanau County, are among about 200 volunteers for Munson Hospice and Palliative Care. "They are wonderful, but our volunteers all are,” said Judy Goodrich, volunteer supervisor. "All of our volunteers are caring and compassionate people.” The volunteers receive training in assisting and talking to people who are terminally ill and their loved ones. They feed, turn or massage patients, or swab their mouths to keep them comfortable when they can't drink water. They read to residents, or offer jokes to boost their spirits. They talk to them and play their favorite music, even if they're comatose. They also do laundry, clean rooms and perform dozens of other tasks. Volunteers include beauticians, massage therapists, pet therapy volunteers, attorneys and harpists. Hospice trains people who want to learn to play the harp because of its soft, comforting sound and Barbara Goodearl has received that training. While most of the Goodearls' volunteer time is spent at Munson Hospice House, they also can sit with patients at their homes to allow spouses, children or whoever is caring for them some time to themselves. "It was amazing to have someone come in and relieve you so you could go to dinner with a friend or go grocery shopping,” Barbara said. Volunteers can be certified for three different levels, depending on which responsibilities they've been trained to handle. Barbara is level 3, the highest designation; she does more patient care than some others, including bathing and other more personal tasks. Dan is level 2 and can interact with patients and families. He sits with them and reads to them, or spells family or friends. "It's something that I can do that a lot of other people are squeamish about because they don't want to be close to death,” Dan said. Level 1 volunteers clean rooms, answer phones, maintain the building and do other things, Goodrich said. The Goodearls are both retired teachers who married in 1998 after being widowed. Barbara was a Hospice volunteer in Fenton before they moved to Leelanau County in 2003. In addition to the usual volunteer duties, Barbara also helps make training videos and leads training sessions, including a spiritual diversity course she researched and started on her own. "Because we deal with people at the end of life and it's such a sensitive time, we need to be very careful that we don't offend and that we understand the family's religious beliefs and preferences,” she said. "You want to do what's right for the family and the person.” "Most of the relatives are real nice folks,” Dan added. "They're hurting and what we do is try to alleviate as much hurt as possible.” Volunteering can lead to lasting friendships. "Some of the families you get so close to that you write to them after their loved one has died,” Barbara said. "These people come back to Hospice House afterwards to visit and they bring candy and all kinds of stuff.” Despite the rewards, Barbara Goodearl said she has seen a lot of people die — and that can be difficult. "But it is such an honor to be there and do for them that which they can never do back for you,” she said.
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