Patient and Volunteer Share Special Bond Through Weekly Phone Visits

Hospice of the Western Reserve (HWR) companion volunteers play an important role in improving quality of life. They provide social and emotional support by simply being there to comfort, care and listen. It’s a role they find deeply fulfilling.
 
During a time when COVID-19 restrictions are still limiting in-person contact, volunteer support  continues virtually and through phone visits. Regular phone calls ease feelings of isolation and provide hospice patients with a friendly ear during a particularly challenging time.
 
Through regular phone visits with Marjorie “Tommie” Gettig, who resides in a Lake County independent living community, HWR volunteer Nancy Mueller has learned about the special role her dog, Jack, plays in her life.
 
Tommie enjoys staying active and engaged. Visiting the pool and walking her dog, Jack, are two activities she especially enjoys. Following some recent health challenges, she is spending more time at home now, but still finds special joy and comfort with her loyal companion, Jack.
 
Through Nancy’s phone conversations with Tommie, as well as legacy work conducted by HWR’s spiritual care coordinator Denise Neil, members of the care team have learned just how central Jack is to her happiness.   
 
Tommie, who loves dogs, confided to the team that she and her family had always owned Sheepdogs. Three weeks after the last one died, she became lonely and decided it was time to adopt a new canine companion.   
 
Finding Jack wasn’t easy, but for Tommie, it was a labor of love. When she finally spotted him after visiting seven different shelters, she knew he was the one. “Everyone tried to talk me out of it. They said he wasn’t the cutest – just a mutt. He was only 16 lbs. He was the saddest looking thing. His head was down. He looked like he could use a good home. I knew he needed me,” she said.
 
Once Tommie adopted Jack and introduced him to his new home, he blossomed under her loving care. Since then, Jack has become a “canine celebrity” of sorts. He has acquired an extensive coat wardrobe and enjoys modeling the latest canine couture fashions for all the neighbors!
 
Once the health crisis subsides, companion volunteers like Nancy look forward to resuming more in-person visits with patients. For now, they continue to provide their support and friendship virtually and by phone, letting patients know they are loved and appreciated.
 
For more information or to explore Hospice of the Western Reserve volunteer opportunities, visit hospicewr.org/volunteer, or call 216.255.9090.